COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2749, 30 May 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Press Office, Friday. The grain market is very quiet, very few j sales having transpired for Borne days. Wheat ia yery quiet, owing to depressed advices from England, and, as outside orders are restricted to very small parcels, we look for lower prices here. The millers also are baying sparingly, so that there is every prospect of prices becoming weaker, unless the Melbourne market should affect values. Stocks of Hour are also accumulating, but prices so far have not given way. Oats meet a steady enquiry at 4s for choice samples, but exports are falling off rapidly. Barley is is still sought for at os to 5s 3d for really choice malting lots. Hams and bacon in cloth are in active demand at 9d. Butter also meets a good enquiry at Is. Potatoes sell freely at £3, for export. Business in the import market during the past week has been dull, owing in a great measure to the holidays in the early part of the week. Spirits—Several large lines of brandies have been placed at 4s to 6s advance on our last quotations. We quote for Hennessy's pale, 10s. Other good brands have risen in equal proportion. Whisky commands usual trade sale. No large sales to report. Bottled ale and stout—The market in these lines is almost at a standstill. A small parcel of Tennant's ale has been placed at 12s 6d. Stout moves off in small parcels at our last quotations. Twist tobacco sells freely at current rates. We hear of sales Of St Andrew at la 8d 1.8. Sugars are very firm. We quote for finest white crystals £38 to £38 10s; brewers' crystals, £33 10s to £35 ; yellow counters, £31 ; stocks in finest whites getting low. Tea—A few trade parcels have changed hands at full rates. Oilmen's stores meet with steady sale at current rates. Currants —Rather slow of sale, at 4Jdtosid. Elemes, 6{d. Galvanised iron GO. anchor brand is now quoted at £36 for Nos 6to 8. Cement in great demand, at 235. We hear of a few small parcels bought to arrive at this figure. Slates—Blue countess, 20 x 10. No sales to report. We quote £12 10s for good sound slates. TheVaruna arrived from Glasgow on 27th inst., and City of Agra 28th inst., bringing cargoes of j general merchandise.

The New Zealand Provision and Produce Company, in their monthly prices current, quote:—Hams, bare, 10£ d ; in cloth, lid : bacon, bare, 7d ; iv cloth, 7_d ; hams and bacon, bare, 8d ; in cloth, BJd.

Messrs H. Matson and Co., report on the live stock market, for the month ending 30th May, 1874, as follows —During the month the following stock has passed through the yards at Carlton, viz., 749 head cattle and 9870 sheep. Transactions have been somewhat limited, in consequence of the scarcity of feed, and in store stock considerable difficulty has been experienced in effecting sales. The Canterbury Meat Export Company have rendered good service at the yards during this month, having cleared out considerable numbers of fat and ordinary quality sheep. We have passed through the yards 4724 Sheep, for Messrs George Holmes, Brydon, O'Callaghan, Dewry, Overton, Hurse, Washbnrne, Perryman, Hinge, T. Rowe, M'Donald, and others, at for cross-breds, 12s to 17s 6d per bead ; merinos, 8s to 10s 3d ;and ordinary descriptions of mixed sheep at nominal prices. On Wednesday last we sold several pens of tbe prize sheep, on account of Messrs H. Wasbburne, Henderson, and M'Beth, Hurse. and others at from 16s to 25s each. The bidding was for this quality extremely languid, and very little desire waa exhibited by the trade to become possessed of the prize-taking animals. Quotations for mutton, 2|d to 3d per lb, according to quality. In cattle, our entries comprised 509 head for various owners. Sales have passed off with very little spirit, and there is little or no change in values. Young cattle are the most sought after, and command good prices, say, yearlings, £1 to £2 2s 6d ; two-year-old steers, £3 10s to £4 10s ; and better descriptions, to £5 ns each; three-year-old and fat cattle, £5 10s to £8 10s, or equal to 18s to 20s per lOOlbs. On Wednesday last we sold several lots of the prize cattle, extra quality, at from £9 to £12 per head. Our sales were for Messrs Ferguson and Garland, and the purchasers were Messrs Morrison, John Mann, Hopkins and Co., and Boundtree. Country Sales—We held a clearing sale at Duvanchelle's Bay, when we disposed of about 250 head of cattle, and 4000 sheep, at full prices ; as also several horses. We have also held sales for Mr John Gerken, at Hanover farm, of dairy stock ; as also clearing farm sale at Kaiapoi, by order of trustees in •the estate of the late Mr Feldwick. Several bankrupt sales, &c, all of which passed off satisfactorily. Wool, Hides, and Skins.— Large quantities of sheepskins have passed the hammer. Prices, for best sorts, up to ia lOd to 5a 3d each ; for cross-breds and meriLOS, 3s 6d to 3s lid.'

Messrs J. T. Ford and Co report on the I live stock market for the week ending Friday, ' the 29th instant, as follows :—The supply at the yards on Wednesday was limited, consequent, no doubt, upon the mid-winter Bhow taking the day previous, but the quality "was unusually good. Prices for ' average stock, fat and store, ruled as for ' previous sales, but a keen competition took ' place for animals having won honors. We * quote mutton at 2»d per lb ; beef, 18s per 100 lbs for ordinary quality. We know of no large transactions in Btore stock during the 1 week, and prices for all classes remain ' unchanged. On the 19th we held a clearing sale at the farm of the late Mr Whincop on the Halswell, and, in consequence of tbe character of the sheep and horses being so well known, there was a very ; large attendance. The sheep possessed size, symmetry and splendid wool, and for all ' purposes a more payable flock cannot be found. Below we give a list of prices ob- ' tamed:—4 imported ewes averaged £46 4s each; 5 rams averaged £27 6s each; 179 ewes averaged £3 15s each ; 136 ewe lambs 1 averaged £2 7s 6d each ; 36 fat wethers, 17s each ; 4 ram lambs, each £30 10s ; 4 horses 1 averaged £62 15s each ; 7 head of cattle averaged £9 Is each. The hay brought extreme prices, and the sale throughout was a perfect success. On the 22nd we held a clearing sale at the Waihi Crossing, Mr Roberts' farm. The attendance there was very numerous, and all classes of stock brought good prices ; 9 cows brought from £6 10s to £14 10s each, and 23 head of yoUng stock brought from £3 to £5 each ; 385 cross-bred lambs fetched 9s each, and merino ewes from 3s 6d to 5s each. The horses had a good reputation for staunchness, and commanded from £45 to £50 each; implements, also, sold extremely well, and about 2400 bushels of oats brought from 3s lid to 4s on tie ground.