CANTERBURY MARKET.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 16, 21 January 1919, Page 3

CANTERBURY MARKET.

CHRISTCHURCH, January 17, I The good night's rain that has fallen will do an immense amount of good to growing crops of all kinds, but the surface soil is so dry that even more would bo welcome. The harvest is not yet so the rain will cause a little delay, and all grain crops that are still in an unripe stage should be unproved, by the better tilling of the grain. There has been some forward sel.ing of oats by merchants, but only odd lots have been purchased from growers on rubbed-out sample. The early-cut Algerian oats are naturally ight, having been drawn on the drier land, and one sample has been sold at o ~

I 6 ■ 6d on trucks. An offer of 4s lOd for Cartons was not accepted, but it is reported that a sale was effected at 5s at country s-ations. No sales of new oat; sheaf chaff are yet reported!. It is too early yet to say definitely how the market will open in Canterbury, but £4 10s to £5 are mentioned as probable prices. The barley crop is smaller in area than last year, but the yield will be larger, giving a total about equal to the average of the past few years, any shortage being made up by importation from Australia. It is expected the market will open at about last season's prices. The market for grass seed has not yet opened properly, only small lots of Perennial and Italian having been on offer. The former,is likely to be a short crop. With a quantity of last season’s seed on hand and a promising crop, white clover is expected to be much lower in price than last year. The red clover crop is likely to be smaller. Some offers for potatoes for forward delivery are now being made, but the market has not yet settled down to anything like a definite figure, and there is as much as £2 per ton difference in the prices mentioned. Last. night’s rain should do a considerable amount of good to the potato crop, which so far is looking very healthy.