AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 24, 15 December 1858, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the Ist to the 15th December. By intelligence received from Sydney, to the 24th November, it appears that Wheat and Flour have not only given way in price there, but in alt the other markets of Australia, and with a great dullness of sale. la Sydney, wheat fetches from 7s to 7s 6d flour t£o for fine, and 18/ for second quality. In Auckland, on the contrary, there has been, a further advance both in wheat and (Tour, 8s 6d per bushel being at present readily paid for best samples of wheat, and 221 per ton for first, aad 172 for second quality flour. However much we may regret, we are by no means surprised at this advance; It is what we have for some liuie past been anticipating. The millers are complaining of the small supplies that have for a considerable time been received from the coast; their slocks are limited, and the weekly receipts are quite, unequal to the weekly consumption. It is this that has forced the Auckland market beyond any of the markets of Australia; but it is this which will have tbe effect of speedily reducing itagaiu.beyond tbe level of our neighbours; becausc.it .must be evident that, if our own producers will not or cannot furnish the necessary supplies,

we shall have inferior flour," and perhaps wheat, coming in upon us from Australian pons ; and, instead of drawing money from abroad, we shall be compelled to part with it in payment of the food we cannot do without. We can hardly imagine that the whole of! last seasons wheat is yet exhausted. If it be not, we earnestly recommend iis holders to bring it into market, and profit by the liberal price now ottered, and save themselves and the country the injurious necessity of inrporting from The consumption of Auckland is a large and increasing one, and wiih the number of immigrants now on the way from England, and who art? speedily to be followed by numerous others, the calls upon the Agricultural indtisiry of the New Zealand farmers cannot fail to be large, continuous, and profiiable. ' The arrivals since our last have been comparatively few, but there are three large English ships now fully due, and these will add between 500 and 400 persons to our population. Those vessels whose arrivals we have now to note are the schooner Ann, 37 tons, Captain W. Wallace, from Napier, with 400 sheep ; the barque Spirit of Trade, 528 ions, Capt. McCullocb, from Londun and Cork, with a general cargo of merchandise, and 1 Officer, 26 men 65th regt., i Officer, 21 gunners of the Royal Artillery, 25 women and 53 children, a quantity of military stores, also 21 private passengers; the schooner Osprey, 47 tons, Capt. Butt, from New Plymouth, with 131 ewes andC9 lambs; the steam ship White Swan, 530 tons, Captain McLean, from New Plymouth and other Southern ports, with sundry merchandise, 288 sheep, 28 passengers, 2. Officers, 32 men, 8 women, and 24 children 65th regt. and the schooner Gazelle, .212 tons, Captain Cunningham, from Sydney, with a general cargo, and 20 passengers. The departures weie the cutter Midge, 18 lons, Captain Cameron, for Lyttleton, with 41,500 feet sawn timber; the brigantine Emily Allison, 99 tons, Captain Wells, for bapier, with 56.000 feet sawn timber; the steam B * l *P White Swan, 330 tons, Captain McLean, for the Southern ports, with 6' horses, sundry merchandise, and Opassen-I the schooner Ann, 37 tons, Capt. w. Wallace, for Lyttelton, with 28,000 feet sawn timber. | The arrivals from the coast consist of 39 j m oS?I °k ! i ,74 u lon *' with 90 passengers, I 4954 bushels wheat, 1300 bushels n,aize, 30 bushels oats, 1400 bushels lime, 1200:

bushels shells, 9 toils 4 I cwt flax, 63 tons kauri gtom> 3 tons bark> 362 lotis firewood, 408 bouse blocks, 2750 posts and fails, 1900 palings, 82,800 shingles, 79,748 fleet sawn limber, 21 cwt potatoes, 127 baskets sweet potatoes, 263/quaris gooseberries, 4 tons salt pork, ions bacon and bams, 448 lbs* cheese, 300 lbs. butter, 510 lbs. wool, 4 tuns oil, 1 horse, 10 fowls, 36 pigs, 77 bead cattle, 162 sheep. The departures Tor the Coast were 58 .vessels of 1448 tons with 154 passengers, and the usual trading cargoes. The following are the Market Prices Current corrected to date. Bread STttFrs. Flour, fine, ..... 22t. per ton. Flour, second quality, » . 17t. per ton. Flour, of native manufacture, from 15/ to 18 Biscuit at from > . 245. to 28s. per cwt. Bread per loaf of 2lbs 6d. Bran • . » » * » Is 3d. per bl. Groceries. Tea . . . . 9/. to 9 • Ifo. per chest Sugar ... . 7d. to Bd. per lb. Coffee . . « • lOd. per lb. Bice . . . . 2d. to 2J per lb. Soap • • . • 355. per cwt. Candles .... lOd. per lb. Tobacco . » . . 2s. 6d. to 3s. per lb. Farm Produce. Wheat .... Bs.6d.per bushel Maize .... ss. 6d. to 6s. per bushel Oats ....... 7s. per bushel Potatoes (new) ..... 71. per ton Onions . . . . 6d. per lb. Hay (plentiful) . . 52. per ton. Kauri Gum . . . 91, to 10/. Live Stock* Sheep from . . 235. to 345. a head. Dairy Cows . . SI. to 12/. each. Calves from . • 255. to 40s. each, fteef and Mutton from . 6d. to 7d. per bl. Pork (fresh and salt) . . sd, to 6d. ditto Dairy Produce, Butter . . . . Is. to Is. 3d.lb. Eggs .... Is. 6d. to Is. 9d. doz. Poultry . , , . 3s.Gd. per couple