GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11052, 2 September 1896, Page 4

GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

The market for breadstuff's has not during the past few days been characterised by great animation, business passing being chiefly of a hand-to-mouth nature. In wheat local millers are generally well stocked, and little disposition is shown on their part to operate at present prices. With the cessation of export orders, which, it is to be hoped, is only temporary, the market closes with an easier tendency. In oats the competition from the south absorbs the bulk of the business, the orders coining to Canterbury being chiefly for seed parcels, for which this province has a well-deserved reputation. The local consumption is now telling on the stocks held, and is tending to steady this market. Sales of prime Canadians were made yesterday at equal to 2s Id f.o.b. In barley and other cereals there is practically nothing doing. The barque Chanaral, which left yesterday for Natal, took away nearly 1000 sacks of oats, as well as over 4000 hales of oatsheaf and a few tons of potatoes, and it is to be hoped that this will he the forerunner of many more cargoes. Oatsheaf chaff is still sluggish, but as there are now several sailers on the berth for Sydney, the cheap freights thus offered may induce further business in that quarter. At present quotations are nominally 40s to 42s (id at fountry stations. The competition which has recently existed for potatoes to fill Acdcra has induced, extra firmer

ness on tho part of holders. With no outlet beyond the colony, and with the northern markets fairly well supplied, buyers are showing no disposition to advance rates, and the result is that transactions at the present time are limited. Seed sorts, however, especially selected seed, are in request at fair rates at 50s to 70s f.0.b., according to description. The demand for cocksfoot has fallen off somewhat. Farmers’ good samples (131 b to 15lb seed) are worth 4d to 41 d, and machine - dressed (171 b seed) 5d f.o.b. The inquiries from tho Home market have ceased for the present. Good bright lines of cowgrass, farmers’ seed, are scarce and hard to obtain, and readily command 6d Medium sorts are also getting scarce, and are worth 5d to s£d. Superfine colonial-grown white clover is almost unobtainable, and would command B*d; medium samples are offering freely, and may bo quoted at fid to 7d. Alsiko is very scarce, and good colonialgrown seed is worth 6d. An inquiry has set in for crested dogstail and meadow foxtail, and values for these grasses are improving. Ryegrass is not meeting very much inquiry. Beans and peas are in request for seed purposes, and there is a good inquiry for garden sorts. The following are current prices : Wheat. —Pearl (prime milling), 3s s£d; millers’ mixed lines, 3s 4d to 3s 5-Id; Tuscan, 3s sd; Hunter’s, 3s 4J-d; good seconds, 2s 6d to 2s 9d. Oats. —Canadians, 2s Id to 2s 2d ; short feed, 2s; Tartars, 2s 2d; Duns and Danish, Is lOd. Bablet. —Malting, prime, nominal, 3s 6d to 3s 9d; medium do, 2s 9d to 3s 4d; feed, 2s 3d to 2s 6d. Beans (nominal). —Well-saved, 2s 7d to 2s Bd. Peas. —Bine Prussians, 3s 9d to 4s; others, 3s 3d to 3s 6d. Floub. —Millers quote roller Jj 16, stone ,£9 10s, sharps .£4 6s, bran .£3 15s. Oatmeal.—Jill. Oatsheap Chafe. —40s to 42s 6d at handy country stations for prime samples. Potatoes. Derwents 45s at country stations. Gbass Seed. —Ryegrass, farmers’ lots, 2s 3d to 2s 9d; machine-dressed to 3s 9d, heavy-weight 4s to 4s 3d. Cocksfoot, farmers’ linos (131 b to 151 b seed) 4dto 4Jd, town machine-dressed 161 b seed 4Jd, 171 b seed sd. Cowgrass, farmers’ lines 5d to White clover 6d to 81d. Alsike 5d to fid. Daibt Pboduce. Cheese 3Jd to 4d, loaf 4d to 4id. Butter —Fresh factory Is to Is Id, frozen lOd to lid, dairy 9d, salt (in boxes) 6£d to 7d. Bacon and hams fid. The above prices are paid to farmers f.o.b. Lyttelton, except where otherwise stated.