MARKET REPORTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15494, 21 December 1910, Page 7

MARKET REPORTS.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. The grain and produce markets remain in the same lethargic condition in which they have been for some months, and at present there are on signs of a revival, neither buyers nor sellers being at the mqment apparently anxious to. do business. The wheat - market is nominally, unchanged, although the number of buyers has been slightly reduced. and millers are-indifferent about obtaining supplies, most of them being in a- position to wait till the new season's grain is placed on the market, which, however, will not lie for about two months. A fair amount lias been placed on offer during the week, mostly in small parcels, and several lines have changed bands, the range of prices being up to 3s 6d on trucks at country stations, sacks extra, for good sound varieties, wheat of an inferior class being, .of course, relatively lower, farmers present in the city yesterday reported that the recent-rains had completely changed the outlook from a farmer’s point of view, and that now there was every-prospect of the coming season being quite up to the average of recent years, early-sown crops which had almost attained maturity before the rain fell being the. only exception. Fowl wheat is slightly easier. The oats market is anything hut brisk and prices..are largely, nominal. A. week ago a. fair amount was placed on offer, but there were few buyers, and only moderate sales resulted, aiid the consequence has been that .during the last- few days.the offerings, have been very restricted, holders recognising thatin the present state of the market there is little use in submitting lines.

The demand for chaff is not krisk, and. supplies reaching Auckland from Alorlborough, there is less inquiry from Canterbury, and for the present the northern market appears to be practically closed for chaff from this province. .

Increased supplies of North Islandgrown potatoes are now coming to hand, while the locally-grown tubers are also becoming more plentiful, and the natural result has been a reduction in values, potatoes selling yesterday at lid per lb. The following quotations are for purchases from farmer* net cash, sacks extra, except where otherwise specified : Wheat—Extra prim# Pearl and Velvet 3a 8d to 3s lOd, milling 3* to 8s 6d, chickwheat 8s to 3s Id. Oats—Duns Is lOd, Daniah to la lid, Gortons, A guide 2s Id to 2a 2id, B grnde Is lid to 2s, Sparrow-bills Is lOd, Algerian to 2a Id. Barley—(Nominal) .feed 2s, malting 3s t.o 6s, according to quality. Chaff— Oatsheaf £3 10s to £4 2s M, at country stations. Beans—sa.. Peas—Partridge -Is 2d to 4s 3d, Bine Prussians 4s 9d to os. Oatmeal—£l3 per ton. Piour—The New Zealand Flourmillers’ Cooperative Association, Limited, quotes the following prices per ton, local cr shipping: Sacks £9, 1001 b bags £9 10a, 501 b bags £9 15a, 251 b bags £lO. Bran £4 6«, pollard £5. Seeds—Ryegrass (nominal), Italian 2s 6d to 8s 9d, English 2s 3d to 2s 9d, cocksfoot (nominal) 4Jd to 6d, white clover (farmers’ nmples) 61d to 7d, cowgrass 7d to Bd, white clover to Sd Dairy Produce—Cheese, dairy, large s|d, loaf 6d; factory, large 6Jd to 6d. Butter, fresh local factory prints Is, gecondgrado factory butter 10Jd. farm dairy Dd. Hams 9d, boneless hams 9d, sides 7Jd, rolls 7d, shoulder rolls and middles (equal numbers) 7Jd, thoulder rolls only 6Jd, • middles 6Jd, rolled, hams 9£d. Lard, pats bulk 7d, bladders 6i. Fresh eggs lOd per dozen.

RANGIORA. Being the Christmas markets the sales at Rangiora yesterday were largely attended, and a considerable volume of business was transacted. About 1700 sheep were.yarded, and the fat lambs. 500 in number, were the beet offered this season. Prices were Fat lambs, 12s 4d to 15s bd; fat wethers Us 6d to 15s; fat ewes 10s to. 14s; rape lambs, 10s 6d to 11s Pd; aged shorn ewes with lambs, Gs to Ps <d; old unshorn ewes ' with lambs,. IQsp store, two-tooth wethers to 10s; store lambs to 6s. About 100) cattle were sold. Fat steers made £7 10s to £9; fat cows £4 10s to £6 10s; eighteen months to three-year-old heifers £3 10s; yearlings to £2" os; calves .to 16s; springers £4 10s to £B. A hundred and fifty pigs were disposed of. • Baconers sold at 40s to 565; podeers 2os to 30s; stores 14s to 21s; small pigs 3s to Ps. In the produce yards heavy half-bred sheepskins sold to 7s 4d, medium 5s 6d, lighter 4s, lambskins 2s Id, pelts Is Id, calfskins 2s 6d, hides 4d lb, wool 9Jd, fat IJd; poultry, roosters os a couple, hens 2s 6d, ducks 4s 6d, geese 7s, turkeys 10s each, chickwheat 3s 3d a bushel, barley 3s 6d, oats 2s 4d, beans 3s 3d, peas 4s 6d, ryegrass seed 2jd l lb, bran* os 3d sack, sharps 8s 6d, pigmeal 9s, pea. meal 9s, oatsheaf chaff 95s a ton ; straw chaff 425, new potatoes H lb. ASHBURTON. The weekly stock sale was held at the Tinwald-yards-yesterday. -There was a good attendance, and the yarding was a good average one for the .time of sea,- | son. The yarding totalled 2627 sheep, i of which 2i3. were fat ewes/ 244 fat ■ wethers, 592 fat lambs and 1418 store I sheep. There was not such a keen demand for fat ewes and wethers, and several lines were passed, but lambs sold exceptionally well, freezing buyers taking the hulk for export. Prices were on a par with last week's rates, and were as follows:—Prime butchers' owes 11s 6d to 13s Id. medium 10s 4d to 11s 4d, light weights Ss to 9s 3d, prime wethers los 6d to 16s, extra heavy (woolly) 225. medium 13s 9d to 14s Pd- two-tooths 13s, woolly merino wethers 12s (3d; prime freezing lambs 13s lld to 15s 7d, others 11s 6d to 13s 9d. The principal sales of lambs were: —I6S at 13s, 38 at 13s 9d, 78 at 13s lid. 80 at 14s Id, 62 at los Id, 34 at 15s. 3d, 24 at 15s 7d. There was no demand for store sheep, and of the 1418 yarded 1229 were passed at auction. Sales were:—-27 three-quarter-bred wether hoggets at 9s, 31 owe hoggets at 1 Is. 87 full-mouth half-bred ewes and 75"’lambs (all counted) at 8s lid, 36 four and six-tooth half-bred wethers at 13s 3d. There wa3 only a small yarding of cattle, which sold at. the following rates.: —Fat steers £6 os. to £7 ss, fat heifers £7 to £B, fat cons £S, store steers £3, cows in full profit. £5 15s to £5 17s 6d, springing cows £4 5s to £-5, heifers £6 to £i ss. • MOUNT SOMERS. The first stock sale of the season was held at the Mount Somers yards on Monday, where there was a good average yarding, and a fair attendance. Price, obtained were as follows:—Twotooth wethers 10s lid, two-tooth ewes 13s 6d, fat ewes 11s 6d to 13s 9d, fat ( lambs 12s 3d to 14s, mixed ewes and,*

lambs 8s Sd (all.counted). A line of four and six-tooth wethers was passed at 14s 6d. Calves made -19 sto 21s, fat cattle £5 to £6, store heifers .£3, springers £4 to £7, pigs 4s 6d to Bs.