Trade Report.

Press, Volume III, Issue 192, 13 June 1863, Page 2

Trade Report.

Trade during the last month may bo reported as more quiet than usual. The exports in produce having been remarkably small for this tune of year. In imports, ouly one English vessel, the Sebastopol, has arrived, bringing passengers equal to 280 statute adults, and a full cargo of merchandise ; the Heather Bell, from Sydney, Atlantic, from Boston, and the Gothenburg, from Melbourne, with several smaller vessels coastwise, hove also arrived with general merchandise. The Funny Fisher, Crishna, and Harriet Armitngo have also brought us about 1000 tons coal; but, on the whole, imports for tho last month havebeen less than usual.

Since our last report we have been favored with unusually fine weather; just rain enough has fallen to enable fanners to carry on their customary nutunin sowing, and yet it has been dry enough to keep the land in a most healthy state. Already a large portion of wheat and oats is planted, with every prospect of an abundant yield next harvest. Farmers acknowledge that land has never been in a nioro healthy state, at this time of year, for many years past, than it is at present; but we fear the dry summer has prevented any large breadth of new land being broken up, and unless some exertions are made between Uiis and the spriug, the breadth of wheat sown

will be unusually short. Our fanners j*e-a»n. tinually suffering frrmi the want of some system in their cultivation; an average breadth of all sorta of grain grown regularly would, in a course of years, be found to pay best and keep markets steady; but the general practice has been to sow most of the particular grain that Las paid best the preceding harvest. This year, for instance, because wheat has realised leas than any other grain in the market, there appears to be a genera*

determination to plant sparingly, and find that oats have been sown on J* under ordinary circumstances, would W w put in with wheat.

j Gkaix Tbade. WMAT-has changed W but slowly during tho past inontli. With ti exception of a few thousand bushels puech '! north of Kaiapoi for shipment, millers fed the trade to themselves. Till the last firtJu 5s for best white, and I* 3d to -is 6d for red I the ruling price; about that time a damaudC seed caused less to appear. i n the niariet, and " 3d was obtained for best seed samples, which We * scarce, millers having purchased everything the could to the extent «f their storage.." Our ] \ market day, Saturday, June 6, was an unusually fine day, and but fow fanners mad* their appearance 5 wheat was. not offered fre<%, but we saw no reason to quote an advance t«l the following report was handed 113 :—" Millew ,, Beport.-Good wheat scarce, and sellers are asking higher prices in consequence of the advance- in the Australia markets. They now quote the price 5 3 6d f OP best samples, and have raised the price of flo w to £16 per tan in 2001b bags, and £10 10s in 1001b bags." It has been our pleading duty before to compliment the millers «f Canterbury on their liberal dealing; but now we can hardly express in sufficiently strong terms our gratitude on the part of the farmers, so unnsual a thing is it for a purchaser, or a body of purchasers, to raise the price of the commodity they are purchasing. In additition to the benefit fanners will derive from the advance of 6d per bushel on the email quantity of wheat left in the Province to sell, we hope it may induce them to plant more liberally for the ensuing harvest. The rise of £2 per ton in the price of flour μ-c leave to tho consideration of consumers, especially as the bakers Lave raised tho price of broad to 10d the 41b louf.

Oats.—Our Inst month's quotations for oafs were 5s to 5s 9d. Soon afterwards a few speculations raised the price for a time to 6s per KMbs j this, however, was but of short duration; the markets both north and south wore tried, and no margin found at that price. A large quantity of oats arc still iv store here. Buncdin appears well supplied from California, and so long as that is the case there is no chance of a rise. Farmers are now getting tired of holding for high prices, and oats are oflercdnnore freely ; good clean samples are worth Gs, choice sorts 6s Cd, but ordinary feed oats readily change hands at us 6d per bushel of 401bs.

Bpildixg Materials—Timber at the Wharves. —New Zealand boards and scantling, 25a to 2G* per 100 feet; tongueel and grooved, 355. Van Dieman's Land scantling full cut, 235; ditto 1 x 2 (running), 18s ; ditto 3x2,11* to 15s. Taliiiga C feet, 30s to 32s per 100; 5 feet, 2Gs to 3<k Shingles, scarce, 32s to 35s per 1000. Bricks £4 10s to £o per 1000; slates, countess, £16 to £18; dutchess, £24 per 1000 ; rough stone, 27s per

cubic yard ; stone piles, 2 feet, 2s 6d each,; 18 inches, Is 9d each; 12 inches, Is Id each.

Mr. Jenkins of the City Saw Mills reports

square timber, yellow pino logs, Baltic deals, 9 x 3 and 11 x 3, and battens 7 x 2i, none in the market but in great request for the use of tlie mill. Hitherto the whole of our timber hnd to he imported ready manufactured or be manufactm'cd here at a great expense by hand labour, but tlus proprietor of the above mills has gone to a great expense in fitting up machinery for all kinds of wood cutting, boriug, turning, flooring, moulding.

mortising, tenoring, relating, tonguiug and grooving, and is now capable of turning out a large quantity of work daily.

We liave had occasion before to notice the high rents asked and obtained for houses in and about Christchurch, and have often wondered that some enterprising individuals did not speculate in building more largely, to meet the wants of the public. It ia true buildings increase rapidly, and large quantities of timber are used, but its present lug' l price deters many from building who would otherwise be glad to get more comfortable lioines. W* had hoped to give an accurate return of the quantity of timber landed at the wharves during the last month, especially ns the trade is confined to » few merchants, but we are sorry to say that among the few we found only one gentlemen who was sufficiently liberally minded to tell us the quantity received 5 bat we believe we are under the mark m estimating the total quantity at 000,000 fc-ct diirinfi the l&a'manth. With the exception of sonic of the American cargo just arrived, the greater par-

p thi'a timber comes from the Northern t land and Tasmania, and we tire convinced that 3 Id timber be obtained at a lower rate a much frier business could be done. We believe that 8 "-oarers will be surprised to learn that so large our Tvm" c . . uantity as 8,000,000 feet of timbers now pass- * ! UP the Ferry Road annually to Cliristchurch. "hobses.—Mr. W. D- Barnard reports good ]lt B tock and superior hacks in great demand. Fiirmera and contractors arc especially inquiring for go° d clrau S llt mave3 ; but f ° r tllis last six months no shipments of this sort have arrived. The sales of the past month have been principally u fl llC a to inferior light harness and saddle horses, with which the market is glutted. Tho following prices may be quoted: — first class draught marcs, £90 to £120 each ; ditto geldings, £70 to £ioo eacll; tlitto liac ' tncvs > £5 ° to £75 .],. useful light harness horses, from £15 to £60 each. Shipments of good sound stock would well repay the shippers, and be easily quitted at prices above quoted. Cattl/E- —Iv oiu* last month's report we expressed some fears that beef would be scarce, and us dear in Canterbury as in Otago before the winter was over; we aiv, however, glad to fmd that these anticipations will not be realized. Butchers still quote beef at 50s per cwt., and although fat stock may not be so plentiful as could be wished, the supplies to the present time have been tolerably equal to demand. Wellington cattlo shipped to this place three months ago are now coming to hand in good condition for the butcher, and as a large portion of the last month's shipments have been retained in the province, we may hope to be well supplied for some time to come. We have been favored by the butchers with the following returns of beasts slaughtered for Cliristchurch for the month of May : bullocks, 122 ; sheep, 1723 ; pigs, 265 ; calves, 12 ; and this is considered to be below the average. We quote store cattle as follows : mobs over two years old, £9 to £12 per head; working bullocks, £40 to £50 per pair; milch cows, from £12 to £20 per head; calves, from £3 to £i each. Working bullocks, in common with all other working stock, have been in great demand. Yearlings and calves have been readily purchased for paddocks and straw yards, and a good demand still exists for all kinds of young stock.

Messrs. Miles and Co., report store cattle in good demand. The advices lately received from Dunodin have had the effect of raising prices, and cattle that were readily obtainable a short time since at from £9 to £9 9, are now saleable at from £9 15s to £10 10s. The mobs that have lately come to hand have been readily disposed of at current rates. Ewes are in active demand at full rates, readily realizing from 31s to 33s per head j but we do not anticipate that many sales will be effected till after shearing, there being a strong disinclination on the part of holders to sell woolled sheep. Ewe lambs are much sought after, and are worth from 25s to 27s per head; the price for mixed sexes may be quoted at 18s 6d to 20s. Wethers are in fair demand for the butcher at about 28s per head.

Fat cattle are searee and any lots offering are readily bought up ; we quote prices at average of Gdperlb. Working bullocks are much wanted for the Otago market, we have been forced to return several orders from inability to comply with them. There is also a fair demand for good rams for our own districts. Station property is firmly held for present rates. So much depends upon locality and carrying capabilities that it ie impossible to give such information as would enable those at a distance unacquainted with the merits of the particular properties, to arrive at any stated value at per thousand acres. To those arriving from the Australian colonies prices of station property appear excessive, and we fear •hat as long as this impression exists, no considerable investments will be made from the other side. It. is a satisfactory sign, however, that the lughest Prices are invariably given by those who iiave had the longest experience in the country. ME3388 Luck and Clack beg to report that although the present season of the year is usually dull, as regards land sales, still the freeholds which have lately changed hands command advanced rates, and without giving a tedious list of all the small properties sold during the last Month, they quote as follows :—Town lands, being now placed at higher rates than formerly, lave not sold to any great extent. Quarter-.acre sections at the outskirts of the town, with small cottages thereon, fetch from £150 to £200 each.

Building sites have let steadily at from 255. to 30s. per foot per annum, and good corner positions at 10s. per foot Rural lands close to the city command far higher rates than formerly' sections north of Cliristchurch have sold at £220 per acre ; and to the south, have brought from £300 to £350 per acre. There has been no very great amount of business doing in the sale of farm lands ; a few small sections have changed hands at fair rates, and one section of 500 acres south of the Selwyn, purchase I a short time since for £1000, sold for £1500 cash. Money in small snnfi find a ready investment at mortgage, on good freehold security, at from 124 to 15 l»er cent Government lands readily let to approved tenants at os. per acre, with a purchasing clause at £5.

Messrs. Aikman & Wilson's report :—We have to report since our last report a steady demand for cattlo at good prices which have every appearance of being fully maintained, we have sold stores as follows :—lll head mixed ex " Tyra," (a good lot) £10 per head; 277 head mixed, ex "J- W. Payne," (a good lot) £10 per head; 121 head mixed some months landed (a good lot) £11} per head ; 100 head mixed, some months landed, (unoqual) £9 per head ; 93 head mixed, ox " Yarrow," (a good lot) £10 per head: 56, head yearlings ex "Yarrow," (a good lot) £10 per head; 70 head pail fed yearlings, to 2$ yea-s, £8 10s per head ? 47 head large framed bullocks £18 per head . Cows in stock-yard, from £12 to £1G ber head • yearlings from £5 to £5 ss.

Horses unless of first class quality arc lower in price. Hacks and light harness from £16 to £35. Staunch heavy draught maintain their value, but nferior ank aged must be quoted from £10 to £15 lower. The value of laud in Christclmreh and the neighbourhood continues upon the rise, there is a considerable demnnd for sections in the vicinity of the Christchurch Railway Station and the streets leading to it, the land bordering upon the intermediate stations between Lyttelton and Christchurch also began to command attention. "Wo note some of our sales as follows:—4 acres Christchurch Town Reserves for £1600 ; 3 acres Town Reserves, £430; 4-15ths of an nero Town Reserve, £14; 6 quarter-acres within 1 mile of Town belt, £150, &c.; several sections fronting on the Lincoln Road, £80 per aero; 2 acres near Riccarton, £100 per acre.

The sale of Mr. Bowler's land Kaiapoi Island, held at the Ferryman's Arms, was out thinly attended by buyers. The frontages on the river brought from £20 to £63 per quarter-acre, and the back sections from £10 to £12 per acre. At the sale of the Lyttelton Hotel, the upset price was fixed at £2,200, and after a spirited competition was knocked down at £2,750 for the buildings and freehold, subject to a lease. The Shearers' Arms Hotel, Christchurch, and the Royal Hotel, Timaru, have also been sold by us privately at excellent prices. We have had enquiries for etations with and without stock, and have disposed of the Richmond Station, with 2,000 sheep and 80 head of cattle, for £6,700; 50 well-bred rams, for £175. Young ewes are enquired for, and both store and fat cattle meet with an immediate sale.