GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10410, 29 July 1899, Page 6

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

(BY oub commercial EDITOR.) Friday Evening. »The United States crop, ;tccording to mail advices, is expected to be from 500,000,000 to 550,000,000 bushels, some authorities inclining to the former and others to the latter estimate. The Cincinnati Price Current of June 9th stated that the week had been seasonaMe in weather conditions in line central and western regions, and the crop* conditions had been maintained or improved by ample moisture and warmth. *No essential change in the average promise of the winter wheat crop was to be noted. In some parts of Kansas the recent information was somewhat more encouraging than previously. Lake Pacific Coast information suggested higher expectations as ,to yield., In the no?,'th-west the spring wheat had to a large extent been making/favourable progress, and the delayed condition of the crop was being somewhat overcome, so that the, general situation in that section was more assuring. This estimate" of the American crop, if near the mark, will mean a decrease of something over 100,000,000 bushels as compared with last year's cropj but it must .be remembered that there are still enormous stocks on hand, and it is to this fact must be attributed the present low level of prices. - Locally there has been practically nothing doing in wheat for .export, the quantity required for tihe steamer Ardendearg, the only

vessel now loading for Home, having been purcfoased... This, vessel took on- board" 28,000 sacks of Timaru, and is now completing her loading at Lyttelton.. The' present weak state of, the Home market prevents speculation, and in the absence of, tonnage export buyers are not now operatintti Only a few small Itpes hive changed hands during the .week at quotations. , Oats are still dull of sale; a line of 250 i sacks of Spawowbills are reported to have" changed hands at Is'3d ex store. Chrp»church, and Duns have been sold at £d per bushel lower tihan last week*,* < - In consequence of the s severe winter weather oatsheaf chaff has firmed somewhat and sales have been made jat 355, to 36s at country stations. . \ ' ' Potatoes remain.about the same, buyers declining to give more than 10s. though no sales have been reported at this figure. A quantity of cocksfoot is being shipped to Europe by the Rakaia. on direct orders.' In view of the large aruoimt of sowing 4own that will require- to be done this. year, 1 orders are coming in for grass-seed, and a line of 2500 bushels of ryegrass (has been placed wiuh;one large farmer, for delivery next month. There is a fair amount of ryegrass now on offer from growers. Some fairly large lines of cowgrass are being placed on the market by growers, though it -has been generally reported that the crop this year woufd'nbt be a large one. One grower at Tai Tapu expects to obtain £300 worth of. seed from thirty acres.The imports of clover seed are, however, likely to be somewhat heavier than usual in view of the anticipated demand in the spring. Orders are alreadjr coming in for rape, and some farmers intend to sow a small quantity wit/h spring crops in order to, improve the stubble feed.

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—Hunter's 2s 2d to 2s 2£d, pearl and velvet 2s 3d to 2s 4d, and Tuscan 2s 4d to 2s 4id. <. New Oats—Canadians Is 3d to Is 4d, short feed Is 2d to Is 3d, dims Is Id to Is 2d, at Country stations. Barley—2s 3d to 3s, delivered. ' Beans—:2s 5d to 2s 6d. Peas—Blue Prussians 2s 8d to 2s 9d,, partridge 2s 9d to 3s. Flour (millers' ■- quotations, nominal)— Holler £7, stone £6. tonarps—£3 10s. Bran—£3. Oatmeal—£B 10a. Oatsheaf Chaff—New 35s to 36s at country stations.

Potatoes—Kidneys 20s, Early Roses 40s to ->os, Derwents 10s nominal, off forks, at country stations.

Onions—4os, at country stations. Grass Seed—Ryegrass, farmers' lots Is 64 to 2s: cocksfoot, 2£d for light, discoloured; 2|d to 3d for medium, and 3£d to 3£d for bright fairly heavy; extra heavy, machinedressed, 171b seed, 4d; cowgrass, s£d to 6d. Dairy Produce—Cheese, factory 4d to 4£d, loaf 4d to sd; butter, factory, local, Is 2d, North Island 10d to lid, dairy 8d to 9d, salt (in boxes) 7d to lOd; bacon 7d, do roll 7d to l_d, hams 8d; factory bacon and ham _d higher.

(PBESS ASSOCIATION TEXEGEAM.) INVEIIUARGILL, July 28. There is nothing new to report in connection with the markets for produce generally. Oats—The demand from Australia has fallen off considerably. Speculative purchases are being made for shipment to London, but there is difficulty in getting space in steamers. Steady, trade is being done with Auckland, but at low prices. Deliveries from the country have fallen off,' but large supplies are available' at the Bluff. When tne spring deliveries commence values will probolyr further recede. The present values are--Is 4£d to Is s£d, f.0.b., Bluff, sacks in. WheU— There is practically no demand, excepting for fowl wheat, at Is 9d to Is lid, f.cb., Bluff. Rye-grass—Stocks are far beyond requirements. ,