COMMERCIAL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 94, 12 June 1877, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

PROM THE LYTTELTON TIMES. Christchurch, Friday Evening. GRAIN AND PRODUCE. The market has been quiet during the past week, and the few transactions which have taken place show comparatively little change in prices. Theshipments coastwise and to Australia continue at a moderate rate. ■ Recent' Victorian advices report a slightly weaker feeling in wheat, but oats remain firm. ." The deliveries of grain lately by the* Railway department have considerably relieved the up-country sheds, and we shall ! - now probably hear less of the block. . Wheat. —We have not heard during the week of any transactions of magnitude. . Prime quality is still worth 6s to 6s 6d. .Slightly grown is perhaps a shade easier, arid such samples command up to 4s. Judging from the appearance of the bread supplied by, many o f the bakers, a considerable quantity of grown wheat has ' - found its way into consumption. . Oats are in very good demand, andtheie are strong buyers at; 2s 7d for ordinary feeding quality, but more would be given for ,'superior lines. Barley remains unaltered, and inferior qualities would be almost unsaleable were; ■ it not for the hardening value of oats. . ■ • Potatoes. —Farmers" are still disinclined ' . to sell at previous rates, and ask for ad- : vanced values. Potatoes are worth 455. : , ; Grass Seed,— The little lots of rye-grass ■ offering are Very dirty. Good samples : will readily find purchasers at 4s 3d to 4sChl. • . Dairy Produce. —The market for butter and cheese continues dull. Butter, 9d; cheese, s£d. "— — OT».QK _AND.. STATIONS.- ! —<- jpjjej-e j s n0 remarkable feature. tqieporL v:\ in this market at preisent, the, shortness' of ■ "' \ - iie dliys, and the uncertainty,of the weather \ j.. upon • the winter season pre ; \ cla'diiig , ""'any extensive operation. ,Th 4; V . "^^ weather,jf6r winter, is as fine' weliaVe ' i Yeapii • to, ; expect, -and so far stockowners J ' J. , Jiave'-rAothing'to-complairi of, although far-'' j ;' .7nMii'i : .tfinii : /their ""lands- rather wet .for ; ;"'■'• i / 4oWiirg:\v.h'eat.-,'. : :\ ': -• ■"■■''' ."■'.;',■} I '-'..■ •• '/ Vi /' /Verb brought, forward, and althoughprices! J i /.. /throughout Were a little irregular, uppnthe: '•'■ 7.- ./'..whole there: was a "slight improvement upon; ■/ ' those.of last week. Best crpss-breds-made ; j /■> np to-14s 6d, receding to 9s 6d and 10s v ' /■/ .Merino wethers of moderate quality/.J./ ; • bro.Ught Bs.- . A lotof good cross-bredistore, 7/ ' ' lattibs reached Bs.' "Slieep are now wanted • ■7 . ■•forf putting on turnips, wlwish terids to; ' / .v)Jceejj'up.-the- value of good forward stores,: / .':, '.while bdilihg operations do the same good • /. . ; :. • office for fat cheep. Our; quotations for! ■ ■"". Jhutton for the, week-is "from 2d tb" per .■ -ib; ■■ :■ '.' ■ ■■"•..•■' •;•.' ■ : .',--', : ". ■■:";.. .; .In.:the cattle m.arket, prictes.are slightly ; in favour of the buyer, as compared ~witn i a month a*b v but still store cattle .continue j to demand/e.xtreme 'rates. At the yards, • ■'' 6.n-Wednesday,: 265 iead; were offered, i ■eompHb'irig.'a, sprinkling of fat cattle, and ; the remaitider, stores. All -of , the latter j wer<f sold 'at good prices. ■ Beef brought an ; average of 27s 6d per lOOlbs, ■ ■ ; .The number of pigs yarded- was/111.' ■ . This market at present is docidedly dull.

Messrs H.Matson and Co." report on the LiveS&pCk market; &c, forfhe week ending Friday, June 8,1877 :~ At the. Canterbury Yards on Wednesday, 265 head of cattle, 3846 sheep, and 111-pigs were penned off for the week's supply. There was an average attendance of purchasers, and pales passed off satisfactorily. The class of stock to hand was superior, especially the fat sheep, most lines being of excellent quality. Our entries for the day comprised .181 head of cattle, 2325 sheep, and 72 pigs. In cattle we disposed of 168 head at about last week's values, young cattle selling freely at a slight advance. In sheep we disposed of all our entries, and realised for 166 merino wethers, 8s per head; 245 ditto at 8s 3d ; 213 cross-breds as 12s ; 77 cross-breds at 13s 9cl and 14s per head ; 315 ditto at 10s and 10s 3d ; 169 merino ewes, 3s 10d ; 314 lamb's at 7s; 246 cross-breds at 11s 3d, 13s 3d, and 14s per head ; 117 merino wethers at 8s 9d ; 40 cross-breds at 14s 6cl; 40 ditto at 13s ; 149 lambs at 8s and 8s 3d; 168 crossbreds at 7s ; 71. ditto at 7s 9d per head ; also the 72 pigs from ss. 6s, 18s to 33s each. Country Sales—On Monday we held a clearing sale at Pigeon Bay, on account of Mr. J. W. Marshall There was a fair attendance of buyers. We disposed of the whole of the cattle, sheep, horses, &c, at satisfactory values.—Wool, sheepskins, hides, &c. —On Thursday, at our, weekly sale, 2872 sheepskins, chiefly of first quality, 106 hides, 44 bags of rough fat, and several bales of wool were catalogued for the days' sale. There was an average attendance of buyers. .Biddings came with spirit, but a slight concession upon late rates has been submitted to; this is not to be wondered at, considering the unsettled state of the Home markets, and when the prices which are paid here are compared with thenett returns to shippers the margin left for risk' and profit is no larger that it should be. We sqld beet

butchers' cross-breds at from 4s, 4s 3d, 4s 6d, 4s Bd, 4s 10d, to 5s ; second quality, 3s, 3s 6d, 3s 10 ; best merinos, 3s, 3s 3d, to 3s 6d; second quality, 2s to 2s 6d. Country skins—Merinos, 3s 7d to 4s 6d, ordinary, 2s 4d to 3s 8d each. Hidessalted, 4jd per lb ; . green. 3Jd ; calf, 6£ per lb. Rough fat—2d, 2± to 2£d per lb ; cake fat, 3d per lb. At Tattersall's, on Saturday last, 86 horses were catalogued. A considerable proportion changed hands, and tlie sale was satisfactory.