LIVE STOCK, &c.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7265, 26 January 1889, Page 6

LIVE STOCK, &c.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report on the produce markets for the week ending Friday, January 25th, as follows :— .

Wool—The cable message published this morning regarding the London wool sales is very indefinite, but we understand it to mean that the sales which open on Tuesday next, 29th inst, will close on 21st February, and that 255,000 bales are available for this series, against 350,000 bales available for the same series last year. Several well-known merino clips are being received into store for our next sales, to be held on Bth February, which will be the most important series of the season for this class of wooL

Sheepskins—The bulk of supplies now offering are furnished by butchers, and consist chiefly of pelts and lambskins, the quality of which Is generally good. Competition is very active for all well saved* skins in good condition, and extreme prices are being paid, but for badly saved shearlings, with faulty pelt, competition is !very slack, and relatively low prices have to be accepted. Butchers would, therefore, do well to use a little salt in order to keep the pelt cool at this time of the year. Prices for well-conditioned range from Is 8d to 2s 2d for large crossbreds, Is 4d to Is 7d for medium, 9d to Is Id for merinos, inferior and badly saved from 4d to Is; lambs of first quality 2a 2d to "2s Bd, medium Is 8d to 2s, inferior lOd to Is 4d. The few country skins coming forward meet with ready sale at very full rates. During the week we have placed several lines of factory skins on the basis of quotations given above. Tallow and Fat—The bulk of supplies now coming to band. is. of inferior quality, owing to want of attention during the hot season, and suffers in price accordingly. Clean, dry, well-saved fat commands 2d per lb, medium ljd to l§d, inferior Id to lid. There is a demand for shipping lines of tallow, but at the moment there is none offering. Hides — Prices having given way at other points in New Zealand, outside supplies are beginning to find their way to this market, with the result that the supply is in excess of the demand. Bulk quotations remain unchanged, namely, 601b and over 3|d, 511b to 691b 2|d, 501b and under 2£d, calfskins 3&d, cut and damaged lid. Wheat —London advices, both public and private, agree in reporting a weaker tone at Mark Lane and on the Continent. Stocks are accumulating in Great Britain, which will probably delay any advance in rates for some time to come. From Austraiia we are advised of unsettled markets. Adelaide quotations are down to 4s 4d to 4s 6d. In Melbourne prices have touched 4s 6d. Sydney quotations are nominal; no business passing pending reduction of present heavy stocks. Locally a good deal of wheat has been offering, but merchants being unwilling to give over 3s 6d f.o.b. very little has changed hands. The harvest is now in full swing, and doubtless there will be deliveries of wheat within the next month, though farmers would do well to discard the practice of threshing from stook. Oats—Cutting is progressing with vigor, and some of the samples displayed during the week give promise of an excellent crop. A few lines have changed hands on the basis of 2s 6d f.o.b. for heavy stout feed and milling. Old oats' are neglected in the meantime.

Barley—Some sales of old crop have been made during the week at 4s 3d to 4s 4d f.0.b., but for fine quality 4e 6d is asked. Samples of new crop-have been on offer also, but merchants and maltsters are chary of dealing in stook threshed grain, especially barley. It is yet too early to forecast prices for this sea<*on. but farmers look for 4s to 4s 3d as opening rates. Beans and Peas —Beans find limited sale at 3s 3d to 3s 5d f.o.b. The demand from Sydney for Prussian Blue peas has given a fillip to trade, and several tiarcela have been moved off at 3s 4d to 3s 6d lo.b.

Ryegrass— lt is now evident that the season's crop is below the average, and for the small quantity on offer improved prices are obtainable. Town dressed is virtually out of stock; 2s 6d to 2s 9d is offering for farmers' lots, bnt supplies are very meagre. Cocksfoot—Old stocks are being drawn upon in execution of Australian orders, at 3d to 3Jd, f o.b. New crop will be offering in another fortnight, when we shall be able to judge of the character of this season's growth. Prairie Grass—There is a steady inquiry for this at 4s to 5s per bushel, according to quality. Butter—The sudden collapse of the Australian markets has .led to strong demands for tonnage to London. The Ruapehu,'which sailed yesterday, took a very large quantity from this and other ports, and we learn that nearly all the space available by succeeding steamers is engaged. Prices are nominally 6d to 7d per 10, but there is very little business paygng at this figure. Cheese — A good inquiry exists for cheese of even quality and small size, for which 5d to ssd per lb is now obtainable.

Mr H. L. Bowoe reports the sale of groperties as under:—Wordsworth street, ydenhara, quarter acre and house, four rooms, to Mr Finnerty, £250; Colombo street north, Christchnrch, the shop occupied by Mr John Pullan, to Mr Pullan, £600; May's road, two acres land, to Mr Rutland, £157 10s; Madras street, St. Albans, section 66ft x 132 ft, to Mr Jennings, £105; Gloucester street west, quarter acre and house, thirteen rooms, to Mr White, £975; New Brighton, quarter acre, fronting esplanade, to Mrs Sberriffs, £32; also having let a number of houses in the city and suburbs. I have a number of buyers for conveniently-sized farms, aad can place such at fair prices; also, interest-paying city properties—indeed, any property that will return fair interest on outlay; also, several clients desirous to rent or purchase houses of four or six rooms in the city*