COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1906, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

FRUIT AND PROBrCE MARKETS. The local fruit and produce markets have been fairly brisk during the past week, and supplies generally met with prompt sale. Potatoes were in short supply. Poultry was in fairly good supply, bnt there was no improvement in the condition of the birds, and prices were satisfactory. A moderate nnmber of young pigs were sent in. but -were difficult to quit at very low prices. Vegetables were sem in inahont the usual quantity and realised former values. In dairy produce the supply" of both butter and eggs at the'auction' sales was very light and the price increiCsed. There was no change in cheese, hams, or bacon. Fairly heaTy consignments of fruit continue to tome to hand. Although there is a considerable falling off in the more salable varieties of dessert kinds, there is a considerable increase in the supply of ordinary and cooking apples. Anything in the shape of choice dessert fruits sold at high J prices, whilst ordinary and cooking lots declined in price. Indoor grapes were more plentiful, and prices ruled much lower, than at this season of the year as compared with previous years. Outdoor varieties were in heavier supply than in former years. Lemons came forward in lncreasefl quantities, and a heavy fall in prices resulted. The following were the ruling prices at the anction sales to-day:— Field Produce—Potatoes: Local, prime, £10 ton; medium. £9; Southern, £9. _umaras: Local, i%d to l%d lb. Onions: Local, £6 to £6 10/ ton; pleklers, Id to l%d lb. Chaff. £3 10/ to £4 ton. Dairy Produce. —Dairy and separator butter, choice farmers', 10_d to ll%d lb; pastry, 9d to 9%d; farmers' keg, firsts Sd, seconds 7d; milled, in bulk, for export, IOV-d: factory rolls, lid. Egg 3: Fresh. 3/6 to 1/7 _ dozen: pickled. lOd to 1/. Cheese: Farmers', 4d to 4Sid lb-, factory, s%'d to 6d: loaf, 6%d. Bacon, 4d to 7_d lb. Hams. 5d to B%d.

Fruit —Apples: Local, dessert. Gravenstein, selected and well packed. 8/6 to 9/0: other choice dessert varieties, 3/ to 7/; ordinai-v 2/6 to 4/6: poor, 2s: cooking, selected. "3/6 to 4/9: ordinary, 1/ to *V». Pears: Bon Chretien, 14/ to 18/; others, dessert, choice, 7/ to 12/9; medium, 4/ to 5/; cooking, 3/ to 4/6 (all quotations lor square bushel cases). Plums, 1/ to 2/ case: peaches, 2/ to 6/9 (according; to quality). (Trapes : Indoor, superior,- 9d to lid lb; good. 7d to S_d; poor. 3d to sd; outdoor, to 2d. Lemons: Local prime. 5/ io 6/ case: medium, 3/ to 4/: rough and coarse. 1/6 to 2/. Quinces, 2/ to 3/. Pas-sion-fruit. 1/6 to 4/ box. Watermelons: Sydney. 3/ to 10/ dozen: local. 2/ to 3/. Bockmelons, 1/6 to 2/. ' Pines: Queensland, 7/ case. Poultry.—Hens. 1/ to 1/8 each: table roosters." heavy 3/ to 4/. ordinary 2/6. light 1/6 to 1/9: cockerels, 1/ to 1/3: ducks. 1/ to 1/9: geese. 2/6 to 3/6; chicks. 4d to 6d: turkeys, gobblers 7/ to 14/9, liens 3/ to 7/9. Miscellaneous. —Toung pigs, 3/ to 5/ each.

Mr. J. Jones reports.—Poultry and fruleame forward in large supplies, bnt t__-_ market was abont the same as last week. "We quote: Roosters. 2/3 to 3/9; cockerels. 1/ to 1/6; hens. 1/4 to 1/S: ducks. 1/3 to 1/9; geese. 2/9: turkeys, gobblers 8/6 t-o 12/9, hens 3/6 to 4/9; pigs. 8/ to 13/9; potatoes, prime £9/15 to £10/5, poor and inferior £8 to £8/15: onions. £6/5 to £6/15; cabbase, 2/3 to 3/9 sack; butter, keg and box Sd to S}d, pais SJd to 9_d; eggs, 1/4 to 1/SJ: cheese. 5d to «_i; hams. 61d to 7£d; sides, 'Cd to GJd. Fruit (quotations for bushel cases, unless otherwise mentioned): Apples, .-hoir-p dessert 4/ to 6/, others 3/ to 3/6, cookers 2/6 to 3/6; pears. Bon Chretiens. 6/3 to 8/9. cookers 3/ to 5/. halfbushel eases: plums. 1/9 to 3/3; passion fruit. 3/ to 4/: grapes, hothonse 6d to T_d lb; Cape gooseberries, 3d to 3Jd lb: bananas 123 lt>: oi-ing-es. lid o\ozenz maize. 3/9: -wheat. 3/9: barJey, 3/3;. oats, . 2/6: recleaned Algerian seed oats, 3/4; bran. £4/10: sharps, £6/10; chaff, £3/10 to. £3/15. at sta on.