GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10108, 6 August 1898, Page 6

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

(BY OUR COMMEBCIAL EDITOR.). ♦ Friday Evening. 'ihe wheat market, in the absence of any pronounced demand on the part of millers and merchants, shows a weakening tendency, the few sales that have taken place this week being on a lower basis than those'reported previously. A small line of fair milling pearl lias -een placed at 4s, ex store Lyttelton; Tuscan at 4s 2d and Hunter's 4s Id, at a country station, equal respectively to 4s 3£d and 4s 2£d f.0.b.; and a small line of pearl at 4s Id at Lincoln, equal to 4s 3d f.o.b. At the present time, however, there is but little wheat offering. The oats market is exceptionally quiet, the business passing being purely of a hand to mouth character. The following interesting return has been furnished to a Southern merchant by the Railway Department, showing the quantity of grain railed northwards from Southland during the current season, the figures representing sacks:— • Oats.,, Wheat. Barley. To Otago ... 102,293 12,395 23,207 To. Canterbury... 69,510 111 280 Totals ... 171,803 12,506 23,487 The chief feature of interest in the potato market is the consignment to Sydney this week of the stocks of several large growers and local speculators, outside of the usual traders. The Wakatipu and Elingamite take away some 3000 sacks, and in view of this fact export merchants are chary about buying, as" they fear the result of so large a quantity being placed in one week on the Sydney market, whicu was being carefully fed. Owing to the advance of the warm spring weather, the potatoes cannot now be stored for any length «of time in Sydney without deteriorating. . Buyers at this end have therefore reduced their limit to'JB6 per ton, and as offerings by growers have become intermittent, it leads to the supposition that supplies, are now in a narrow compass. The local onion season is now practically at an end. The first shipment of onions from San Francisco arrived by the Alameda, consisting of 1100 crates for Sydney, 75 for Auckland, and 50 for Dunedin. they are reported to have arrived in good condition. With the continuance of favourable weather for sowing operations, there i« an improved demand for agricultural panda. Ryegrass of guaranteed quality and cplo-nially-grown. cow grass, of which selected stocks are not heavy, are in request, and cocksfoot has hardened. in consequence of the receipt of orders from Europe. The following are current prices paid to farmers, f.0.b., Lyttelton, for direct shipment from country stations and free of

commission, except where otherwise specified :— Wheat—Good to prime quality pearl 4s 3d to 4e 4d, Tuscan 4s 3d te 4s4d, Hunter'e 4s 2d to 4s 3d, socond quality wheat about 3d lowei. Oats—Prime milling 2s 8d to 2s 9d, good stout feed 2s 7d to 2s Bd, fair short feed 2s 6d to 2a 7d, Duns 2s 6d to 2* 7d, Danish 2s 5d to 2s 6d. Barley—Prime malting 4s 6d to 5s (extra choice), feed 2s 6d, Cape 3s. Beans—3s 6d to 3s 9d (scarce). Peas—Blue Prussians 4s to 4s 6d, partridge or maple 3s to 3s 3d. Floor (millers' quotations)— Roller £12, stone £11. Sharps—£4 10a. Bran—£3 10s. oatmkal~~£l4. Oatsheaf Chaff—7o3 at country stations. Potatoes — Dervvents £6 at country stations. GnASS Seed — Ryegrass, farmers' lots 2s 6d to 3s, machine dressed 4s to 4s 6d; cocksfoot, bright 3£d ; discoloured 3d; cowprass 54d to 6d; white olover sJjd to 7d ; alsyke, 6£d to 7d. Dairy Produce —Old cheese 3d to 3Jfl, new cheese 3£d to 4d, old loaf 3Jd to 4d, new do 4d to sd; butter, factory (local) I Is 3d, (North Island) Is, dairy 10d to Is, salt in bows 9d to lid; bacon 6£d, j do roll to 7d ; hams Bd. The New Zealand Farmers' Co-opear-tive Association of Canterbury, Ltd., quote as follows on August sth :— Wheat (nominal)— Prime iniUiiifr ; Pearl .. .. 4s 3d to 4s 4d 1.0.V. ] Prime milling: Tuscan .. 4s 3d to 4s 4d „ Prime milling Hunter's 4s 2d to 4s 3d „ Oats—Tartars and Duns .. 2s 7d to 2s 8d „ Good stout feed.. ..2s6dto2s7d „ Seed .. .. 2s 7d to 2s ad „ Barley—Prime malting (delivered at malthouse) .. 4s to 4s 3d ~ Extra choice samples .. 4s 9d „ Medium (dull) .. .. Xs 6d to 3s 9d ~f Feed .. .. ..3s to3s4d „ Beans—Old, scarce .. .. 3s 9d to 4s ~ Peas—Prussian Blues .. .. 4s to 4s 6d „ Partridge .. .. 3s 3d to 3s S.I , Ryegrass— Farmers' lines .. 2s 6d to os , Cocksfoot — Fanners' parcels, good bright seed .. 3d to 3£d „ Medium grades .. .. 2£d to «:}d „ lUrk 2dto2Jd Chaff-Good oataheaf .. ..70s at country stations Potatoes—Derwents .. .. 120s Messrs Geo. G. Stead and Co., Seed Merchants, quote agricultural seeds as } follows on August sth :— Heavy machine - dressed CanterburyKrown Ryegrass .. .. .. 4s 6d to 4s 9d Machine-dressed Ryegrass— Medium .. 4s to 4s 3d Machined Cocksfoot—Bright (181b per bushel) .. 4id to 4jd Machined Cocksfoot—Bright (141b per bushel) .. .. .. .. 3idto3Jd Cocksfoot—Medium.. .. .. 3£d to 3id Colonial Co\vgras3 — Selected aud specially dressed . .. .. 653 Colonial Cowgross—Fine .. .. 52s 6d to 60s Red Olover.. .. .. .. 52a6d tos4s Red Clover—lmported .. .. 40s to 45s Colonial White Clover—Fine .. 75s Colonial White Clover—Super .. 84s Als.yke—Colonial .. .. .. 65s to 70s Crimson Clover .. .. .. 65s The Canterbury Seed Company report on the seed market for the week ending 6th inst. as follows :— Best Machine Dressed Ryegrass .« 4s 3d to 4s 6d Good Machine Dressed Ryegrass .. 3s 10d to =ts 2d Italian Ryegrass .. .. .. 4s to 4s §d Best Machine Dressed CocksfootBright seed, heavy weight.. .. 4d to 4ld Good Machine Dressed Cocksfoot .. 3jd Medium-grade Cocksfoot .. .. 3d to 3£d Purple Grain Choice Cowgrass—Patent machine dressed .. .. .. 62s 6d to 64s Machine-dressed Cowgrass .. .. 50s co 60s Superfine White Clover .. ..80s Good White Clover 65s to 70s Alsyke .. „ .. ~ 65s to 70s Crimson Clover _ .. .. 56s Timothy—Choice .. ... .. 35s Timothy—Good _ „ *. 30s Chewintr's Fescue -.. .. — 56s Prairie Grass .. .. ... 4s Rape—Broad Leaf Essex ... .. 32s 6d Mustard .. .. .. .. 32s 6d Seed Tuscan Wheat—Machine-dressed 4s 9d to 5s Seed Chevalier Barley .. ... 4s 9d to 5s Seed Oata ... ». .. ... 2a 9d to 3d (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) INVERCARGILL, April 5. . There was a slight improvement in the oat market this week, orders coming from Australia, but at low quotations. Deliveries have almost ceased and the stocks are not so larye as last year's. Prices are—Prime Is IOJd to Iβ ll£d, medium Is 9Jd to Is 10d.