GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8482, 13 May 1893, Page 8

GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

The week has beeu quiet and uneventful and transactions have been very restricted. The fine weather of the last few days has permitted of a resumption of field work, and potato growers are now busy digging and delivering.

Wheat —The English market cont'uues in a very variable and unsettled state. Private cables note that a cargo of New Zealand wheat, ex Co 27s 3d, while public cables report 27s 9i —a difference which it is difficult to reconcile. The sale of the Mercians cargo from Timaru at 24s 6d must be most discouraging to shippers. Again, public cables report that parcels of Australian wheat have been sold at 31s and two cargoes at 31s 4£il, but later private cables advise that tne sales have beeu on " rye terms," which nieaus that weight, quality and condition are to be perfect on delivery, thus making the contract materially the worse for the seller, as the whole risk of damage ou the voyage and other contingencies will have to be borne by him instead of by the buyer. It will be a great pity if the Home buyers are stroug enough to insist upon these one-sided terms, but it appears us if they can dictate whatever conditions they please both iv the wheat and wool sales of the colonial farmers. The fact is, the trade in England is well organised for self-protec-tion, while there is no organisation for mutual protection here; hence farmers and shippers have to sub.nit to any conditions that may be imposed upon' them. The private cables dated London, the 11th mat., slate that prices have a downward tendency owing to advices from America, which is certainly not cheering; but despite this discouragiug report deliveries during the last four weeks from our farmers have been so light that buyers have beeu compelled to advauce their rates locally, with the result that prime Tuscan is selling at 2s lQd and eveu 2s lid, which is relatively very much better than present English values. A fair demand has also been experienced for really prime milling wheat for the North Island. As aheady noted, many farmers are holdiug back in the hope of selling locally in preference to running the risk of the English market. So far, the season has been most unsatisfactory to both buyers and sellers. Oats 3. —Beyond a fair enquiry for milling oats, there is little doing, and prices for other grades of this cereal are a shade easier. Barley.—Malting lines are still in request, but medium and feed lines are not wanted.

Potatoes are steady at to-day's quotations, and fair transactions are taking place both for immediate and forward delivery. , Grass Seeds and Clovers.—We have nothing to report respecting either cocksfoot or ryegrass. For colonial cow grass there has been an excellent demand during the last month, but, unfortunately, the wet weather during the latter part of April and and the first week in May has " caught" the bulk of the clover crops with the result that nearly all of them have been damaged by wet. We hear that some farmers are going to thresh their clover seed despite the fact that it was out in the rain for three weeks, in the hope that they will get some buyers at even a slight reduction on the current rates for prime seed. Surely this is a fatal mistake, as even if they do succeed in passing off cowgrass seed that has germinated the result must be disastrous to farmers as a whole. They will get a bad name throughout the length and breadth of the land for disposing of seed that will not grow, while, should any of it fiud its way to England it will be a severe blow to what promises to be a substantial addition to our exports. We trust, however, that our seed merchants will know their business sufficiently well to detect the damaged article and refuse to have anything to do with it at any price. We have met with a disaster and that is bad enough, but we should sot

destroy our good name, which in future years, as we have already said, may become very valuable to us, as there can be little doubt that iv the near future Canterbury should become a large exporter of all sorts of clover seeds. Let us therefore do all we can to deserve the good name we have already gained. Dairy Produce. — Butter is the turn weaker, and cheese is not commanding much attention. The following are the quotations of the day :— Wheat—Tuscan (new) .. 2a 9d to2s 101 Pearl „ .. 2* 8d to _» 9d Humor's „ ..2s 7d to 2s 81 Chic-wheat (whole) .. Is 9d to 2s Do. (broken) .. 1b 6d to Is 101 Oats-Mllllug .. ls«Mtol«»lO_ J/o.—Stout short feed .. Ii 7d Is W Do.—lnfuii-r oi-inaor teed li tt.i to is 7d Do.—Duns.. .. .. l*7dtolsW Baricy—Prime molting .. is 61 to 4» Medium .. 3a to as del Feed .. .. Is 9.1 to 2* Beans .. ~ .. 2s W Peas—Blue Prusslaus .. 3s 3d Feed .. .. 2au»2»6d Potatoes (slt, counrrjr t»ta--utis)--Bluoderwcnts .. 3Jj Cd to _>J Seeds—Ryegrass _luodue urevsud, heavy ... 4s to 4»3d Ryegrass. Italia v .. is to 4s 3d Cocksfoot— Best bright heavy 3d to 311- - iufcrior aud discoloured .. n >min&l . Flour, in sacks (roller) .. _a* I Flour (atone) .. .. £7 lvi Oatme-t .. .. .. „3 ioj Pearl barky .. _•_) Bran .. -210s Pollard .. .. _3 Butter—Prime fresh .. 7d to 8d Cheese .. .. .. 3d to lit llama and bacon—Biro .. "id lit cloth 7} i Prioesfor tin -hove aro t.o.u. at LrttM-.on.