MARKET REPORTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 9726, 16 May 1892, Page 2

MARKET REPORTS.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. (associated ■with the National M. and A Company of N.Z., Limited) report for the week ending May 1G Wheat.—Prices have been well maintained during the week, and there has been a ready sale to charterers of vessels now at the port, which, as wa stated last week, has been the chief reason for purchasing at rates current, namely—* 3s 7d for Tuscan, 3s 5d to 3s 6d for Pearl aud Hunter’s, these prices being for fair* sized lines. Damaged wheat is still very plentiful, and there is difficulty in selling it at what may he consideied satisfactory prices. Oats.—Offerings are not large, which has a tendency to the maintenance of present rates. We are inclined to be*lieve that prices will not go lower, but, on the other hand, improve as the season advance j ; meantime values are la 5d to 1a64 for common feed, la 7d to Is 8d for good short feed and Is 8d to Is 9d for milling. Barley.—There haa been a fair demand, but holders’ views as regards values are above these of buyers, with the result that very little business has transpired. Wa quote 3s 3d to 3s 6d for best samples, medium 2s 9d to 3s, feed Is 9d to 2s, Potatoes.—The market at present is in a very unsatisfactory state, aud 15s to 17a is about the present range for delivery at country stations, and about 5s per ton more for delivery June-July. Grass Seeds. —There is a little enquiry for cocksfoot, chiefly for cheap lines of farmers' discoloured samples at 2£d to 2fd; bright, clean seed is held for 3d, and machinedressed 3sd to 3®d, Syegtass.—There is hardly any demand just now, and prices remain unchanged. Beaus are at 2s lOd to 3s; peas (Blues) 3s to 3s 3d, other sorts 2s 6d to 2 1 9d. Dairy Produce.—Butter 9d, cheese 3d to 3£d. Prices f.0.b., sacks extra, potatoes excepted. Auction Sale. —The stormy weather of Saturday some* what militated against the attendance, but although biddings at auction wore slow, we quitted various lines privately. Wheat. —The increasing stocks of damaged wheat have caused dealers and retailers to operate with caution. The prices we secured were Is 9d to 2s 5d for very ordinary, and for parcels we considered the o£fers : were too low we passedin. Oats.—A line of light, long oats brought Is sd; the reserves on other lines were too high. Barley.—The only lines we sold were Cape barley at la Ud. Potatoes.—A small parcel of Early Rose brought 52a 6d per ton. Prices es store, sacks extra.

Mr D. Thomas, Ashburton, reports upon the lire stock market for the week ending Friday, May 13: —The usual, weekly stock sale was held at the Tinwald yards, where the total entries yarded w.ere 6571 sheep. 21 cattle, 23 pigs and 11 rams, of which my entry comprised 3561 sheep, 21 cattle, 23 pigs and 11 rams. When you review the past six months, you think what a wonderful amount of stock must have changed hands during that period. In the Ashburton district alone since Nov. 8, there have been twenty-eight sales at the yards, and the entries for those sales tallied as follow —193,703 sheep, 576 cattle, 379 pigs and 898 rams, making an average of about 6918 sheep, 20 cattle, 13 pigs and 32 rams weekly. My entries for that period were 103,735 sheep, 431 cattle, 253 pigs and 625 rams. Besides these totals nearly as much must have changed hands privately, according to the reports of the various salesmen. And yet, after all, there are not enough sheep of the right class in the district to satisfy the demand. Not so long ago our yards were filled weekly with large lines of merino ewes, and the knowing ones declared the market was completely overdone. Consequently the speculators took fright, and ceased sending forward large mobs. But now, where are those merino ewes ? "Why, they are held by their owners for the lambing season, and those who have held off expecting to be able to purchase when it suited them are now in a hole. 1 could place about 5000 sound-mouthed merino ewes in less than a week, without any difficulty. Good turnip sheep are also very scarce, and the bulk of the purchasers are satisfying themselves with merino wethers, which, if in forward condition, will.turn out well, but those which are backward may cause some disappointment to their owners. On Tuesday my principal sales were as follow:—Fat Sheep and Fat Lambs.—44 cross-bred ewes 11s Id, 82 cross-bred ewes 10s 6d, 50 merino ewea 7s Bd, 43 merino ewes 6s 2d, 8 cross-bred ewes 9s 9d, 83 cross-bred ewes 10s 7d, 85 merino wetbers 9s 9d, 20 merino ewes 7a 3d, 62 lambs 11s 2d, 153 two-tooths 13a 2d, 100 cross-bred lambs 10s lid, 218 lambs 10a lOd, 151 two-tooths 15s, 259 crossbreds 14s lOd, 184 two-tooths 18s 6d, 150 two-tooths 13s 7d, 912 lambs 11a 6d, 54 merino wethers 9s 2d, 16 crossbreds lls. Store Sheep and Lambs. —28 merino owes in lamb 2a Id, 96 merino ewes 6b, 85 merino ewes 5s lid, 267 merino ewes in lamb 4s 3d, 59 merino ewes 4a 2d, 217 merino ewea 6s 3d, 558 merino ewes in lamb 5s lid, 1 ram 8s 6d, 2 rams 17s, 3 rams 80s. Cattle.—l cow JC6, 3 fat cows iU4 10a, 3 cows £5 17a 6d, 2 steers i 34 7e, 3 heifers £3 16s, 1 cow j 66, 4 steers w£6 2s 6d, 2 heifers £5 17s 6d, 1 cow £5, 1 coiw J 24 6b, 1 cow i!6 5s 6d, 2 cows £G 17s 6d, 2 cows £2 10s, 1 cow £2 lls. Pigs.—4 bacon pigs »£1 12s, 5 fat pigs ill 4a, 1 pig 7s, 13 porkers 1,5 s 6d. Horse Market.—On Saturday last I held my weekly horse sale, when I offered 36 horses. The sale was a very poor one owing to the roughness of the weather, very few people being in town. It would be useless to quote the prices obtained at last Saturday's sale, as they would be no criterion to go by. Anyone having good young unbroken draughts for sale I should advise sending them forward at once, as l have several inquiries for them.

Messrs Weight, Stephenson l -and Co. report having held a special sale of Clydesdale mares and geldings and unbroken colta and fillies at the Dunedin Horse Saleyards on Friday, when they offered the best and probably the largest number of horses of this celebrated breed that has ever been put together for one sale in Dunedin—rather over 100 head passing under the hammer during the day. The sale, which commenced at eleven o’clock, was opened by the offering of two very fine three-year-old unbroken bay colts, the property of Mr Robert Charters, of Ury Park, and gob by his imported stud horse What's Wanted, from his well-known mares Glasgow Maggie and Nelly (imported). This handsome pair of colta found a purchaser in Mr B. Herring, of the Alford estate, at £49, Following these came two good three-year-old colts, by Lard Salisbury and Hawarden, from Messrs Todd Bros., of Islington, and secured by the same purchaser. Messrs Todd Bros.’ great geldiug Tom, by Lord Salisbury, was passed in at .£3O; but the next offered, a prize gelding belonging to Mr James Gow, of Invemay, found a purchaser at £2B. Next in order came Mr Robert Gawn’s draft from Deer Park, and for the horses comprising it there was splendid competition at prices ranging from £2O to £2G 10a. Following this lot came three really good sorts from Mr Samuel Young’s well-known farm, and for these there was very spirited bidding, the two mares Rosie (Taieri Tom—Duchess,] by Sir Colin, imp.) and Shand (also by Taieri Tom) falling to the bid of Messrs P. J* Wright and Co. at £29 and £27 respectively, and the gelding Prince to Mr Kennedy Wyllie at £26 10s. Mr Charles Clarke’s mob was next submitted, and the broken-in horses and some half-dozen of the heaviest (the four-year-olds) of the unbroken colts and fillies found new owners at, on the whole, satisfactory prices—one of the latter description making top price of the day in his class, viz., £27 10s. After these came consignments from Messrs £>avia Wallace, William Robinson, David Grant, David Andrew, M. Dooley, Thomas Pugh, Robert Gibson, William Shand, Thomaa Craig, Mrs Ailken, Mrs Robert Somerville, Messrs D. T. Shand, Watson Shennan, James Kane, Oowie Bros., John Allan (Holmes), and William Hastie, all of which changed hands at good prices. On all hands the sale was pronounced a success, both from the sellers’ and the buyers points of view, and tbenew departure was; admitted to have supplied a long-felt want —viz., the bringing of buyers and sellers from a distance into more direct touch with one another.