COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 8407, 7 January 1891, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

The amount of revenue collected at the Custom-house on trmnla cleared to-day for consumption was L9S4lBs Bd. We are sorry to say that the dry weather has seriously damaged some of the crops between North Taicri and Cutram. and unless more heavy rain falls the returns from many of the fields will be very small. On the plain, however, the crops are in a better condition, and given propitious weather the farmers should be well satisfied at the results of their labors. The turnip crop should also prove satisfactory, and the yields in this connection should be up to the average.—‘Taicri Advocate.’ MINING NOTES. A telegram from the the Sew Hoy Big Beach Company repms that he washed up the small dredge and obtained 23< z of amalgam for two days’ dredging. The new dredge is not at work yet. The Ennedin syndicate who acquired a few months ago a river claim at M'Cunn Beach have completed arrangements for the Dunedin Gold Dredging Company’s No. 2 Dredge to work the claim. If the returns warrant the outlay, the dredge, which 1s now being removed from Roxburgh to M'Cunn Beach, will be completely overhauled, and steam power sub tituted for the paddle-wheels. An offer has been made by the firm of Kincaid, M‘Queen, and Co. to make the necessary alterations and improve manta in the dredge. * Tuapeka Times.’ SALE OF CROWN LANDS. Timard, January 7. —Thirteen alpine runs were offered at auction here to-day, but only half a dozen persons were present. Seven of the runs were passed in without an offer. Nos. 91, 95a, and Birch Hill were sold to the present tenants at the upsets; No. 93 was sold to Mr Bursill, a new Conner from the North, for L 165, being Lls over the upset; and No. 88 went to the present occupant at L 370, or Ll2O over the upset, Mr Bursill being his competitor. Sixtynine applications have been received for nineteen patches of first-class and thirteen of second-class land. STOCK AND STATION REPORT. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the week ended January 7 as follows; Store Cattle. —No change of any consequence has occurred since we last reported. The market continues somewhat languid, and, while a few odd lots are being placed, graziers as a rule only operate to a very limited extent, owing donbtless to the fact that, except on very rare occasions, the supply of fat cattle hj in excess of requirements, and in rather too many instances the graziers find that the price obtained when fat compared with that paid as stores is not by any means satisfactory. Store Sheep. A few lines of these are changing hands, but so far the business done is only to a moderate extent. A good deal of Inquiry, however, is being made for nearly all sorts, which It Is anticipated will result in a considerable number being disposed of within the next few weeks. During the past week we placed about 8,000, comprising full-mouthed merino ewes, two-toothed half-breds (mixed sexes), also four-toothed to full-mouthed crossbred wethers and ewes, at satisfactory prices. Wool. Since our last there is no change of any moment to record. Supplies are coming into store daily for the next sales, when some well-known choice clips of both merino and cross-bred will be submitted, and there is every appearance of a full attendance of buyers being present. Sheepskins.—These continue in good demand at recent rates. We had the usual attendance of buyers at our weekly sale on Tuesday at the Chamber of Commerce Hall, when we offered a full catalogue comprising a nnmber of country dry skins, also a fair share of town and country butchers’ both woolly, green skins and bare pelts. Competition was fairly active, and all were disposed of at the following rates For country dry cross breds, inferior to medium, Is 5d to 3s 2d; do do merino, la 4d to 3s; fullwoolled cross-bieds, 3s 8d to 6s fid; do do merino, 3a 5d to 5a 9d; dry pelts, 3d to Is 2d; green do, Is 7d, Is fid, Is sd, Is 4d, Is 2d, Is Id; green lambskins, Is 9d, Is 7d, Is fid, Is sd, Is 3d, Is 2d, Is Id.

Rabbltsklns.—There is very little to be said about these now. Owing to the limited supply there is no business of any consequence being done. Consignments have fallen off almost to nothing, and those coming to hand aro for the most part inferior sorts, but still arc saleable, although prices as a rule ore less satisfactory, On Tuesday we submitted a small catalogue, all'lpw i eason skins which broiiiht from 4£d t09.f1; suckers and half-grown, 1-V.l t > 31 per

Hides —Thtre is no alteration to report. Thu local demand continues sufficiently active to absorb all the supply, and the prices paid, although considered low, leave little or no room for exporters to operate. Quotations for good to best, 2Jd to 2sd, extra heavy 3d, medium 2d to 2|l, light IJJ to Ijjjd, inferior and slippy Id to IJI per lb. Tallow has a moderately fair demand for local consumption, b n t there is hardly any prime rendered offering in this market, the bulk of the consignments coming forward being only odd lots of country rendered, mixed, and often Inferior, but at the same time marketable at prices in sympathy with those current at Home. Quotations for prime rendered mutton, 19s to 20s; medium to good, 16s to 18s; inferior and mixed, 12s fid to 15s fill. Rough fat sells readily, prices being fully maintained, which are—for best mutton caul 13s to 14s, inferior to medium and good 10s to 12s 9J per owt.

Grain.—Wheat: There ia a moderately fair demand for all classes of wheat, but more e°pecially medium to good and prime milling white velvet, which seems to be low in stock ; and any lots of this class offering in milling condition could be placed at late current rates. The business done, however, is not extensive, the demand being confined to local millers’ exigencies, which are not very pressing; still, owing to the small supplies in first hands, the market is firm, and hardly likely to become weaker before the new grain is to hand. We gnoto best Tuscan, 3s 9d to 3s lOd; best white w-lvet, 3s 8d to 3i lOd; medium to good, 3s 5d to 3s 7d! beat red wheat, 3s 5d to 3s 6d; medium, 3s 4d to 3s sd; broken, inferior, and musty, 2s fid to 3s 3d (ex store).—Oats: Locally there Is no improvement in the position, and the chief business passing is in the placing of tho few small arrivals coming to hand from day to day. Old stocks are almost entirely out of agents’ hands, but there is a considerable quantity still lying in store, which will have to be cleared out before prices are likely to further advance. Even now buyers are not quite so keen to operate at tbe prices obtaining daring the past two or three weeks and only that there are so fow offering now it L questionable if late rates could be maintained, but which we again giro—for prime milling (bright and stout). Is to Is s|d ; best bright short feed Is 5d to Is 5Ad ; medium, Is 4d to Is 4Jd ; inferior and musty, Is to Is 3d ; good Danish, Is 4d to Is 4M (ex store, sacks extra),- Barley has a good irquiry, bnt.the supply in first hands being now almost all disposed of. the business done is only to a small extent confined to the odd consignments occasionally coming forward. Quotations—for prime malting, 2s 61 to 2s 9d; medium to good, 2a 3d to 2s sd; feed and milling, Is 9d to 2s 2d (ex store). Grass .Seed.—Some small sales of both ryegrass seed and cocksfoot have been effected during the week, owing to the moisture of the weather, but the demand ia not by any means brisk, and according to recent reports considerable areas are under ryegrass in tbe North Island, which will doubtless tend to limit the demand for southern growth, of which large yields are expected. An idea is thf refore prevailing that it will be somewhat difficult to maintain prices ruling during the past season. Meantime we quote best machine-dressed ryegrass seed, 4s 3d to 4s 9d; farmers’ best dressed, 3s to 3s fid ; medium, 2s fid to 2s 9d (ex store!; cocksfoot seed slow of sale at from 4d to 4Jd per lb.

Potatoes,—Tho market is over-supplied, chiefly with Inferior sorts, for which there is very little demand, being almost unfit for use, and in consequence difficult to place except at very low prices, while the few good lota coming to hand are saleable at mices more in accord with reasonable value. We quote inferior, L 3 10s to L 4 10s; best, L 5 15s to L6loa per ton. Chaff.—Deliveries are only to a moderate extent, and with a fair demand there is no difficulty in placing consignments immediately on arrival at slightly more satisfactory prices—say. for best oaten, well cut and heavy, 42s fid to 455; extra prime, 47s fid; fight and inferior to medium, 30s to 40s per ton. Dairy Produce.—The market continues very sluggish for both cheese and butter, in respect to the latter especially. Prime salted, in Pond’s boxes, slow sale at fid to 7d; medium almost unsaleable; prime factory made choose medium size, in shipping cocdltion, dull at 4d to 4-jdpar lb.

Flax.—Tbe market is barely supplied, more especially with bright and properly-dressed parcels, for which we hive buyers at late quotations, which continue firm ; medium to common and strawy parcels can also be placed when in shipping condition. We quote for extra bright well dressed, Ll9 to L2O si; medium to good, Lls to LlB ; ccarse and strawy, LlO to Lls per ton.

THE LONDON MARKETS. Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London office, dated 6th inst.Wheat: Market active, owing to increased competition on tho Continent. New Zealand average is worth 35s (id, and long-berried 38a per 4931b ; and New Zealand, f a.q. (to arrive, iron ship), is worth (c i.f.) 3fis 9d per 4801b (3eptcmber-October bill of lading).” [By Telkgrai’H.] Sydney, January 7.—Wheat: Chick, 3j to 3i 3d ; milling sorts, 8s 9d to 4s. Oats, Is lOd to 2s Id. Maize, 3s 8d to 3a lOd, Barley ; Cape, 2s fid ; English (feeding sorts), 3s. Bran dull at 7d. Pollard dull at 7W. Peas (Prussian blue), 4s. Potatoes, L 4 to 15, Onions, L4to L 5. Butter : Dairy-made, fid; creamseparator, 7d ; factory - made. Bd. Oheoao, 4Jd to sd. Bacon; Machine, 5-Jd to 6(.J ; handmade, fid to 7id; New Zealand, 9d to 9Ad. New Zealand hams, lid to Is. Melbourne, January 7.—Wheat ia in great request, the new crop fetching 3s 7d to 3s 7sd ; old, 3a Bd, Flour: Stone-made, L 7 10s to 1.8; roller made. 19 5s Thin oats, 2a to 2a stout, 2s to 2s 81. Maize, 3s 4d to 3a sd. Bran, B|d. Peas, 2s ll^d. Adelaide, January 7 Wheat, Ss 8d to 3s 9d. Flour; Stone-made, L 7 10s to L 8; roller-made, LS 5s to 19, Oats, 2s Id to 2s 2d. Barley: Cape, 2s 2d to 2s fid. Bran, Bgd to Bfd. Pollard, 8d to 9?, d. Sugar: Mauritius whites, L 23.