COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand' Herald Office, Friday evening. The Stock Exchange was closed to-day for the observance of St. [Patrick's Day.

FRUIT AND PRODUCE MARKETS. . The local fruit and produce markets daring the past week have been lightly stocked Vhroughout, and prices in most instances nave advanced. The potato market was left very bare during tne early part of the week, and from £10 to £11 per ton was readily obtained lor all prime samples coming forward. Almost the whole of the consignments from Waikato districts was of first-class quality, while Napier and Southern lots were in an unsatisfactory condition. A difficulty has been fomfd in securing sufficient of good quality to fulfil the orders for Fiji by the Navua, next Wednesday, for which only localgrown can be used. At present the market is empty, but prices have a downward ten dency. Considerable quantities of onions came to hand, and met with a steady demand. Auckland growers in former years usually held stocks tor an advance in price, hut this year, owing to the high values offering, nearly all have been sent forward, and cleared. Locally the market is lower, but with a firm tone, and there appears no likelihood of a further decline. Prices of grain and fodder are unchanged. In dairy produce, there was a great falling-off in the supplies of farmers' butter, owing to the prevailing dry weather, and the scarcity of feed. Prices were unaltered. Very few eggs were sent into the auctions, and high prices ruled. Cheese and bacon were both plentiful to a slack demand. Vegetables of all kinds were scarcer at higher values. Pumpkins brought from 5s 9d to 6s 6d per cwt. The supplies of poultry were light, and the demand strong for orders for the Islands, which will not be filled owing to the scarcity of suitable birds. Prices for killing classes ruled high, but there was no improvement in the values of poor and small qualities. There was practically no demand for young pigs, which sold from 3s to 8s 6d. The fruit market, was very strong, and all classes of dessert kinds of first-class quality sold at high prices, the competition being unusually keen. The only lots neglected by buyers were cooking apple?, which were very plentiful. Owing to the late arrival of the Taviuni from the Cook Islands, there is a great scarcity of bananas, the market being absolutely empty. The following were the ruling prices at the auction sales to-day.

Field Produce.—Potatoes, local, prime, £9 10s to £11 ton; Napier, £9 to £10; Southern. £9 to £10; ripe, local, for export. £11. Kumaras, local, lid to lid lb. Onions, local, £7 to £7 10s; export parcels, £8 to £8 10s. Dairy Produce.—Dairy and separator butter, in prints or rolls: Special brands, B*d to !_d lb; others, 7.d to 8d; pastry. 6d to"6_d; farmers' keg, firsts, 7d to 7_d, seconds 6_d. Milled, in bulk, for export, Bid; factory rolls, lOd. Eggs, fresh. Is 4d to Is 5-id dozen; ditto, pickled, lOd to Is. Cheese: Farmers', 3_dto4dlb: factory. 4_d to sd; loaf, farmers', 4d; factory, 5(1 to sld.5 l d. Bacon: Farmers' 5d to 6d; factory, 6d to 6.1: clothed, 73d. Hams: Farmers'. 6d to GUI; factory. 7d to 7'd; clothed, 7Jd to Bd.

Fruit (quotations, except when otherwise noted, at for lull bushel wise).—Apples: Loral dessert, special, 7s to 8s; good.-4s to ss; medium. 5a to 6d : cooking, special. 3s to 3* 6il; ordinary. 2s to 2s 9(1. Pears: Hon Chretien, green. 12s to 15s: ripe, 7s to 9?; others, dessert, 6- to 8-: cooking. 4? to ss. Plums: English varieties. 3s Oil to 7s, according to duality. Fetiches: Superior coloured, 7s to 8s Cd; others, good, 5a to 6s; common, 3s 6d to 4s. drupes: Superior Gros dolman. Is to 1s old lb; other superior sorts, 9;d to 10UI; ordinary samples-. 7d to Bd. Tomatoes. 9d to 3< box. according to class. Lemons: Local, prime, 4s to 6s case; rough and coarse, 2s 6d tr 3s; Cape gooseberries. 3:<l to 4d lb; quinces, 2s 6d to 3s 7d case: passion fruit, 3s to 5s box; watermelons, Sydney. 10? to 30s dozen: rock melons, local. 8s to 12«. Pines: Queensland. 7s to 8i case. Peanuts, 2d to 2i.il lb. Poultry .—liens. Is 6d to Is lCd each; table roosters, heavv. 2s 6d to 3s; light. Is 3d to Is 9d; cockerels. Is to Is Id: ducks, 13 6d to Ms 7d ; chicks, (xl to Is.

HUIKS AND TALLOW. By Telegraph ~.tcs» A«so<?irt!on.—CnpYrlylit. MELBOURNE, March 17. Hide.= : The selection offered is small. Demand is good at previous prices. Tallow: The market is tirm; prices unchanged.

LONDON WOOL SALES.

Br Telegraph.— Press Association —Copyright.

DON. March 16. At to-day's sales, there was a better selection, and there was a brisk sale. Prices a.re hardening. The following clips sold:—Tcvio'tdale. Stoneyhurst, IOXd. Wheat: American visible wheat supply is estimated at 51.374.C0C bushels. The Bradford wool market, is lifeless. Common sixties, 23d: super., 23ijd; forty-sixes, 14Jcl: forties. 123 d.

LONDON.

(Received March 17, 5.52 p.m.) LONDON. March 17.

BANK OF ENGLAN

Bank of England returns for the week are: —Gold coin. £37,834.000; reserve.. £31.129,000 percentage of reserve to liabilities. 51.12; notes in circulation. £27,087.000; public deposits. £16,257,000; oilier deposit-. £44,515.000; Government securities. £15,539,000; other securities. £32,424,000.

THE MONEY MARKET. Three months bills are discounted at 2}. CONSOLS AND COLONIAL STOCKS.

Consols, 913. • New South Wales 3 per cents, 89. Victorian 4 per cents, 105;. South Australian o_ per cents. 100; 3 per ce » - 89 - ~„,, -, Queensland 4 per cents, 107. oi per cents, 995: 3 per cents, 89. New Zealand 4 per cent 3, 108.. Tasmanian 3. per cents, lOOj; 3 per cents, 89. , , West Australian 35 per cents. 99,: 0 per cents. 894. WHEAT. The wheat markets are quiet and steady. Cargoes are dull. 33s to 33s 6d is asked off the coast; 52s 3d to 32s 9d afloat and for shipment. FLOUR. Flour is unchanged. METALS. Copper: Spot, £63 10s; three months, £63 17s 6d. Tin: Spot. £133 10s; three months, £134 ss. Iron. 49s Gd. Lead. £12 0s 7Jd. SUGAR. Sugar is firmer alter a decline. First marks, 16s 3d; German, 14s 7d. BUTTER, There is an excellent demand for very firm Danish at 112: New Zealand, 106s to 108s; Australian. 104s to 106s; secondaries, 102s to 103s. CHEESE. 7'he market is firm owing to a shortage of supplies from Canada. New Zealand, bos.