COMMERCIAL.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 403, 31 January 1872, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

A Mercer reports fur the week ending January 27 : Refciil prices — Fresh butter, in Riband lib priiit.se, best quality 7d to 8d per lb ; second quality, 6..1 ; powd.red and eait baiter, 7d per lb ; fresh butter in lumps, 6d pier ib. But'.er ia not near so plentiful this week, and there is a greater demand. There is no improvement in the cheese market, and sock very heavy ; for best quality, 6d to 8d \er lb ; second quality, od to 6d. Side and rollad bacon, best quality

9d per lb. Colonial hams, Is per lb. Eggs, id per dozen, and very source. In the grain market business has been limited, but chiefly in consequ'-m-e of the present light supply. Good grinding wheats have only bßeii offering in sma'l parcels, and little will now be effected till Iho new samples are in the market. The quotations for fair lots is 5s 3d. Of malting bail -y there is none offering. Sales of good Fized parcels of oats have occurred at 2s to 2s 2d for shipment, but the demand has during the last day or two subsided. The sale of current trade parcels is all that has been done in flour; The quotation for the best town brands remains ub Ll3.

Messrs Whighit, SfEPrraxsoy, and Co. report for the v,-eek ending 27th .Tanuufy as follows . — Fat Cattle. — 78 head were yarded of good quality. 50 head were sold at prices equal to from 17b Gd to 19s per 100 lbs, and the'balaure were turned out. We also sold privately 50 head prime quality, at from L 7 to L 7 10s, equal to 20s per 100 lbs.

Fat Sheep. — 550 were penned and sold as follows: — 400 merinos, mid ilhig quality, at 6s 6d ; 10'J half breds, 9s 6:1 to 10s ; 50 ewes, 5s 9d, We nlso sold privately 300 half breds at 2d per" lb ; and 100J merinos, at l}c\ : which figures we quoti. 1 us present market rates. Lambs brought from 7s 9d to 7s each.

Store Cattle.— We hear of a mixed lot of 750 head having changed hands at 45s each.

Store Sheep. — We have enquiri.-s for- hal bred sheep and lambs, and m-rino withers and ewes, 4 and 6-tooMi. We have placed 180f> mixed ewes and lam 1)3 at 3s Gd round ; also 2500 4-tooth half breds, 6s ; mixed half bred lambs, 5s to 0s ; merino wethers, 4s to 4s Gd ; 4 and 6tooth ewes, 4s to 4s 3d ; full mouthed do, 2s Gd to 3s.

Horses- — We hud no fiesh lots to offer during the week. The supply bAng mainly of light nnd ivfevior stock* not many changed hands. We quote good draughts. LAO to L 45 ; medium do, L 25 to L3O ; good hacks and light harness horses, Ll6 to L2O : middling do, LlO to Ll4 ; light and inferior, L 3 to L 6.

Wool. — We held our third sale of the season at our stores on Thursday, the 25th instant, when the competition was good, and late rates well maintained.

Grain. — Wheat : Good samples are very scarce and wanted. Prime is worth 5s 3d per busheU Oi.vls: Stocks in town are very low, and we have to report an advance on low rates. Milling m-iy be quoted at 2s 3d to 2s 4cl ; feed, 2s 2d to 2s 3d. Barley : No alteration in value.

Messrs Dria-er. Stewart, and Co., report for the week ending 27th January, 1872, as follows : — -

Fat Cattle. — 57 head were yarded, about, onehulf of which were fair quality, and brought about 17s 6(1 per 100 lbs ; the remainder beinu; very ordinary, realised but little over store prices, and were takon by graziers. Good prime beef would have brought 20s per 100 lbs, which we quote as pre-er.t market value. Fat Sheep. — -172 merino wethers were penned* and sold at from 6s 3d to 10s ; 25 do ewes, at 5s 9d ;82 cross-bred lambs at 7s 91 to Bs. We quote prime cross-bred* at 2d perlb; do merinO3 at 1H do.

Store Cattle. — About 1000 head mixed cattle, near Switzers, have changed hands, price and terms withheld.

Store Sheep. — We have orders for a large number of almost every description of sheep, and wo anticipate that several lots will chan-jij hands as so in as prices are definitely fixed. We have sold. about GOOO during tlio week at quotations, say—merino wethers, 4s to Is 6d ; cross-bred do oi 6d to 6s ; merino laml'S, 7s to 7rf 6d per pair ; vi ossbred do, 9s to 10s per pair ; merino ewes, 4s to ■]•? (id each.

Stuti.m*. — On the 24th inst., we sold b} r auction :it our woo] stores the fallowing stations: — - Uu^ed Ridg-v, (30,000 neves in the Wtiit.-iki di<t riot"' with 26.4-38 s>ln-ep, for the sun; of L 16.500 Ciisli, to Charles Nichols. s( ]-, also, SU-tfold, 26,000 acres, leasehold, and 27-10 acres freehold, in the Oainnru dislr'ct, with 18,00) .'hoop, for the sum el L 12,100, cash, to Philip Oak Jen, Esq. We aiv in treaty for the sale of one or two other properties privately.

Wool. — Three public sales have been held during the week, at which about lfsOO bales were offered. Of this quantity only GOO i«ales wero disposed of at auction, ;ind the subsequent private transactions have been very limited. Medium and light greasy wools continue to command great attention, and for a few choice lots o? cross-bred quite extreme rates have been obtained — in one instance up to IGjd per lb. Inferior greasy and washed fleece, however, have not been so briskly competed for, and with regard to the latter we quote prices a shade easier. We give present market rates as follows : — Inferior greasy fleecej 9utolO£d; medium do, do, lid to 124 d ; superior to very choice light conditioned, 13d to 15d ; medium cro-s-bred greasy, 13d to I'M ; very choice light, up to 16Jd ; washed fleece, 17d to 20d ; wash-.-d cross-bred, 19d to 21d. Telegnuns of latest dales from the liomj market via ilokitika, report most favorably of the November sales. Prices throughout were fully up t.i September rates, and in the case of New Zealand scoured and washed wo >ls an advance of Id to lad per lb was quoted at the close of th.' series ■. Trin le in the manufacturing districts continues very healthy. Siuepskiiis at auction, were very briskly competed for, an i realised from 7j 1 to lO&d p-.-r lb. JS'ir.v Zi-iiland Flax. — In the local „iarkjt chore is little or nothing doing. Advices from London report ii considerable demand for Am^rioa, and ' jiu advanco in prices of the better descriptions of from 20s to 30? per ton.