COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16402, 23 December 1918, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

TATTERS ALL'S HORSE BAZAAR. Messrs U. Matson and Co. had an. entry of 43 horses on Saturday./ The quality was indifferent, with a few exceptions, and tho demand was fairly dull, prices being on tho whole lower than were' ruling a month ago. Among tho Bales wero: —Account C. L. Buckenham, Sydenham, eix-ycar-old inare, £8; H. Carlyle, St. Albans, aged gelding, SA 5s ; client, tbreo-year-old mare, £12 10s; client, aged gelding, 48; H. Barker, Burwood, iwo-ycar-old pony, £9 ss; W. Taylor, Templeton, seven-yoar-old . maro, £0 10a.- A largo number of harness horses were sold from £i 10s to £6. PROPERTY MARKET. ' Jones. McCrostio and Co., Ltd., sold on Saturday, on account of tho Canterbury Education Board, a; two-storey residence, togethor with full quarter-acre of land, situate St. 1 David street, Lyttelton, for £360, to Mrs Anderson ; on account of the trustees in the eat ato of the ]ato Mrs Cowlins (in conjunction with itessra Hillary and . Better), Lot 1. Gituaio earner ..Hornby .Junction and' Buchanan's roads, co'.tage of four rooms and quarter-acre of land, for £170 to Mrs Selby; Lot £, situate Hornby Junction road, cottag© cf {our rooms and about J-acro of land, for £;V}3, to Mr P. Colgan; on account of tho trustee in an estate, one acre and twenty perches, situate corner Clarendon terrace and Marshall etrect, Opavra, for £125 to CooValey. ■ _, „ , '~ Jones, McCrostio and Co., .Ltd.. also sold a two-seater Perry motor-car, which realised £100, and a vwo-three-seater Doiage, , wlncii .realised £240; also, by- private treaty, a Hun mobile car, which realised £270. NATIONAL BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. (I-KESS ASSOCIATION TtfLKGItAJI.) WELLINGTON, December 21. The general manager of tho National Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., to-dav reteived a cable uieesaeo from London advising that tho Board of Directors has declared an interim dividend for tho half-year to 30th September last at tho Tate of 12 per cent, per anniun. which will bo paid in tho Dominion on 6tli January. ■ BLENHEIM. (srECIAIi TO "THE PRESS.") j BLENHEIM, December 21. In tlie Marlborough "district a first-clam harvest -is being reported from all directions. The general information *is-to tho effect that the returns will be consiuorably above the overage. The cereals and peas have made, unuauallv oven and clcan growth, and there aro few *if any localities where yields "yell above the ordinary standards aro not looked for. A striking featujw of the season is tho extensive cropping of peas, which apparently cover more ground than either oats or barley. The record contract prioeß offered by the merchants this year for seed peas , were a big temptation, overcoming tho hesitation of numbers of farmers influenced by the olement of uncertainty associated with- the growing of peas on account of their susceptibility to the vagaries of the weather. So far good fortune in.this "respect has attended the enterprise. ' Early crops have _ already been cut, and" they promise satisfactory yields. Rain would greatly improve many of tho waiting fields. Tho. wheat cropa look well but they will not mako a very import&nt addition "to tho bullciness of tho harvest. The barley, .which ia one of tlie staple products, ift shaping well. The oats cropa are a • teal picture, and promise a highly satisfactory output of chaff. Some of tho crops have been cut, and in a week or two the reapers and binder® ■ will be busily at work. Haymaking has been proceeding for some time under fairly favourable weather conditions.- and the paddocks have been yielding ■ full-eized stacks. Thero will bo a !ot of stuff of excellent quality to handle tliis season, and the harvesting requirements are expected to offer a steady volume of work. It ia anticipated .that, the eupply of labour will overtake .the demand without any perious hitch. The prevailing rate of pay, it is understood, is Is Cd per, hour and found. Tho local produce markets have not yet established themselves on their new baais, and reliable common quotations are not now available. The cassation of the war has been a somewhat disorganising factor, but pricc3 will soon be defined in connexion with the incoming harvest. Thero aro no old etocka of chaff on hand.

SATURDAY'S POULTRY MARKET. Meesrs J. B. Merrett and Co, had a largo entry of poultry in their Christmas sale on Saturday. Over 3000 birds wore cnterc-d, but a. very largo number were unfit for tho Christmas trade. They lacked ago and finish, and consequently did not realise as good prices as they should have done at th i<j season. There was a demand for hundreds of prime birds that could not be filled. chickens realised Vs to 14s 6d, table ducklings 7s to 12s 6d. gosling 7s Gd to 13s, ducks 4s to S3 Gd, hens '2s Gd to 6s Cd, turkeys lGa to 435, all per pair. THE EGG MARKET. The egg market is well supplied. The demand is not so pood locally as in previous years, while the difficulties of ehi-pinjr prevent the-use of outside markets. Canterbury Egg Circlo first grades are Is 6d, ducks and seconds Is 5d per dozen. 1