MARKET REPORTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14978, 26 April 1909, Page 10

MARKET REPORTS.

HOUSES. There was an entry of about 45 horses on Satu ay. Draughts brought up to £27 10s, harness horses up to £lB. me brown colt Nimrod brought 40 guineas. POULTRY. Owing to tho exceptionally bad weather on Saturday, there was a very small yarding of poultry, but the prices realised wore exceptionally good. The following arc the sales Hons, 2s 9d to 6s 3d; roosters, to 5s 9d; ducks, to 5s 8d; geese, 6s 9d to 7s 3d; turkeys, 17s to 18s, all at per pair. Eggs and Rutter—Eggs are in keen demand to Is lid, butter 8d to 9d per lb. KIRWEE. At tho Kirweo market on Friday the vearding of sheep and lambs totalled 1000, of which only about 950 were in the fat pens. These consisted almost entirely of lambs, there being only three or four lots of wethers and ev/es. The lambs were nearly all light and wanting finish. In tho store pens merino ewes formed about two-thirds of the yarding, the balance being made up of wethers (merino and cross-bred), iambs and cross-bred ewes, in fairly equal proportions. The cold, heavy rain that had been falling all night and during tho day tended to make the sheep look at their worst. There was a small attendance, and bidding was languid. The only lot for which any competition was shown 'was a line of 700 sound-mouth merino ewes straight from the station; all others were dull of sale. Prices were:—Fat lambs 12s lid to 13s 4d, fat cross-bred wethers 13s, fat cro.ss-bred ewes 8s lid, twotootb cross-bred wethers 11s 9d, soundmouth merino wethers 6s, two-tooth cross-bred ewes 13s lid, two and fourtooth 123 9d, sound-mouth merino ewes 7s lid to Bs, sound to failing-mouth 4s 8d to 4s lOd, failing to aged 2s lOd to 3s 6d. NORTH OTAGO. . [From Our Corkssi’ondkxt.] OAMARU, April 24. Tho wheat market was agitated by a little flutter during the week, opening at a level of 4s Id net for Velvet and relative values for other varieties. Prices be.gan to move on Tuesday, and on Wednesday a gonoral advance of about 2d was registered as compared with the closing rates of the previous week, but though there was a mild rush for a few days, the volume of business in the aggregate was not very large, 15,060 sacks ifrobably covering the transactions. Velvet was sold at 4s 3d, subject to commission a.t country stations in quite a. number of instances, but several sales were also recorded at 4s 3d net on trucks, including one lino of nearly 1000 sacks, wliile in other cases parcels were secured at 4s 2d net at country stations. For Tuscan 4s 2d net and 4s 3d less commission were given at country stations, and 4s 3d net was conceded in a few instances lor prime samples. Red Chaff was sold at from 4s to 4s Id net at country stations and up to 4s 2id less commission was given, in a few cases at country stations. For mixed lino,? 4s 3d less commission at country stations was reached, but there was a weaker tone in the market to-day, and closing; values net on trucks were 4» 2d for Velvet, 4s Id for Tuscan and 4s for Red Chaff, with no marked disposition to do business. Oats have shown a consistent upward tendency throughout tho week. Early in the week Cartons and Danish were socurcd at from Is 3d to Is 8)d net at country stations, but thereafter prices went up by halfpenny stages until Gartens reached Is 4sd net and Is od less commission on trucks. A fair quantity changed hands, but there is wanting sufficient confidence as to the future to stimulate speculation, an impression prevailing that the hardening is only of a temporary character. There has been absolutely nothing doing in either malting or milling barley, but a little feed has been placed at 2s Id net at country stations. Digging operations having disclosed that a considerable part of the potatoes have rotted in the ground as a result of excessive moisture, and that Derwents are largely affected by blight, a little speculation has been caused in anticipation of a rise. For Up-to-Dates no adronco has been granted, purchases being made at £2 2s 6d and £2 5s net on trucks, hut £2 10s has been given for prime Derwents.

DUNEDIN GRAIN MARKET. [From Our Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, April 24. A dull week has been experienced in the local wheat market, nothing like the same quantity offering. The sales that have taken .place have been at high rates, most of them being to fulfil contracts in the London market-. Millers are not buying much now, having stocked at a low price enough to do for a good many months. The light drop reported from the Home market is making buyers hold aloof, but it seems probable that prices here will remain m the same firm condition. SOUTHLAND. [From Our Correspondent.] ■ INVERCARGILL, April 24. Sheep—No sales of any importance have been held during the week, hat lamb buyers have been, displaying a littie more activity _ than usual, and, judged from what is heard, there is a little better demand, though prices do not seem to have advanced to any appreciable extent. Several lines of fats have been sold during the week at 11s t-p 12s, the latter price for exceptionally prime lambs. Buyers do not seem to be keen to get very heavy-weight lambs, from 361 b to 401 b well finished seeming to bo their favourite weights. The store sheep market is very dull. Those on the look-out for ewes seem to be fully supplied. Several well-known buyers have been in Southland on the look-out for forward lambs fit to finish in about a. month’s time, but prices hero seem to be fully equal t-o, if nob above, those being paid in North Otago and Canterbury. Two-tooth ewes still rule at 14s to 16s, and sound-mouthed ewes have been sold during the week at 11s 6d to 12s. Fat and forward lambs have changed hands at 9s od to 10s 9cl, the latter price being paid for a line of which fully two-thirds wore fat. Tussock lambs are exceedingly Jiard to place, but can bo sold at from <s to Bs. Cattle—Fat cattle are still dull of sale, though a small line has been sold on a basis”of 21s per 1001 b delivered at the abattoirs. Butchers arc not at all keen to lay in supplies, preferring to buy from hand to mouth m tho yards. There seems to be an opinion that fat cattle will be required for the north this year, but so far speculators, from that quarter have not been in evidence here, and until they do appear, beef in Southland is not likely to improve in price to ar.y groat extent. Good forward bullocks are selling at £5 to £7 according to breeding and condition. Youno- cattle have been sold at £3 to £4, and well-bred yearlings up to £2 fio There appeal’s to he any amount or winter feed for cattle in Southland, end this should hare the effect of keeping the market at least firm at present prices. ...