Commercial.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 341, 15 December 1864, Page 4

Commercial.

OTAG O. (I'rom the Jhiiltf Times, December 5.) Though tho business cf the past week has exhibited f-ouie acth ity, yet transactions have been on tin* whole for moderate amounts. Orders from tho inteiioi are not heavy as at the corresponding peri'd last year, which is not, however, a symptom of decline m the actual amount of business done but is most; likely attributable to tho greater dependence

which the storekeepers tkW jeol "upon bcing'a'blo tc dpspntch poods at any time, irrespective of -we .tin-; and other causcß of delay. Flrur remains unaltered, "with l.ttlo doirg, except for actual requirements. / do'aide is felling at £2G ; C'alifomian and Chilian, at £20 (o £22. Tii lens and sugars, the market lias heen slightly easier since the Inst largo auction sale. Corlc butter has become a drug. Scarcely any prion induces its going into consumption. Colonial continues to arrive freelv. Sinclair's hacon and luiim (new) command ready sale, the former at lOd to 1 li l, the latter at Is Id to Is 2d. Some old stock of tl i-i brand in the market is offering lower. Tobaccos.—Buyers have heen supplied rt auction. Quotations are diflicult to tnake, in conßcquence of tlio disinclination to buy except for imnicdinto wants A slight improvement is perceptible upon oilmen's stoics. Stocks have b< ooino more moderate; tie hear)' duty on these grods as hitherto, in the presence of an amply supplied market, helped to entail losses to shippers, paiticularlv upon brands not considered the best. Salt has heen bought up, and 1 oldors are now asking £4 for small lots. TTennessy's and Alartell's brandies remain in first hands at the asking price, which is Ss to i)s 3d for considerable parcels. IToi se feed remains at low prices. The quantity hold hv tlio trade is considerable ; improvement may not bo expected at present. DUNE DIN PRODUCE MABKFT. The mark< t for oats, of yvhich there is a considerable quantify in (lie hards of the farmers, remains in a most, unsatisfactory state. Holders of I'iovineial still hope for a rise, but that is iinpossiblo while so laige a stock of imported remains on hand. Potatoes are a little lower, and the tendency is still downward, as the new crop is coming in from the other colonies. At (he same time, good Provincial havu the preference fur the supply of up-country demand. The season, so far, has been most favourable for the crowing crops, occasional falls of rain having come most opportunely. AVo hear no more of the grub, which was quite partial in its attacks. Bran. —Small lots bring 2s lid. Little or none in market. Gvnm. — £15 10s per ton. ITay.—The market is v ell si pplied with hay of the host quality, ehiellv from C«ie?n Island and the Tiu'eri. which sells at £7 to £8 ] Or ton. Maize. —The maikct is bettttr supplied. Fmnll lots are yvorth (is. On's.—Fiovincial, Us (id to -is, <b livered in town. Potatoes.—The market at present is almost overstocked, as the demand duvirg the past fortnight has been very small. Buyers are purehas : ng just sufficient to snpily demand, the fiim impression being that a decline will take place in prices, seeing the new crop will be here from Victoria in a few weeks. Provincial, £8: imported, £G. Turnips.—£l to £(> per ton. Whraf.—Po few tmrisactions are taking place, that it is dillicult to quote a price. KKTA7L PRICES. Bread and Fl< ur. — Pre; d. Is 'lib. loaf. Biscuit (cabin), o<l per 11). Flour, <td per lb. Dairy Pro.luce.—Bacon. Is to Is Gd ; butter, fresh, 2s ,'id to 2s (3d : ditto, salt. Is Id to Js Jfld ; cheese, Colonial, 18 fid : ditto. English, Is (id to 1 s 8d ; eggs, fiesh, 2s tnl; ditto imported, Is Od to 2s ; liam, Is 6d to 2s ; milk. Fd to 9 1 per quart. Butchers' Meat.—Koast beef, legs of mutton, chops, steaks, and sausages, Is per lb.; rump steaks and pork sausages, Is 3d do. ; pork and veal, Is to Is 3d do.; boiling beef, 'Jd do.; fore-quarters of mutton, Fd do. ; hind-quarters of mutton, lid do.; sides of mutton, Od do. LYTTKLTOX. December 5. Business has 1 een enlivened during the past week by some well attended auction sales of cattle—at the A" eyvmnrket Stockyards by Messrs. Aikman and AVilson, and at Kiciarton ly Messrs. Burnell, Bemett, and Sprott; in both cases the attendance was good, and high prices were obtained. Pmall lots of quiet steers for paddock grazing are still in great request ; cows in full profit are also gi-eutlv inquired for. The heavy crops of grass, and the large stock of old hay on hand, is inducing all who can afford it to stock their paddockß rather than mow (hem. Messrs. Ollivier and Son's auction sale of Mr. fllaling's household effects, at Springfield, drew a large attendance of purebi sers, who paid high prices for the best articles. Altogether the transactions of the week may be looked on as more hopeful. In grain nothing has transpired worthy of notice. About 150 tons more Hour liavo arrived by the ' .Albion' and ' Hero' steamers, but. we are not aware that it is yet placed. £'25 per ton has been tusked without success, buyers being shy of purchasing with present stocks and the almost certain prospect of more aniving. One lot of wheat yvas ofl'orcd to-day at 10s., but no tale effected. Messrs. Aikman and AVilson report the sale of the following cattle at their auction yards to-day : —One pair workers. £15(5; !> steers, £6 12s. (id. each ; 13 heifers, £'7 12s. Cd. each ; 0 cows, £11 to £17 each. NELSON. (From tlio J-'jamitier, December 12.) Business has continued in the same depressed statu as at tlie dato of our last summary ; and, although there has been a little more doing this week, we can hardly look for any great improvement until after harvest. 'J line l a?, however, been a good demand for provisions, &c., for the West Coast—the ' Nelson,' steamer having made three trips since the ltith of last month, on each occasion with full cargo. There are good stocks of all kinds, and, in the present depressed stite of trade, further arrivals are not, to be desired. Flour continues steady at £28 in 1001b. bags. The arrival of the ' Jacobus,' from A'alparaiso, earh last month with " cargo of wheat, and the exceed ingly favourable harvest yveather that we have thus far experienc d, have con bined (o prevent a sudden rise. The erops are reported to look most promising and, should tlio yveather continue as lutti rl_v, the ap preaching harvest will probably be the best we have had for some years. 1 he 'Anne I.ongtou' having completed the discharge of her inward caigo, is advertised to load with wool from Port TJndtruood, for which port she will sail about the 20th instant. She is exported to ship about, 2,500 bales of pressed wool, and to get awm about the beginning ot February. Shearing has been going on for some time past, and the clip will considerably exceed that of last yenr. AVANOANUI. December 7. AVholesulo.—Flour (Wangainii Steam Mill), sill; dressed ; Adelaide, £28 per ton; yvlicat, nominal ; oats, 5s (id to 5s !)d per bushel of -10 lbs: potatoes, £8 to £'.) per ton . hacon and hams, per lb; butter. Is per lb ; fnt cattle. 30s per 100 lbs ; fat sheep, fi?.d per lb ; pi<:s, 3d to 3Jd per lb. Retail.—Bread, Is 4(1 per :11b loaf; flour, .'iOs per 100 lbs ; beef, (id to Sd per lb ; mutton, 7d to Sd per lb ; fowls, lis (id to 4s per pair; cheese, Is 5d fo 2s per lb ; baron (colonial) ] s to i s 3d per lb ; bacon (KngislO, Is 3d to Is Od per lb; hums (colonial), Is 3d per lb : hams (English), Is Od per lb. NEWCASTLE. [From the Chroute/<•, December 3.] During the past week the elections have engrossed so much attention that comparatively speaking, little business lias been transacted anyyvhere. Our tradespeople also complain of the dulness of the times. A good deal of wool continues to be shipped to Sydney, but of course this trade benefits Neyvcastle but, little. Flour and Wheat.—'l lie ' Mary Edith' arrived at Sydney on Friday with 2000 half Backs of Californian Hour, G4S6 sacks of wheat. Adelaide Hour, £22 to £24 per (on, according to brands ; Chilian ditto, £19 to £20 ; maize 3s to 4j per bushel ; lucerne hav, £l to £5 10s per ton ; oaten ditto, £5 to £6 per toil; new potatoes £8 to £9 per ton Cattle.—Mr. Thomas Cadell reports : —Owing to the supply of fat cattle being light,. and the Sydney market firm, rates are well maintained here, although there are many lots now en routej both to Maitland and Sydney, while a good supply will arrive from th AVestern district to the latter market. I have sovera' good drafts shortly to arrive. I sold about 1200 head ol the yvell-known BN cattle, nearly oiiQ-tLird cows, at £4 .Os per head for shipment. This favourite brand is held in high estimation in the New Zealand market. Quotations: Bullocks for elrpment, £4 to £4 10s, or even higher rates if very prime, and weighing SSIO lbs; fat to goo!, mixed lots, £2 10a to £3 10s per head; superior drafts, higher rates. Butchers yvill be more inclined to buy freely after another week hue elapsed. Store cattio aro iu fuir

demnnd. I "have several purchaser* for laige lots of ■rood cnttle nt 40s deliverable at Deniliquin—usual terms of payment; for choice rattle lrgher rates rule. T have sold a mixed lot of 1500 bond, on the Fiation, nt 255. Quotations —On station, 21s ; nt Deniiiquin. ■10s to 455, according to qivility and terms of payment. Coal.—There is no change in tho prices euoted nt Melbourne for the Minmi coal shnrcs, but the recent decision in the Supreme Court in Victoria will, porhnp*, have some efleet in bringing the proprietors to theii senses. The following are the exports of coal from 1110 port of Newcastle for the week ending Thursday, December Ist, 1864:—8y the A.A. Company—to Sydney. 426 tons ; Melbourne, 160; total. 586 tons From Burwood—nil. From Minmi—nil. Fiom Wallserd—to Pvdney, 536 tons ; Hobart Town, 405: total, 841 tons. From Wnratah—to Sydney, 830 tons ; Melbourne. 430 ; Adelaide, 066; Oliigo, 580 ; New Caledonia, COO : total, 2682. From 1 aml.ton —to Sydney. 525 tons ; Adelaide, 653 ; total, 1178.