COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5996, 4 February 1881, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New ZBALANn HkkaLD OHi.iK. Thursday evening. The Customs receipts to-day to £983 o«6d. Butter and Eggs.- —Butter generally, owing to the warm weather, is soft and in bad condition. The market price is Bd, but some superior dairies obtain a somewhat higher rate. Eggs are slow of sale, and a great number come to hand bad. Several storrkeepers are only giving Is per dozeu. Messrs. B. Tonks and Co. sold a shipment of 1200 sacks Fijian nwize, ox Southern Cross. It was a good sample, although slightly heated, and realised an excellent price aa compared with recent sales. Mr. G. Lewis sold the balance of the late Mr. Geo. Osborno's stock of groceries and oilmen's stores, also tho shop fittings. The attendance was good, and fair prices were obtained.' At Mr. L. W. Eaton's sale of fruit the following prices were realised :—Oranges, lls to 12s ,6tl per case; lemons, 13s 6d; passion fruit, 9a 6d; pines, 4s to 7s per dozen; bananas, damaged, Is per bunch ; peaches, to 2d'pei' dozen ; apples, 3s to 6s per case; gnipes, 2&d to 6£d per lb. '"''.'■ Mr. E. Arthur sold,- ex Australia and Southern Cross : Grapes, 3Jd per lb.; apples, 2s 9d to 4s 9'i ; cocoanuts, 7s 6d per 100 ; pineapples, 3s 6d to 45 6d ; oranges, 5s to 13a per case. Auckland fruit: Pears,' to 2d; apples, ljrl to 3d ; aad plums, 2d to 3d. ' Mr. G. W. Binney sold iio-day, by order of Mr. Owen Humphrey, the whole.of the surplus furniture of the British Hotel; also, the building for removal. The building was knocked down to Mr. White, of Pitt-street, for £16 cash. The sporting pictures realised good prices.

AUCKLAND CATTLE MARKET. 3IR. ALI'HED DOCKLAND'S WEEKLY HEPOBT. At the Haymarket, on Friday last, fodder brought from 2s 6tl to 3s Cd tho cwt.; maize, 2s 8d the bushel. A wagonnete, £24 ; buggy, £20 and £14 10s respectively. Horse stock were numerous ; those of rt. useful class fully maintained their values, but small-sized horse stock were something lower in price than of late. The allotment in Canada-street brocght 35s the foot. At the sale of hides and skins, on Tuesday, prices for pelts ranged from 4d to Is 4d ; sheepskins, 4s '2(1 to 4s 7d e.ich ; fleece wool, 7§<l; lambs' wool, 53d to 7id the lb.: hides, 2id to 3|d the lb. " ■ At the sheep fair, on Wednesday, of which a detailed report has already .appeared, there was a very numerous attendance of buyers, and at tbe openiDg of the auction, both for ewes and rams, lower prices ruled than were obtained as the sale proceeded , ; many parties were unupplied. Ewes of all classes were about 25 pe -cent, higher than last year; rams fully a double their last year's values. Few lamb except culls were offered, and for well conditioned lambs extreme prices ruled. The only exception to the above remarks are for wethers, for which a very limited demand existed. At Kemuera on Thursday, dairy caitle were fairly represented, and maintained their values. Store cattle numerous, with scarcely any in- | quiry, unless at very low values, and a large number were withdrawn. Fat cattle in full supply, 170 head sold to the trade; there were several buyers from Coromandel and the Coast, and prices rallied fully 2a 6d the 1001b'. upon last week's prices, whilst inferior cattle remained at 20s. Good quality were eteuiy afc from 24s to 263 tbe BlOOlbs. Averages for cattle were : —ls steers, McDonald, £9 S3 Cd ; 25 steers, H. and J. Goudfellow, £8 12a; 8 steers, G. Clarke, £8 Gs • S steers, S. Steele, £8 3a 6d ; 17 mixed sexes, E. Parson-*, £7 8s 6d ; 16 head, Rathbone, £6 16s ; 17 head, Knox, £6 15s ;13 head, Jeffries, £7 2s. Sheep were in moderate supply, but scarcely maintained last week's valußs. Lambs short of requirements, and at improved prices, fair quality varying from 10s to 13j each. F;it calves scarce, and sold at high figures. MESSRS. HDNTER AND NOLAN'S WEEKLY REPOUT. Horses.—There has been considerable vitality in the market, and ,a very large number have been brought forward, but unfortunately many were weedy or refused to take their warranty test. At the Durham Yards, on Friday, over an averaged number were submitted for sale by auction, and although for some horses bidding were languid, sales in most instances were effected, nnd there remained on unsatisfied demand for good upstanding geldings for coaching purposes, and good hacks would have found purchasers. We quote : Hacks, from £5 12s 6d to £17 ; light harness horses, from £14 to £22 10s ; draught, £32 ss. . Cattle. —Tbere has been a great deal doing in the market. The supply has been good, particularly at Papsikurn, where tbe yards weie completely filled. No choice dairy cows have been disposed of. A large number of stores have been brought forward, and found purchasers. Fat beasts have been in rather short supply, but there was no upward tendency in the prices. We quote : Duiry cows, from £C 15s. to £3 o« ; calves, from 27s 6d to 40s; yearlings, £2 lO.i to £2 153 ; two-year-old steers. £3 15s to £4 10*; three-yosr-old steern, £5 to £5 10s. Sheep.—Tho number submitted at the fair on Tuesday was much less than anticipated, owing to two large drafts not coming forward. The lots consisted, principally, of aged shi:ep, and, otherwise, not very desirable for breeding purposes, but those shewing indications of n. good fleece, sold at prices much in favour of vendors, as compared with the usual weekly markets. Tho rams, although weU bred were not fcho best of their class, £2 10s being the highest price, while inferior animals sold at 16". Ewes ranged frorn 7s 61 to 15s 3d ; lambs, 7s6d to 10s; store wethers, 10s to lls 9rl. The butchers' pens at tho market were well filled, and Is 8d per Slbs. was about the average price. Limhe were plentiful, and sold at from 6s 6d to 14s 3d. THAMES CATTLE MARKET. j [bt telegraph.—own correspondent.] Grahamstown, Thursday. MESSRS. BANKS AND CO.'S WEEKLY REPORT.' Owing to stocks remaining in hands of butchers being heavy, bidding at to-day's salo was slower than usunl. The cattle offered were all steers of good quality, and realised from £6 17a 6d to £815s. Sheep, although not numerous, were dull of sale, and showed a slight decline on last week's ratee. A few fair-quality lambs t averaged 8s 3d, but seve-tnl pens of- inferior were dull of Bale at 5s to 6s 6d; Prices •— Beef, 22s 6d to 24s €d; mutton, lSdperlb,;:'! v '