MARKET REPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19376, 10 July 1926, Page 9

MARKET REPORTS.

FRUIT AND PRODUCE. The demand for apples at the Auckland City Market yesterday was poor and prices were incliued to be weak. There was no demand at all for the smaller grades of apples. Pears continued to bring good prices although a slight drop was recorded in Coles. Passionlruit are now very scarce and some good prices were rocorded for the few offered. It is expected that supplies will arrive shortly from Sydney. The demand for Australian mandarins, navel oranges and pineapples was fair. Prices were only medium. Supplies of vegetables improved on last sale and met with a fair demand. Onions attracted some good bids, the peak price being 22s per cwt. Pumpkins were quoted at from 7s to 10s, although a few spooially good varieties brought higher prices. New potatoes made their first appearance on the market this season and sold up to 3£d per lb. Supplies of poultry were not so good as at the beginning of the week but the demand was keen, especially for heavy table birds. The demand for pullets was again poor. The dairy produce market was heavily overstocked with eggs and prices fell considerably. Hens' eggs were quoted at Is lid a dozen, pullets' at Is and ducks' at Is lOd. The following prices were realised:— FRUIT. Apples.—Delicious, 83 to 10s a case; Ballarats, 6s to 7s; Munroe's, 4s 6d to 5s 6d; Stunners. 5s 6d to 8s; Dougherty's, 3s to 5s 6d; Pigeonettea, 6a to 9s; Yates', 4s to 5s 6d; Pride of Australia, 4s 6d to 5s 6d; pears. Keiffer's, 6s to 8a; P. Barry's, 9s to 10s; Cole's, 8s to 10s; Nelis, 10s to 12s 6d; cookers. 7s to 9s •. Poorman's oranges. 6s to 8s; hothouse tomatoes, 4d to 9d per lb; Island tomatoes, 10s to 12s a case; ripe bananas, 20s to 255; lemons. 9s to ISs; Association pack, choice, IBs to 21s; passionfruit, first grade, 10s to 17s a box; others, 5s to 93; Island oranges, Rarotonga. 14s to 15s a case; Aitutaki, 17s; Sydney fruit, mandarins, 14s to 20s; navel oranges, 15s to 19s; pineapples, J3s to 19s. FIELD PRODUCE. Potatoes, Southern, 8s 3d to 9s per cwt; onions, 16s to 225; kumaras, 2d to 2!d per lb; cabbages, 3s to 8s 6d a sack; califlowers, 5s to \6s; swedes, 2s 6d to 4.s per cwt; pumpkins., 7s to 10s; citron melons, 12s to 14s; lettuce. Is to 4s 6d a case; new potatoes, lid to 3|d per lb; hothouse cucumbers, 7s to 15s a dozen; celery, 9d to 4s a bundle' cauliflowers on benches, 3d to Is each; cabbages, Is to 3s 3d a dozen; rhubarb, 4s to 5s a dozen bundles; leeks, 3d to 5d a bundle; carrots, parsnips, beet and turnips, 6d to Is a dozen bundles. POULTRY. Cockerels, heavy choice, 5s 9d to 7s 3d each; light, choice. 3s 9d to 5s 9d; hens, heavy, fat, 4s (3d to 5s fid; light, fat, 2s 9d to 3s 9d; roosters, 2s 6d to 4s 6d; ducks and drakes, 3s 3d to Is 9d; pullets, 4s to 5s 9d. DAIRY PRODUCE. Eggs.—Hens,, Is !o{d to Is lid a dozen; intermediate sizes, Is Bid to Is 9d; pullets, Is 7d to Is 7Jd; ducks, Is 9Jd to Is lOd; farmers' butter in pound pats, Is 2Jd to Is Gd; pastry butter, Is; bulk. Is. HIDES AND CALFSKINS. THE OVERSEAS MARKETS. Within the past few months there has been some activity in hide sales, but selling values have generally been on a lower basis, as was,recently forecasted. New Zealand freezer cows which sold in May at 7£d were disposed of in June at 6£d to 6 7-Bd, but sales were made later at from 7d to 7|d. Prices are now showing an easing tendency. The same remarks apply to yearling skins which show a full 5 per cent, to 10 per cent, decline on values two months ago. It is predicted by oversea hide merchants that values for hides will show .some advance during September and October, but against this, tanners state there is no indication of any rise in leather values. About the end of May there was a private meeting of the American Tanners' Council in New York, when it was decided that as tanners could not get their profits by advancing prices for leather, they would endeavour to protect their profits in their buying prices for hides. The result was that the United States market for hid.es went back several points during June. Continental merchants have helped to maintain values up to the present at a slightly higher level than has been ruling in the United States, but it is now reported that some of the large Continental tanners are in financial difficulties again. These remarks particularly apply to certain large German ■ tanneries which, it is said, in order to get in cash, are dumping their leather into the United States. Labour troubles in the United Kingdom are also having a depressing effect on the hide and leather trade. As far as calfskins are concerned, the trade has never been so slack. Trade journals continue to report declines in values. Cables received this week state that owing to a slackening off in the shoe trade in the United States, the calfskin market continues weak with a downward tendency. Calfskins in Australia at the present time are quoted lower than the figure they fell to during the big slump in hides and leather in 1920. The calfskin season has started in Australia and will shortly commence in New Zealand, but in view of the dullness of the trade the prices paid to farmers will be very considerably less than last season—in fact the light skins can be used by only one or two of the large American tanners. The last mail advices from America state that one big tannery, using New Zealand calfskins tip-d not yet commenced to reduce its inventory of last season's purchases, and that one or two lines of last season's skins, belonging to New Zealand dealers, were being hawked round the calfskin tanneries of America without eliciting any interest from the tanners. Most American tanneries, except those working on fancy lines, kid and patent, report unsatisfactory trading conditions during the past year and the large Central Leather Company's deficit carried forward from last year amounts to roughtly 20,000,000 dollars. The market for pickled pelts has advanced several shillings a dozen recently and is expected to hold firm. It is predicted that the Wellington or Russian boot will be worn extensively both in the United States and England during the autumn, and this is expected to give an impetus to patent and kid leather consumption, patent and kid leather now having larger sales than any other kind of upper leather.