COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17904, 25 September 1918, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

CHRISTCHURCH, September 24.

The unnatural calm in the grain market during the last few monlbs still continues, and judging from all appearances, thero seems to he little chance of any material change in the situation for a. considerab.o time to come. Wheat and oats, as far as growers are concerned, may be Baid to bo entirely off the market, iho odd small linen of the latter which have been placed on offer recently being scarcely worthy of consideration. There is a general opinion that there are some oats 'in the province which, have not yet received the attentions of the threshing mill, but tho quantity is admittedly insignificant, and even were all of it threshed it would not appreciably affect the position. The latest figures received by tho Wheat Controller from threshing-mill owners show that the quantity .which has been threshed lately has been very small indeed,, and it is confidently predicted that later returns will show rapidly diminishing quantities. ' .... Locally, comparatively little is being done in chaff, of which a considerable amount is held in store, but during the week business has passed for the North Island, and shipmerits are being made for northern ports, particularly for' Wanganui. Prices remain nominally unchanged. The potato market ic dull, and the amount of business passing is very small at the moment. Several merchants who a ; short time ago were free buyers are now virtually off the market., having ceased to purchase, and are now busily engaged m c.earing ou their stocks. They state that the season has now readied a stage when potatoes are anything but good property, and they are consequently endeavouring to reduce their stocks to a minimum. , Orders for grass-seed continue to be received. by local seedsmen, but with the advance in tlio season thero has, if anything, been an easing of the demand. It w generally understood that supplies are anything but abundant, many of the sources of supply in normal Lines having teen cut ofl owing to the' exigencies caused by the war. Tho following ate tho prices paid to farmers at country stations free of commission, sacks ex.ra:— •> , Wheat.—Milling wheat, Government price. South Island —Gs Oid f.o.b. North. Island ■ld extra. , , . , Oats.—'Seed Algoiia/na 4a 9d to ss, feed Algerians 4s to 4s sd; milling Gortons 5s 3d; feed Gartons, 4s 6d to 4s 9d; soed Duns, 5s to 5s 2d;' lighter Duns, 4s to 4s 'sd; Danish, good quality, is 6d. Barley.—Prime malting, 6s 3d to 6e Od.; medium, 5s 6d to 6s. Flour.—£ls 10s per ton; lOCrlb bags, £l6 ss; 501 b bags, £IG 10s; 251 b bags, ' £l6 15s. Bran.—Shipping, £5 10s; local, £5 15s per ton. Pollard.—£7 10s per ton. .

Oatmeal.—2slb bags, £3O per ton; 7lb bags, £34 10s per ton. Oat-sheaf Chaff.—Bright heavy, £7 to £7 5s (nominal). Cocksfoot.—Undressed, lOd to la 8d per lb; machine dressed, Is 8d to Is 9d. Ryegrass.—Perennial, 4s to 4s Od; Italian, 4s io 4s Gd (nominal). Clover.—White, Is Sd to la 10d; red, la 4d to Is Gd.

Pea*. —Partridge, 7s; White Ivory, 11s to 12s; Blue Prussian, l'sa to 16s; Blue Imperial, 15s 6d to 18s. Scotch Tares. —10s 64 to 11s. Lin-ecd.—£2s to £26 (per ton.

Potatoes.—£7 16s to £8 per ton; seed potatoes, £4 10s to £9, according to variety.