COMMERCIAL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 29, Issue 1522, 30 December 1898, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

Messrs Stroxach Bros, and Morris report for the week euding 28th December, as follows :

Fat Cattle.—Only 98 yarded but these proved enough for requirements and prices showed no improvement on last week's rates. Best bullocks, £8 10s to £10; medium, £6 15s to £8 ; light, £5 to £6 10s; best cows, £5 15s to £7 15s ; medium, £4 15s to £5 10a ; others, £3 to £4 10s.

Sheep.—627 yarded, prices beingabouton a par with last week's rates. Best crossbred wethers (shorn), Us to 12s 9d; medium, 9s to 10s 9d ; others, 7s toßs9d ; ewes (shorn), 10a to 12s; medium, 8s to 9a 6d ; others, 6s to 7s (id. >

Lambs.—7sJs forward, all meeting with a very good demand. Best lambs," lls to 13s 6d ; medium, 9s to 10s 6d ; others, 7s 6dtoßs9<l. .' '.

Pigs.—Only 38 yarded, these meeting with very keen competition, and selling at full rates. Suckers sold at 13s to 18s; slips, 18s 6d to 21s; stores, 24s to 28s; porkers, 30s to 365; light bacooers, 40s to 48H6d.

Wool.—The first of the local sales was held on Thursday, December 22nd, in the Agricultural Hail, when only some 3850 bales were submitted as against 5500 at the similar gale last year. There was a full attendance of buyers, English, Continental and American tirms being well represented, together with purchasers for Mosgiel, Roslyn, Oamatu, and Bruce Woollen Mills, and 100 l shippers and fellmongers. Bidding, however, lacked animation, except for super, merine and halfbreds, which Bold well and excited keen competition. In the face of cables from London, and the reports of northern sales, it was anticipated that all strong-wools, especially of a wasty description, would show a marked decline, and this was fully borne out as sales progressed, wools of above description being extremely hard to place. Compared with prices ruling last season merinos Fhowed an advance of Ja Iter lb; halfbreds, extra fine and light in condition, were par to £d higher; medium do, equal to last year. Crosshreds, extra light and lustrous, were Jd to jd below last year, and medium to inferior do Id to 2d lower. Lnngwools showed a decline of Id to 1 Jd, while pieces wert. well competed for, but ruled on the whole equal to above fluctuations.

The l>est clip submitted by ns was that beiring the well known lirand M over EH (grown by Mr'VV.'R, Moore, of Emerald Hill, Berwick), and with this we topped the market for haiibred, 10 bales bringing 9d per lb. 'We were uteo.bid'fer halihred (for the executors of the late James Fulton, Ravensclifie, Outran)) B|d, and for the Romuey wool 6f d. ' The best price obtained by us for. merino was 9Jd, a line of 8 bales slipe bringing this figure. Prices ruling during the day were as follows:—Greasy balfbred super., PJd to 9d ; do medium, CJd to 7Jd ; do inferior, '4Jd to ssd : crossbred super., 7sd to, 8d ;do medium, ojfd to 6|d ; do inferior, 4d to 5Jd , merino-super., HJ.I to 9Jd ; medium 7d to 8d; inferior, ojil to 6Jd; good halfbred pieces, 5d to 6d : do crossbred do, 4d to s£d ; medium halfbred and crossbred do, 3Ad to 4Jd ; inferior do, 2h\ i,n i merino pieces •3£d to s*d ; good locks, t£d to 3d. We submitted » catalogue of 336 bales, and sold by auction 263, the balance not reaching owners'reserves or our own valuations,