COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 4465, 5 June 1875, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

LytMton Timu Office, Friday Evening. GEAIN AND PRODUCE. "We have to record another doll week id the grain market. A few coastwise shipments have been made. The Warwick has sailed tor London frith 12,332 sacks of wheat. A small shipment of barley has been mode to Melbourne, and a few miscellaneous lots haye gone coastwise. The Melbourne market is principally being supplied with oats from Timaru and Oamaru. The market for dairy produce exhibits no change, but potatoes are firmer, their value having advanced, from £2 2s 6d to £2 7s 6d, to £2 7s 6d to £2 lie. The following are buyer’s quotations:—Wheat, 3d 3d; oats, 2s 6d; barley, 4s 6d to 4s 9d; potatoes, 4Jq 6d to 47s 6d; cheese, BJd to Bsd; flour, in sacks £lO, in 100's £lO 7s 6d,in50” 0 £1015s; bran, £4 IQs; sharps, £5 10s, 10s extra f.o.b. Hams and bacon, bare 10id per lb, in cloth lid; bacon (Only), bare 9Jd per lb, in cloth lOd; hams (only), bare Kd, in cloth 12Jd, STOCK AND STATIONS. A week of fine winter weather has done muon in drying up the roads and yards, and has allowed all kinds of rural work to be carried on advantageously - Grass fields are now becoming bare, and farmers who have turnip or rape are making luzangements fOt-placing stock upon them. Operations daring the weeV have almost entirely ' been confined to routine business, but the stock market presents on appearance of considerable buoyancy, especially as regards sheep. Until recently this class of stock kept a very low scale of prices, but within the last month there has been a decided upward tendency , which no doubt will intensify as the winter advances. The firm appearance of the weol market no doubt has assisted in producing this advance, and it is most gratifying to learn that up to latest dates from London wool maintained a firm position. At the .yards On Wednesday,a large number ot .sheep were brought forward* add "at the first opening of the sale biddings rather inanimate. Ah the sale progressed, however, the feeling of. apathy soon vanished, and a brisk sole was the result, notwithstanding the large number offered. Merino mutton was scarce, the ulk of the sheep -being cross-hreds, which ranged from 1 t 7s 6d,

according to weight and (juallty, We leefvo dor quotation of 3d per lb to (tend for the week. Tbe number of cattle yarded wa* inconsiderable, ana*; few prime beasts wejre_ amongst them. The seaedn of the year is hot favourable to heavy operations in cattle, and biddings were rather alack. We quote beef for the week at 30s to 32s 6d, but we are of opinion that the fall is only temporary, and that in a few weeks we will see much higher prices rule.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report on the live stock market, as follows:—The yards were fairly supplied with both cattle and sheep, on Wednesday last, and prices realised were satisfactory, especiall; r so in the sheep market. In cattle, we yarded and sold 135 head for Messrs J. Ferguson, Stewart, Kinley, Prebble, Dawson, Gorforth, Sharp, Collins, Fisher, Duncan, Keese, Durey, Ballard, Dunnage, and others, at full prices. No very prime beef came to hand.' The fat stock yarded, was chiefly old cows, and green young stock. In sheep, we yarded and sold 1339, Of all classes, for Messrs B. F. Gray, Harper, Gregg, Patterson, Wright and Murray, r.nnn Phillips, and others, as follows—322 prime cross-bred ewes, for Mr H. F. Gray, at 17e 3d to 17s fid; 229 ewes and wethers, for Messrs Wright and Murray, at 12s, to 13s ; 118 cross-bred wethers, lor Mr Harper, at 16s, 16s 3d, to 16s 6d; 127 crossbreds, for Mr Patterson, at 13s 9d; 101 Downs, for Mr James Gregg, at 15s; 224 very inferior crossbreds, for Mr Lane, at 10s; 128 merino ewes, at Ss, and 79 cross-bred lambs, at 7s, lor Mr Phillips. We quote prime mutton, 3d per lb. Pigs—Wo yarded and sold 25 bacon pigs, on account of Mr John Grigg, at £3 15s to £4 each. Property.—We have sold a 59 acre farm at Yaldhurst, at £ls per acre, cash, and have in treaty several other properties. Sheepskins, Wool, Hides, and Tallow—There was a large entry of sheepskins, Ac,, on Thursday last at our wool stores. We sold best butchers’ oross-breds, at Ss to Ss 9d; merino, at 4s 6d each: boiler do, at 3s lOd; country skins, at 2s lOd to ss. Wool—Several bales and bags, at from 10 Jd to Is 3d per lb ; hides, from 3Jd per lb.; tallow, rough, 2Jd per lb.

Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. report on the live stock market for the week ending Friday, June 4, as follows:—The yards on Wednesday were well supplied with sheep and cattle. About 3000 sheep were brought to hand, and the usu->i quantity of cattle. We report no alteration in value of beef or store cattle since the previous market, hut mutton and store sheep showed a slight upward tendency. We quote mutton 2}d to 2|d per lb, beef, 30s to ?5s per lOOlbs. Our number of sheep to hand last Wednesday amounted to 2190, from Messrs Stafford, Poits, Bovey, Cook, H. Parker, C. Parker, Walker, and A eland. Cross-bred ewes, on account of the Hon B. W. Stafford, brought 17s 6d each; cross-bred ewes, on account of Mr Acland, 13s each; merino wethers, on account of Mr Acland, 10s fid; store merino wethers, on account of Mr Potts, brought 6s each ; and store merino ewes, from same owner, 4s to3sfid each; fat merino ewes, on account of Mr Bovey, 7s each; and a lot of store oross.hreds, on account of Mr Cook, 11s each; cross-bred lambs, on account of Mr C. Clarke, 7s each. Daring .the week, we have also disposed of a line of cross-bred ewes at 12s each, for breeding purposes; also, a line of merino, ewes at 5s each. Gradually as the, spilng advances, beef and mutton will rise in value, and we believe that September and October next will find ns with prices quite up to last year’s.

Mr Henry Driver, of Dunedin, reports under June 4.—Fat cattle—A moderate supply of 110 head were yarded. I quote best beef at 27s 6d to 30s per ICOlbs. Fat calves—43 were penned and taken by the trade at 25s to 60s. Fat sheep—l 800 were penned, but onlv about 6CO were sold. I quote best crossbreds at 3Jdto 3id, and merinos at 2}d to 3d per lb. Fat lambs—None were penned. Store cattle There is an increased demand for grown cattle, at £5 10s to £7 for bu’locks, and £4 to £5 15 for cows. Store aheap—l have no important transactions to report. Cross-breds, 4-tooth and upwards, 12s 6d to 14s ; each; 2-tooth, 10s to 11s each; lambs, Ss; merino ewes, in lamb, 6-tooth and under, 8s 6d to. 10s; full-mouthed, 6s to 7s 6d-; merino wethers, 6-tooth and under, 7s 6d to 8s; full-mouthed, 6s to 6s fid.

The Customs’ revenue, collected to-day amounted to £691 3s Id. The following were the items : Spirits, 363 gallons, £2lB Us 8d; wine, 74i gallons, £ls Is 7dj tobacco, 8551b5, £lO6 17s 6d; bottled beer, 1711 gallons, £9l6s Sd; apparel, 27 cases, £166 X6s; furniture, 3 cases, £3 6s; tea, 1601bs, £4; woodware, 70 bundles, £1 Us; clocks, ll packages, £l2 18s; saddlery, 2 cases, £9 8s j stationery, 14 oases, £l4 8s; ironmongery, 1 case, £1 4s: fancy I goods, 7 cases, £2B 10s; drapery, 3 cases, £l2 14m ; amber, 2553 ft, £2 Us Id; sundries, 1 case, £l4s. ; The land sales on Thursday, June 8, amounted to 1062 acres, as follows Ashley district, 20 acres; Timaru, 60; Hanks Peninsu’a, 570; Oiford, 205; Ashburton, 207;—realising, £2124. "Weiiington, June 4. —Quotations: —Potatoes, 80s to 80S per ton; flour, £lllos to £l2; maize, 7s; oats, 3s 6d to 3s 8d; wheat, no milling; bran. Is 2d ,to Is 3d; cheese, IQjd; bacon, IQd.