CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18180, 17 September 1924, Page 10

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

(BY OT7B COMMERCIAL EDITOE.)

Tuesday Evening,

Potatoes continue to "be the chief item of interest. There has been a sudden firming, not on account of a dearth of, potatoes developing, but because of- the gambling that has been going on. Towards the end of August an Auckland operator sold forward for September at £4 10s a ton f.0.b., s.i. It was remarked in this column at the time that "if buyers insisted on actual delivery this speculator might be in what is colloquially known as 'the soup.' " He is. To-day covering sales have been made at up to £6 15s. This is pure paper business, and growers should not be carried 1 away with tlie idea that the price represents the actual value of potatoes. Growers are being offered up to £4 10s on trucks, but if the speculator can arrange cancellations for the larger part of liij operations this price may not hold. Following on the week-end comments m regard to the later firming of th.3 market, it is now learned from Auckland that a fair proportion of the Kawatiri's big shipment of 15,000 sacks from Melbourne opened up disappointinglv. This indicates that later shipments may not be sound. However, in this connexion it has to be remembered that the latest Melbourne quotation -was £2 5s a ton, equal to about £5 5s ex wharf Auckland. Even allowing for picking over at the northern port, and a rejection of 25 per cent., the Victorian tubers will not cost more than £7 to £7 ss, quite 20s to 25s a ton less than Canterbury tubers at £6 10s to £6 15s a ton f.0.b., s.i., Lyttelton. This is-rather too large a difference even with a liberal allowance for the better quality Canterbury potatoes. Present f.0.b., s.i., values are £6 10s to £6 15s for September-October. There is a difference, however, between "paper" and actual values, and the latter to farmers are £4 10s a ton. The offerings are small from growers. The Wingatui is due to sail on the 19th with a small consignment. Cowgrass is meeting with some enquiry from Home, for best quality, which is worth up to 9d a lb to farmers.

Chaff is very firm and Auckland has come on the market, and except for a small lot some weeks ago it is the first •time this year. Values i»o farmers are £7 a ton.

There is no change in other classes of produce. Linseed has been sold in several cases at £l9 10s to £2O a ton .f.0.b., s.i.. the market Jiavinß improved.

Thfc following are the quotations to be paid to farmers at countrv stations, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise Btated:— Wheat—Tuscan 5s sd, Hunters 5s 7d. Pearl 5s 9d, f.o.b. Lyttelton. Fowl "Wheat (nominal) —5s 9d f.o.b. Chaff— £7. Oats—B Gartons 5s 6d, White Clover—ls Id to Is 3d. Cowgrass—Bd to 9d. Partridge Peas—ss 9d to 6s. Italian _ Ryegrass— 6s. Perennial Ryegrass—6s. Cocksfoot—Bd to 9d. Linseed—>£l7 10s. Barlev—ss.. Potatoes —£4 10s (nominal). Flour—£ls 10s a ton. Pollard—£6,los f.o.b. main ports; 10s extra for -smaller packing. Bran—£s 30s per ton. f.o.b. main ports; 10s extra for smaller packing.

RANGIOBA MARKET. The sheep entry at the Eangiora market is still" a weekly diminishing number, only 291 including lambs being yarded yesterday. The sales were: —Four fat ewes at 43s 3d, 8 at 27a 9d, 1 at 325, 2 fat hoggets at 395, 1 at £Bs, 27 aged ewes and 27 lambs at 22s all counted, 22 ewes and 23 lamba at 20s 4d, 21 ewes and 23 lambs a+ 17s 6d, 79 six and eight-tooth ewes in lamb at 365, and 20 six and eight-tooth wethers at 325. The entry of cattle totalled 85 head, almost all being, dairy stock.. The' best springers* made £4 to £B, low-conditioned springers £l'to £3, cows in profit £2 to £6, springing heifers £2 to £5 15b, store cows £1 to £1 15s, and calves 10a to 15s. A bull sold for £4 7s Cd. . . There was a large entry of pigs, 312 being penned. Prices for baconers were not so good as those quoted a fortnight ago, the best being £5 Ms, and for lighter £4 to £5 ss, good porkers made £2 ISs to £3 ss, best stores 35s to 47s 6d, slips 30s, and weaners 20s to 295. Poultry—Roosters sold at 12s a couple; hens Bs, ducks 7s, geese 9s. Produce—Chickwheat 23s to 24s a bag, barley 235,. oatsheaf chaff 6s to Bs, straw chaff 3s to 3s 6d, pig meal 15s, table potatoes 8s to 12s 6d, seed potatoes 6§. to 10s, pig potatoes 3b to 3s 6d, parsnips 3s a kit, carrots 2s, apples 3s 6d to 5s 20lb case, onions 3d lb. Sheepskins—Halfbred 28s, crossbred 15s, three-quarterbred 18s; calfskins, '3s to 6s, hides, 3d lb; wool, Is 4d; crutclungs, Is 2d lb; fat, 2id.

ASHBURTON MARKET.

There was a good attendance at the Ashburton yards yesterday, when the entry comprised 118 fat ewes, 219 fat wethers, 749 stores, and 26 head of cattle. There was a big proportion of unfinished sorts in the fat ewe pens, and a few of a particularly good quality, for which there was keen competition, Mr 0. Ames, of Wakanui, topping the market with 50s, for a pen of nine, and 42s €d for a- pen of four. The great featuro of the market was a magnificent lot of -10 Corriedale wethers, which Messrs Cochrane Brothers, of Elgin, bought at 29s last March, to sell yesterday at prices ranging from 52s 6d to- 655. The local butchers competed very keenly for them, and each secured a pen. The next best .price was for a pen of four, sent in by Messrs Long Brothers, of Kyle, which sold at 50s 6d. Out of the total of 219 wethers offered, 121 were passed at auction. The principal sales were: Ewes—6 at 35s 3d, 8 at 31s. 3d, 8 at 33s 9d; 8 at 28s 6d, 8 at 28s, 13 at 22s 9d, 10 at 31s, 10 at 245, 9 at 50s, 4 at 42s Gd, 8 at S7s 7d, 7 at 28s, 11 at 283 9d, 8 at 30s 9d. Wethers—2 at 565, sat 475, Bat 47s 6d, 2 at 41s 6d, 5 at 47s fid, 2 at 41s 6di, 4 at 50s 6d, 4at 655, 5 at 645, sat 62 3 , 6 at 595, 5 at 55s 6d, 5 at 565; 6 at 53s 3d, 4 at 52s 6d, 8 at 483 3d, 12 at 39s 9d. Stores—The stores were principally aged ewes, with lambs at foot, but each line offered was passed at auction.

Cattle—There were a, few fairly good fat cattle forward, which so'.d at £3 "7s 6d to £8 15s for cows, £9 for steers, and £3 ISs io £* Ss for heifers. The stores were a poor, low-conditioned lot. Aged tews in profit brought 12s 6d to £5, springers' 12s 6d to £3, ca-ves ss, and vealers 5s 6d.

CLEARING SALES. H. C. Smith, of the City' Market, conducted a oi-eanng sale at Hornbv, account Mr R. Jelhe. A number of the 13 cows offered, were Jerseys, and found ready purchasers at the following prices- 16gns 15gns, 12gns, 2- at llgns each, liigns, id gns, 9 gns, 73gns, Bjgn«, 2 Shorthorn heifers 6J and llgcs; 3 sows with, litters £5 2s and £B, 5 store pigs £2 lis 6d each, weaners 16s to 80s 6d each: wooden roller £5, 2 harrows 30s, and. usual sundries. Also, 'account Mr Broadley, furniture and effects, when 180 lots were olearcd at, very tory prices to a large attendance. Aleo, account Mr Boyd, "Winner's road, Papanui, live and dead atoox and milk round of about 20 gallons, which re&lfsed £165, after spirited competition, Mr Hookham being the purchaser. Other lots sold were: Harness mare £l4 10s, brown mare £B, Planet £3 17s 6d, separator £9, part stack hay £9 10s, miik drums to 30s, milk cooler £2 10s, lawnmower 30s, 3 harrows 37s 6d, saddle 37s 6d, set disc harrows £B. Dairy cows were practically unsaleable. At the Cit7 Market the following prices were obtained for poultry at our Friday's weekly sale: Roosters, 4s 6d to 15e; hens, Leghorns 4s 6d to 8a 3d; .heavy breeds, to 10a; ducks. 6s 6i to Bs, 6d; Pekins, to 13s 9d: geese, 8s 6d; turkeys, to 47s 6d; ergs, 1» Id to Is 2id. 6 Hi C. SMITH. Prop.

In the Portuguese Congo a church is now being built of stone which has to be carried four miles by the natives. The completed structure will contain 15,000 stones, representing nearly 120,000 miles of walking.