COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5948, 19 March 1880, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office. Thursday Evening. CUSTOMS’ REVENUE. The following was the Customs’ revenue collected on 'Wednesday, March 17 Spirits, £B4 Is sd; stout, £l 16s 3d; al«, £5 j goods by weight. £6 5s Sd; ad valorem, £7 19s; total, £lO3 la Id, LAND SALES. At the sitting of the Waste Lands Board to-day the following amounts were sold, realising £1910», subject to a re-fnud of £175 6a 6d: —Akaroa, 6 acres; Geraldine, 6 acres; Waimate, 13 acres 3 roods; total, 21 acres 3 roods. LOCAL MARKETS. Messrs H. Matsos and Co. report on the live stock market, &c., for the week ending Thursday, March 18, as follows ... Although yesterday's sheep market was, in point of numbers, one of the heaviest we have had for some months, there was harely an average supply ot mutton to hand, the bulk of the entry being made up of crois-brei and merino stores. In quality, fat sheep exhibited a marked falling off, a few small linos being all that con'd be considered prime. The “ trade ’’ was fairly represented, and, being bare of supplies, competition opened briskly at an advance of Is to le 6d per head oa secondhand first class lots respectively, over last week’s prices, these quotations being maintained throughout. Prime cross-bred wethers brought from 10a ed to 12s: second quality mixed sheep, 7« 6d to 9s per head: merino wethers, up to 7s 6d; do ewes, 6s to 7s, In store sheep there was only a limited amount of business done, though fully 4000 must have been penned. The reason of this is that few late old cull lots of sheep find their way into this market, and for these exorbitant prices are being asked, besides buyers, as a rule, very much prefer paying. Is per head more in proportion lor young, sound, healthy sheep than for old broken mouthed ones, who can. not do justice to or pay a return for the feed they consume. Two to four-tooth cross-bteds are w rth from Gs to 7a, with a ready sale; aged ewes, 3s to ss: young merino ewes, 3s 6d to 5s and 7s 6d; culls and old sheep, 2s to 3s. , Fat lambs were in large supply on Wednesday, but the season being now nearly over, a difficulty of clearance waa expo* rienced, and prices were Is to Is 6d per bead below last week’s. Privately during the week we have sold 230 head of cattle, mixed ages, at £3 2a 6d to £i par betd ; and 2000 store sheep at current rates. The fat cattle sale exhibited a little more animation than f.»r some weeks past, the quality generally also showing an improvement. Light weight mixed cottlo brought from £5 12s 6d to £6 10s; heavier and better classes, £7 to £Bloa, or equal to from 18s to 22a per lOOlbs as per description. Store a were in good demand at slightly firmer rates, the

bulls of tbo entry being quitted at prio. sns !>®der. There is a largo enquiry for springers, values having risen £2 to £3 per head during the »«*»;«“• The totals yarded for the day included B^® 423 head cattle, and 103 win, 335 head of cattle, 4012 sheep, 3W lambs, end 60 nigs for Messrs A. Brpndtook. l&niih i’ James Kinley, Henderson and Beam, _A, Niooli, Marten and White, P. Grant G. Kinley, W, Tl. Andrews, John Baris* U. W bourne, J. Hurst, W. H. White, JM. . y &. Fergus*.n, A. Smith. B. - J. I.iuney, and others. In sheep our principal sales wora-S3orosa-hrcds at 12*. Si at Xls. 4* «*■ *"*•»/ at 10s 3d. 53 at 10s, B 8 at 10s, f 9 at 8 s 45 at 9s Gd, 65 at 9s 9d. 69 cross-bred o wes at Ua au, 51 at 8s 6d, 33 at 10s M. 69 menno 7s. DO lit a* 6d Hud ft Uq a of I*o at from 5s to 6a 6il. Fat Oittlo-13 lit MK Qat & sa, 2at £7 fol 6d. ? at £7lo< 6 light weights at £4 10s, 10 do at £5 17s fld sat £BVs 6d, 10 at £5 10b sat £7 10s; atncs--sn’t £4 11 at£lss,Cat £sss,4at £IIBs, 4' »t 6d, U yearlings at £llßs, 7at £2 43,0 at £3 <6 6d, 6 at £3 3s; springers, £7 to £l2. Cantehsurt Horse Market. —At Tattersall s, were light weedy hacks and harness horses. There attendance throughout, and considering the character of tho stock oa oiler, a satisfactory s».la must he reported, onlrnfcw remaining unsold. Heavy colts made tip to £3O j hacks, &o v £lO to £ls: weeds, £5 to £B. Of <mr general entries there were BCiToaly as many * Old as usual, moat of the buyers having supplied themselves from the North T.land line; still, a fair proportion were quitted at unaltered rate*. There is just now considerable inquiry for useful farm horses, and privately during the week we have placed two teams quotations as under Young. “"“A. heavy draughts. £4O to £SO; .medium weight do, £25 tq £35; sprine-cirt horses, £lB to £24; hacks and light harness horses, £h> to £22 j ordinary do, £lO to £ls; weeds, £5 to £3. . . Wool, Sheepskins, Fat, Hides, and Tallow Ekport —On Thursday, at our C»ntorbury Wool Stores, wo held our weekly sale of tbo above, at which an average attendance of the trade ware present. Biddings were not so brisk, -s.-iH prices thow, if anything, very little falling off horn last week, woolly skins realising—for oroas.hredß faa each, and merinos 5s 8d oaoH. Our catalogue comprised 15 bales wool, 18 bags wool, 3219 sheepskins, 121 bags rough fat, 78 hides, end several casks and packages of tallow, the whole of which were sold as huder?viz., full-wool merino and cross-bred, 5a fid to 6s j butcher-.’ best cross-breds, 3a, 3a 3d-Ss sd, to 3s 7d j second quality, 2s, 2s Sd, 2s 6d, 2s 9d, to 2s lid; medium, Is' Sd, Is od>. la 9d, to Is lid. Batchers’ best merinos, of which there was alarpe entry, made 2s. 2s 3d. to 2a 5d ; second; q«ality, B 4d,ls Bd, to is lid ea h. Both cross-bred and merino made from 3d, 6d, 9d. Ild, to la 2d each, Butwietß* beat lambs mode as liiffh aa 3s 7d each; second quality, 2s sd; medium and badly cured* for 6d, Is, to Is 53 each. Butchers best rough fat, of which the general character was better than for some time post, brought Mdto 2d: second qualitytj l|d; Medium and inferior, lid, ifd, to ltd. Hides brought 3id. TalloW, not very good quality. 14s Sd to 16s 63. Wciol brought from 5Jd, Bid, 7id, Bd, B}d, to BJd per lb. . „ ■ - Ashburton.— 'On Tuesday wo hold our usual weekly sale at the Ashburton yards, when a very larg i number of entries were presented by us, and every line sold, some of them twice over. We catalogued 3656 sheep, which ware placed aa fob lows —1200 broken month merino ewes (at prices to be withheld), 976 mixed cross-bred, mostly o tooth. 4s 9a ; 404 full-month cross-bred ewes, at 5s 103; 428 fnll-mosth cross bred ewes, at 6s 7d; 570 lull-mouth good conditioned merino ewes, 4s 6d; 179 neatly fat cross-bred ewes, at 7a; 610 mixed ewes and wethers, and mixed ages, 5s 9d. Two or three of these lines were sold by us on the evening of the sale. ‘ Wo also sold all onr cattle, vnth the exception of 17, which were unsold. We offered 9 horses, snu succeeded in disposing .of two at satisfactory rates. We note a greater demand for the Ashburton than has been the cate of late. We also sold during the week, oh the fiakaii, 1200 eheep at very satisfactory prices, . Mebcasiilb.— There are some indications of an improvement in business generally, and as stocks are reducing, we expect to see an advance in the valnes of maty articles. We held a tale of groceries; ironware, cordage, 40., &o, on Monday last, the stock of a bankrupt, and an unusual amount of quickness in tha, bidding was shown, and the prices xeali-ed were very satisfactory. Yellow crystal sugars are wanted; Hennessy’s case brandy is very scarce; currants, candles, corrugated iron, cornsacks, teas of medium cost, and Kent hops are allhigher in price and very firm. The demand for wheat, is not so active, Choice samples have been sold at 3a 10s to 4s per bushel, f.o.b. Oats are almost neglected -afew sales of prime quality have been made at Is 4d per bushel. Barley meets with but liitle inquiry. Discounts are fairly easy, and trade ere Jit appears to be good. There are large sums of. money st eking investment upon mortgage at 8 and 9 per cent, but fir.t-olasß Eecurities ut these rates arc difficult to find.

Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. report on the live stock market for the week ending Thursdoy, March 18, as follows:—At the Addington Yards on Wednesday, 8319 aheep, 426 head of cattle, and 103 pigs were sent forward for the week’s requirements. Fit hh-iep were iu good demand, and sales were effected briskly at an advance on previous week’s prices. Store sheep also sold freely, and now that the stubbles are cleared and farmers in want ot grazing lines, we contemplate a considerable business being done iu the latter class of stock for at least another month or so. Merino ewes are not coming to hand.in sufficient numbers to meet the demand, n I buyers will consequently have to fill up with cuss-hreda instead. The beef; trade is in a very languid state just at present, and fat cattle are being poured in from all quartore, so that to effect sahs lower, prices have to be accepted. In proportion to beef store cattle are telling fairly well, and most lots sent forward changed hands. We quote mutton,at 2d per lb; beef from I7s 6d to 20s per lOOlbs; lo months’ old cattle from £3 13s 6d to £J 15s per head; two years' and upwards from £4 5s to £slss head. Milch cows from £3 to £lO 10s each, and springers and heifers from £i 15s to £6 10s each; good springing cows np to £lO each; store oross-breds from Cs to i 7s each, and fat lambs at Irom 6a6dtoßs6d each,; according to quality ; good sound-mouthed merino ewes from 3s 6d to 4s each, and merino wethers from Ss 6d to 4s 6d each, aocording to age, condition, end when shorn. Onir entries were on account of Messrs 0 J. Harper, Codling, T, Sutton, Mrs Hawken, E. and L. Tosawill, James Holmes, Williuu Evans, Miss Lohse, Grieves, Sutherland, IM/Callum, comprising 1523 sheep and 53 head of cattle. Wo sold Messrs E. and L. Tosswill’s fat cross-breds at from 10s to 10s 3d each, and cleared the balance of onr entries in sheep for our different clients at prices equal to our last quotation of 2d per lb. In fit cattle wa quitted 31 head of steers, on account ot Mr Evans, at an averaje of £7 Ss each, or equal to about 20s per XCOlb. Privately, during the week, we have placed for different clients, upwards of 18,009 store sheep of different classes, and have sales pending for various other lots. At our Wood and Skin sale we hod the usual attendinae of buyers, and quitted 1828 skins at—For merinos, from 2s to 2s 6d each; cross-breds varied from Is 9d to 3s 8d eaoh, and foll-woolled skins up to 5s each. Hides we quote at SJd par lb. Bough fat we gold at on alhroand average of l|d per lb. On Tuesday last we held a Clearing Bale at Waihi on account of Mr C. W, Tanored. Thera was a very good attendance and very satisfactory prices were obtained for all lota submitted.-'

Robert Wtlk'n and Co. report:—At the Aodxkgt-'X Vanns vn Wednesday, 8219 stoop, 423 h<-ad of cattle, ac i 102 pigs were yarded. The bulk of the eh*-ep comprised full ’mouthed stores of 1 mixed sexes, for -which description there -was a brisk enquiry. There was only a small proportion of fat sheep brought forward, and in consequence; of the short supply there was a further rise in the, prices comnared to last week's sale. We soldi on account of various clients, medium quality fat oross-breds at 8a 6d, store ditto, iOOO ewes, mixed ages, at from 3a 9d to 6a; store merinos at 5s 9d; fat lambs (shorn), 4s 9d; fat steers. £0 15s to £8; pigs from 14a to 81s j Sheepskins.—On Thursday we held onr usual weekly sale of sheepskins, when 2543 were catalogued and all sold. There was an average attendance of buyers. At the commencement biddings were languid, but became Brisk as the sale advanced. Butchers’ oross-breds, 2s 2d, 2s 9d, and 33 3d; do merinos, 2s Id. 2s 4d, and 2s 6d; country oross-broas, 2s 6d, 4s Id, and 5s 7d j do merinos, Is id, 2s 4d, and 3a 6d; butchers’ pelts, Is Sd, Is Gd, and 2s 2d; country do, 4d, XOd, and Is 4d. Pat.— 104 packages rough fat were catalogued, and all sold. There «as a good attendance of the trade and competition was spirited. Best quality, clean and well saved, to 2d per lb ; second quality, to lsd per lb ; heated and inferior, at Id, lid, and l}d per lb. Hides and Oilfskins—Unsold. We would draw the attention of the trade to the necessity of sending in the hides carefully flayed.

Messrs H. Benkktts akd Co. report on the live stockm-rSet for the week ending Thursday, March 18, »s follows:-At the AnmsGxon Yards on Wednesday, the numbers brought forward were 8219 sheep, 423 head of cattle, and 103 pigs. Sheep For fat sheep there was a good demand, last week’s prices be.ng fully maintained. Stores—'l hero was a very good demand, prices ruling being about the same as last week. Cattle — Pat cattle prices were barely so good os last week, but considering the large supply to hand the sale must be looked upon as a success throughout. Stores wore very dull of sale and hard to quit. Our entries wo 0—433 sheep, 120 head of cattle, and five pigs, for Messrs J. Coe, Early Bros., K. Marshall, A. Spencer, J. Bole, H. Pesbnoy, S. WU iams, A. C. Watson, W. Buokridgo, George Payling, J. Parish, H. Woir, J. Anderson, T. Wallace, Henry G, Watson, and others. The following were the principal sales Pat sheep, 98 at 10s 9d. Cattle -Fat cattle, 2at £7 ss, 6at £7,2 at £6 15s, 2at £6 ss, 6at £6,4 at £5 10s, 2 at £5 6s, 3 at £> 2s 63, 5 at £5, 4at £1 10s. Stores —6 at £4 3s, Bat £3 10j, 4at£3 2s ttd; sat £3,4 at £1 10s, 7at £2 6s, 4at £i 2s 6d, 21 at 235. Springers and milch cows from £5 17s fid to £lO 10s. Pigs-5 at £2 13s 6d. On Tuesday last wo held a sale of live and dead stock at the farm of Mr" James Wright, Lincoln road, at which there was a large attendance, the biddings throughout being spirited, the cows fetching from £6 to £l3 55.. ,'

LONDON MABKETS.

Messrs C«gill, Gibbs'and Co., of Dunedin, have received the following telegram frbm Messrs Helmuth; Schwartzs and Co.,London, dated March 12 •—-•« Soles.closed film. - Prlcca for fleece and grease show an average vise of 3d per Ibj for Bcoared 5d and for crosa-bred 6d f compared with average rates of first eeriee lost year." :