MELBOURNE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2154, 15 June 1864, Page 3

MELBOURNE.

Tun WcclJji Au,iis of the 27th ulfc. gives the following ns its agricultural report — Wedne'sdxy, May 23. Jk Hnlileis of wheat and flom me firmer again in their ■^demands since the publication of the agucultmal statistics last week, and pi ices lmeiisen a little, but bujcis aie } r et extiemely cautious, and keep their ti.in°actions within the nanowesl limits. Pome of the faimcis in South Au»tiilia are said to be still holding theh wheat, in the expectation of pi ices being higher before the year is over than they have been jet, but the lat« announcement of a nominal lise to 12s a bushel appeals to h.ive caused the ofier for sale of very much of what is remaining on h.ind. It is not, however, the object of speci^atots to buy. but to sell, .\ben prices me up, so the farmeis gamed little by the late movement. "With the exception named theic has been no change in the pioducs inaiket hoie .Barley m not very much in requpsfc, and oats fluctuate somewhat in pi opoition to the quantity ofFeied at any one time, but no decided altciation in piice can be quoted. The hay maiKet is still oversupplied, nob that the number of loads sent in is very gieat, but the demand is black and likely to continue so, as greenstuff is unusually abundant, and the up countiy farmers aie sending as much of their hay and stiaw domi by rail as they possibly can get ri 1 of. The following is fiom the commercial icpoit'of the weekly Argus of the 27tli ultimo: — The r.iles of liiteusfc, discount, and exchange may be quoted as follows, viz • — Interest : The maximum lates flowed by the banKs aie, we undei stand, on flej osit-. at call, 2.\ per cut. pci annum ; ondep.isits nt> t'mty days, 3 per cent, pel annum ; on deposits at three montl s, 4iper cent per aniiMm ; on depo-Jts at six months, 6 I'er cent, pel annum ; and we hear that even 7 per ceut. has been given foi large amounts at 1 nger periods. Di«eoiuit : Money continues in demand, and the rate 3 may be quoted at 8 pei cent, for tv. o months' paper; 9 per cent, f r three months' paper ; and 10 per cenh for four months' paper; although it is lepoited that some exceptions have •been made m favour of first class papoi. The small schooner 'Apollo,' with fifteen tons of caigo on bo.nr.l, and chawing five and a half feet of water, has «afely passed through the enhance to the lake's of Gi,'ps Land, and made her way into the River LaTrobe She made the urn from the Heads to the entrance of the Likes in foi ty-two hours. Competition has at last resulted in a large reduction of the faies to Sydney. The Auslialasian Company, by whom the tiade between Melbourne and Sydney has been so l<>ng and efficiently maintained, has hitbeito endeavoured to meet opposition by buying up the vessels placed on the line to oppose their f]< et. This course, how e\ er, is no longer pi acticable, aud tlie competition of the 'Bar won' and ' Souchays (the latter in the Auckland tiade via Sydney) has resulted in a gieat leductiou of fares.

TASMANIA. Tlic Ilolait Town Metciuy, of the 23u1, l'epoits as fol'ous :— " The past mouth has been one of more than ordinary d ul ness, especially in connection with om ex1 ort Uncle, and businesp on our wharfs generally has been sfapnani. This stale of things has been bi ought about a good deal by the fluctuating state of the ninrkcts for piodnce, f.nd al'O by the recent unposilion of heavy warfage dies in Vieioi a, vbicli has j.revented our liml'er exr-oiteis fiom dealing as largely «s they might other" ise have done. We havo had besides this", vayfbyr arrivals, and conse.

quontly our shipping reports look particularly me lgro, but f icightago has really not been in demand excepting for tho , conveyance of fruits, or of comiuusaiia!> htorcs to New Zealand. Ihcie lias orly been ono English anival dm nig tho month, viz. the 'Isle o' May, 'but by this ves=el full stocks of genoial merchandise bavo been leceived, and a biisk business lias been done in this depaitmcnt of trade, the winter season having now thoioughly'set in, andcieated a substantial deuiaud. Stocks aic, however, quite up to requhcments, and in some descriptions of goods slightly in advance. During the month several Melbourne importers have pud us a visit, offeiing invoices of vaiious descriptions of goods, but we do not heir of any consideiablo quantities having been quilted; the goods offered being generally behind the seison's requirements Wo have every reason to believe that Victorian (-.locks are very heavy, merchants theie having speculated largely on the strength of New Zealand demands, which have in many instances been supplied duect. This will not maten.illy affect our nnpoits beyond the circumstance of a few indents finding their way to Melbourne, which might otherwise liavo been sent home Onr trade h ith New Zealand, although it h.w not been quite so bi ls.li dmuig the la>t month, is still on the incieasc, and the opening up of the new goldfiolds theie w ill be likely still fin blicr so augment it._ We hope in the course of another month or so having to rcpott Luge shipments of pioduceto the New Zealand ports.. In our bicxdslufi's. miiket there have been some e\haoulina,ry tluctuations elm ing the month, consequent upon advices fioiu the neigh boming colonies and Califomii, and imrties will be chary of dealing until the maiket becomes moie settled. At the d.ite of our last summaiy, we had just iccoverecl from a tem|)oiaiy panic, and could quote wheat atfiom Ss. 3d. to Ss. Gd ; bince then, ]iowever, it hasnsen to from 9s. to 10s., but has now again fallen, and may be quoted at 9s poi bushel — flour being fiom £23 to £24 per ton. .Recent advices from California, if continued, will piobably fuither l educe prices , but it is hkcly that brei isbufFa will lulo above mydiuni latcs for tho lemaindei of the season."