COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2472, 1 April 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Press Office, Ist April, 1871

A sensible improvement has been felt in the demand for general goods during the week, although the unsettled weather, has. to some extent, checked business. Goods ex Crusader are coming freely forward, and several sales of fair sized lines have been made at full figures. The Cyrene and Johanna Maria have cleared the Customs, the former for London and the latter for Boston, with wool and flax. It is pleasing to notice the demand springing up for the flax fibre for shipment to America. The wreck of the Hindoo, with a cargo of teas, for Dunedin, a portion of which was intended for this. market, should have the effect of stimulating values, but the local demand is rather trifling, and the constant arrival of small shipments from Melbourne keeps us well supplied. Grain is not offering very freely, but large quantities continue to arrive by rail and other channels. Wheat is certainly firmer, and as the yield of sound grain is miserably deficient we certainly anticipate much higher rates in a few mouths. For forward delivery really prime samples are eagerly bought @ 4/1 to 4/2, and picked lots, in store, move off without difficulty @ 4/3. Damp and damaged parcels are quited slowly @ 3/ to 3/6, and chicken wheat @ 2/ to 2/4. We note also, an improvement for first-class samples of clean, bright, heavy milling oats, the bulk, however, coming forward show signs of weather, and are not free from smut. Choice lots are firm @ 2/2 for delivery, and 2/3 in store ; ordinaiy samples are placed @ 2/ to 2/1. Tartars have been meeting with improved support @ 1/11 to 2/1. Flour is still firm @ £12, and we fully expect our local millers will attempt a further advance, if sound wheat continues as scarce, as at present. It is difficult to give a quotation for barley, as the range in qualities is so great. Very superior samples for malting might possibly obtain 3/, but none has been offering for some time. Faulty lots are disposed of @2/ to 2/6. Sugars are slowly improving, as stocks are working off, and every succeeding mail from Melbourne quotes stronger prices. White and bright yellow crystals are in request, and a fair enauitx.exists..for bright yellow counters, difficult to move. Supplies of corn sacks are more abundant, and we now quote lt/3 for large lines, at which figure several sales have been effected. Fencing wire has been placed @ £18 to £20 for best brands. Twist tobacco meets with steady support, nud sales of Raven aud St. Andrew's are being made @ i 1/tiJ to l/7j, in small trade lines. The consumption of kerosene is improving, but quotations do not exceed 3/8 to 3/9£. Candles rule from 0/llf to 1/. Soda crystals meet with some favor @ £11. Fine salt is freely enquired for, although values do not extend beyond £4 15s to £5. Spirits are meeting with improved support, *md several sales have been made of duty paid lines. Bonded parcels work off very slowly. Kaiapoi.—The exports from this port for the mcith ending March 31, 1871, were:— 6(59 bales and 120 pockets wool, 425 bales flax, 43 do tow, 14,088 bushels wheat, 18,12!) do oats, 1424 do barley, 162 bags beans, 64 packages bacon, 19 tons flour, 1 cask eggs, 1 ton honey, 20 kegs butter, 11 coils balelashing, 13 casks tallow, 2 tons cheese, 15 cwt. potatoes. The registered tonnage of vessels inwards sums up to 285 tons.

Mr Alport yarded 37 head of cattle at Carlton Yards on Wednesday, and sold them ■all, excepting one head, as follows :—Pen of 7 3-year old fat steers brought from £5 Iss to £6 12s 6d ; Pen of 9 prime quality heifers and steers, £6 to £7 17s 6d, being fully 20s per 1001b ; old cows realized £2 10s to £3 10s ; good dairy heifers, from £4 7s 6d to £(i 10s ; 10 head, 10 to 18 months old steers, 34/ to 46/. The supply of cattle and sheep at market was not excessive, and fair prices were maintained.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report on the live stock market as follows :—There has been considerable business transacted in the stock market this week. At the yards the attendance" as large, and although a very large number of cattle were penned off for sale, the most found purchasers at satisfactory rates. 201 head were entered for the week's supply, 70 of which were young stock. We yarded 73 head, and sold 63 head as follows :—23 head station-bred cows and heifers, @ £3 10s ; 25 head, two and three-year-old steers, @ from £5 to £612sGd; 7 head fat cattle, @ £7 y head ; 8 head young stock, @£1 15s head. The balance we did not offer, being too late in the day. j There is considerable demand for good fresh young cattle suitable for coming out early in the spring. The quotations for beef are— Best quality, 20/ f* 100tb ; medium to good, 17/ to 18/. A few extra prime quality, light weights, would realise a shade above these quotations. There is no alteration in the value of fat cattle on West Coast. Fat sheep—6oo were entered, the majority were inferior merino wethers, 400 of which we sold@ 4/9. There is considerable enquiry for first-class fat sheep, very few of which have been in the market for the past three "weeks. Quotations —Prime cross-bred mutton, 0/2 d lb ; Merino, do., 0/1 Jd to 0/lfd ; edium to good, nominal. Store sheep - 2000 were entered: we offered 500 merino wethers, but the biddings being very slack, they were withdrawn. Long-wooled "rams— We offered 72 Leicester ram lambs, but there was no auimatiou shown for auy of the pens, so they were passed ; a few sold afterwards privately.

Messrs E. Mitchell aud Co.'s report on the stock market for the week ending March ■41 :—We have much pleasure in stating that there is a decided improvement in ourstoek market. The demand for lx>th sheep and cattle remains good, and large sales of both have taken place during the past week. Beef is gradually rising, and in a few weeks we expect to see it up to 22/6 <p 100 ft. Fat sheep are not coming forward very plentiful. and as the winter approaches prices will advance. Store cattle and breeding ewes are still in good demand. A good supply of stock was brought forward on Wednesday. The market comprised as follows:— 9603 sheep and 194 head of cattle. We yarded at Smithfield as follows:—1580 sheep and 90 Jiead. cattle, aod with the exception of four

head cattle we were successful in disposing j of the whole, viz.. 469 old ewes @ 2/4 : 500 do. (full mouthed) '3> 3' : 100 cross-bred lambs <S> 3/ ; 100 do. (5; 3/3 : 411 do. <§> 3 ; . ; Cattle—2B weaneis (a. 40/ ;34 do. @ 41/ ; j one pen fat heifers from £5 2s (id to £7 7s < 6d : 4 s-teers @ £0 5s : 5 do. @ £5 12s (Id : '. 7 old cows <£ .2 ss. We quote prime beef j @ 21/ -p* 1001b. Muttor.—Merinos, 0/l| ; j three-quarter half-bred. 0/2 -p* lb. N.B.— i Our report of the number of stock yarded J can be relied upon, as we obtain our infor- } mat ion from the proprietors of the yards.— j E. M. Ie Co. | Bird and Bennett report for the week ; ending the 31st instant :—Cattle —About 250 ; were yarded at the Carlton yards, only a few ; of winch were f:it. the majority being young j stock: best quality beef brought 20/ ; medium. 17/6 *p 100 lb ; young stock, £2 5s to £3 ; two-year-old steers and heifers, £5 15s to £7 10s. according to quality. Sheep— Upwards of .000 were p.-nned oil", chieily old stores, which realised from 2/ to 3/3. We quote prime mutton from ljd to 2d ■& ft. Horses—Our yards were filled with light and inferior stock ; a large n urn ber changed hands. We sold a draft of useful colts and fillies from Wellington, at from £5 to £14 10s for lignt, and £20 to £28 for heavy. Good young draught, and up-standing saddle and light harness are still in demand. We quote first-class draught, £30 to £42; medium do., £20 to £2S ; good light harness horses and hacks, £16 to £25 ; useful do., £10 to £15 ; inferior, nominal.