AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT. For March.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume II, Issue 3, 31 March 1856, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT. For March.

Agricultural produce, of all sorts, still continues to decline in all the markets of all the colonies of Australia. The cause of this is sufficiently obvious ; and it now seems clear that there is no immediate or contingent prospect of an early rise. The harvests in

Australia are periodically abundant ; and that, which has just been gathered, has been found to be exceedingly fine and prolific. Add to this, that the field of agricultural operations has been largely extended in every direction, whilst the flow of popn'ation from Englaud and America has, during the last year,considerably abated, and we feel assured that it will then be as apparent to others, as it Ipng has been to us, that there will be no advance, worth considering, in the Australian produce market duriug the present season. If it be true, as is universally reported, that the native farmers have determined to hold back their crops till thefall of the year, in the hope of a future rise, we trust that they will attentively consider anJ weigh well the facts which we are about to lay before them in deprecation of a course which, at a period of depression, is so injurious to commerce, and which is certain to drive the Australian, and, ere long, the Auckland merchant, to importwheat and flour from other and cheaper countries, and thereby diminish the supply of money already becoming 100 scanty for the prosperity of this country. The newspapers and commercial correspondence of Australia inform us that the crops have proved to be excellent and abundant, and that thev are coming readily to market. On the 18th of March, the following were the prices at Sydgey. Best Flour 26/. per ton. Inferior 24^per ton. Wheal Bs. to 9s. per bushel. Maize 2/6 to ss. per bushel. Potatoes os. to 4s. per cwt. and onious 9s. to i2s. perewt. At these prices, the sales are dull; and there is more of a tendency to a further fall than anv prospect or a speedy rise. In addition to" this, the Australian merchants are continuing to dispatch ships to Chili and the oilier great and cheap grain growing countries of South America, so thai, if the New Zealand growers persist in keaping back their stocks, the chances are that they may be unable to part with their surplus at inferior rates to the present, and to the great immediate injury of their commercial and maritime interests. Let our native readers compare the coasting trade of Auckland, as it at present stands, with that of any similar period during the last three or four years If they will do this, they will see the usual traders arriving from the coast, in ballast, with a third, or half a cargo, being unable to purchase or to barter at rates that will leave the smallest profit to their owners. By holding back produce, in the unreasonable hope of an improbable rise, money as well as corn is locked up, shipping

is deprived of employment, trade is destroyed or forced inlo other channels, and a condition of injurious inactivity takes the place of one of beneficial industry. Nor will these be the only mischiefs attendant upon withholding the supplies at fair market prices; for, ere long, if wheat cannot be bought in New Zealand at an equal price as that which rules in Australia, the Auckland merchants and millers will be compelled to look to other sources than to the native growers for their supplies. The Auckland market is, at this moment, insufficiently stocked with wheat and flour. Instead of these commodities being attainable at lower rates than in Sydney, they are materially higher;—and if the millers were disposed, flour, for a lime, might be raised to a much higher price than is at present fixed. But, were thisdone, ihere would be immediate and extensive shipments made from Australia, and we should be drained of our gold in payment of the food that is inconsiderately kept back. The millers are well aware ot this; and, therefore, although they have been unable to lower their prices, they have hitherto forborne to raise them, in the hope that supplies may be obtained at home instead of being sought after from abroad. One vessel isdaily expected from South Australia with wheat; but we trust there may be no necessity for others to follow. Let our New Zealand growers rest satisfied with the Market prices of the day. And, we would fain point the attention-of the native agriculturists to the United States of America whose wealth and greatness has been effected not by the extravagance ofher prices, but by the cheapness, excellence, and abundance o*f her produce which commands the world for its market, and acquires the money of the world in payment. Which will conduce most to New-Zealand's prosperity, the acquisition and circulation of money and the corresponding encouragement of commerce; or the fruitless storing and wasting of grain; the throwing of ships out of employment; and the paying away of money which is so much required at home ? Ihe latest returns of the nativecanoe trade are to the end of last year, and from these we have been able to glean the following particulars. The estimated value of this trade into Auckland and Onehunga during the year 1854 was reckoned to be 16,18\1. 15s. lid. During the year 1855 it was only 12,377/. 17s. 3d.; so that last vear there was a falling off to the extent of 3,803/. 16s. Id. It aflords us much pleasure, upon examination, to find that this falling off arises from

no abatement of native production or native Industry, but is entirely owing to the diminished value and demand for kauri gum, which met with a ready and liberal sale in 4854. During the three months, ending with the 51st December 1855, there arrived in Auckland, 336 canoes navigated by 1319 men and 748 women, laden with 1413 kits potatoes, 88 Kits onions, 427 kits maize, 13 krts kumeras, 636 kits cabbage, 5708 bundles grass, 440-J tons firewood, 4048 bundles fish, 76 pigs, 20 ducks, 439 fowl*, 11 bags wheat, 41-J tons kauri gum, J47 kits oysters, 8 bundles straw,-valued at 1680/. 19s, 6d. At Onehunga, during the sanie period, there arrived 410 canoes, worked by 281 males and 132 females, conveying 131 kits potatoes, 5 kits onions, 9 kits cabbage, 54 bundles grass, 286 tons firewood, 8| tons fish, 34 pigs, and 200 bags wheat valued at 480/. 41s. 6d.

During the month of March, the arrivals at Auckland, Coastwise, have been 4-9 vessels of 1768 tons, with 284. passengers, and laden with 839 bushels wheat, 750 bushels maize, 100 btfgs flour, 70 bushels bran, 50 bushels oats, 30 bushels barley, 624 bushels apples, 21 tons potatoes, 6-J tons onions, 36 kegs butter, 3 casks cheese, 1 ton pork, 25 pigs, 28 cattle, 577 sheep, I tun, 41 barrels oil, 13 tons 4 casks kauri gum, 3000 bricks, 45 sacks grass seeds, 91 tons copper ore, 180 piles, 750 posts and rails, 1 ton rope, 417 tons firewood, 88,600 feet sawn timber, 2 casks slush, 9 barrels sperm oil. The departures, coastwise have been 43 vessels of 1454 tons, with 93 passengers, and the usual amount of goods merchandize, and general supplies. The arrivals of the past month have been the brig Wanderer, Captain Gilbert, and the steamship William Denny. Captain Mailler, from Sydney, the former with goods only, the latter with goods 8 horses, alotofsheep, and 41 passengers. And the Ariel, Sthoone?, with 20 passengers from Melbourne, by way of Wellington and Nelson. The departures have been the American whale ship Lion, 298 tons, Captain Hardwick for the fishing grounds: The barque Aslimore, 512 tons, Captain Ginder, for Taranaki and China; the American whale ship Saratoga, 542 tons, Captain Harding, with 3482 barrels oil for New Bedford; -The brig Gertrude, 118 tons, Captain Dunning, with 106 tons potatoes, 1 tun sperm oil; the American schooner Stag Hound, 117 tons, Captain Terry, with 5 passengers, 106 tons

potatoes, 34 casks oil; the brig Heather Bell, 191 tons, Captain Jones, with 4 . assengers, 150 tons potatoes, 4 cosks sperm, oil, and sundry merchandize, for Melbourne. The William Denny, steam Ship, 600 tons, Captain Mailler, with 29 passengers, 391 bags potatoes, 40 rams, 2 i bales wool, 9 coils wool lashing, 43 casks kauri gam ; the brig Moa, 238 tons, Captain Thompson, with 42 passengers, 2118 bags potatoes, 425 packages kauri gum, 90 bales wool, 661 tags copper ore, and 21 tons copper regulus for Sydney And the barque Oriental, 500 tons. Captain Macey, with a portion of her goods and passengers, from London, for Canterbury. The subjoined are the prices now current. Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, 351. per ton. Flour, second quality, . . 33i. per ton. Biscuit {prices unsteady) at front • • . . . 30s.to3os.per cwt. Bread per loaf of 2lbs. . . 9d. Bran Is. 6d. to2s. per bushel. Butchers Meat. Beef and Mutton from . . 7d. to 9d. per lb. Pork and salt) . . sd. to 6d.ditto Farm Produce. Wheat, (scarce) . . Bs. to 10s. per bush. Maize, (plentiful) . . 4s. to ss. per bushel. Oats, (none and not in demand) Potatoes, (new) . . Al. to SJ. per ton. Onions .... to 2d. per lb. Hay (plenliful) . . 5/. to 61, per ton. Dairy Produce, Butter . . . . is. 9d. per lb. Eggs . . , . 3s. per doz. Poultry . . . . 6s. to 7s. per couple. Ducks . . . . 7s. to Bs. per couple. Geese .... 9s. to 40s. each. Turkies .... 10s. to 41s. each. Hams and Bacon . 40d. to Hd. per lb. Groceries. Tea . . . . 6J. to 61, \ Os. per chest. Sugar .... 3|d. to sd. per lb. Coffee .... 40d. per lb. Rice .... 2d. to 2J per lb. Soap .... 40s. per cwt. Candles .... 2s. per lb. Tobacco. . . . 2s. 3d. per lb. Live Stock. Horses from . . 20/. to 80/. per head. Working Bullocks 35/. to 45/. per pair. Sheep from . . 20s. to 28s. a head. Dairy Cows . . 10/. 40s. to 15/. each. Calves from . . 255. to 40s. each.