NEW ZEALAND APPLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19962, 2 June 1928, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND APPLES.

GOOD PRICES AT HOME- j Australian and N./S. Press Association. LONDON. May 31. Mr. H E. Stephens, of the New Zealand Fruit Board, visited Bristol, Cardiff and Liverpool, - where apples from Cambridge were selling.. They were in keen demand and prices ranged from 10s to 13s 3d a case. At Glasgow 1400 cases l>y (lie Cornwall were sold at about 3d and 6d more. FLAX-GRADING RETURNS. AUCKLAND FIGURES FOR MAY. The flax-grading returns for the port of Auckland during May show a largo decrease in all grades of fibre, compared with the corresponding month of last year. Owing to the bad weather recently experienced, and the low level of prices at present ruling, the mills arc nearly all either closed down or making preparations to cease during tho winter months. Only about six mills will be operating during the next two months and very little fibre is expected to reach Auckland stores. Following are tho figures for May, the returns for the same month last year being given in parentheses: — Hemp.—High fair. 236 bales (428); good fair, (7) ; low fair, 730 (1229) ; common, 147 (478); rejected, 43 (55). Total, 1156 (2197). < Tow.—No. 1, No. 3, 147 (281); rejected, 13 (9). Total, 328 (542). Stripper Slips.-—No. 2, for export, 5 ( —); stripper tow, condemned, KAURI GUM MARKET. STORED STOCKS INCREASE. Supplies of kauri gum arriving in Auckland during May amounted to 390 tons, compared with 295 tons in April. The market at present shows very little change, the demand for all grades of gum being small. There is practically no market for the better grades of gum, which are not coming forward in large quantities. To command any sale gum must bo carefully washed and must be dry. Poorly-prepared gum is hard to quit. The following table shows the supplies of kauri gum in tons received into store in the first five months of this year, compared with previous years: —

Although the figures for May show a considerable increase, they are still far below the level of average production. There is no more gum being produced at present, a large amount of the gum reaching Auckland being stocks which diggers have dried during the summer months, and are now forced by circumstances to realise. The monthly returns fluctuate with the arrival cf steamers from the North, and" a large factor in increasing the returns for May was the arrival of a vessel from Ru&wai on tne last day of the month with 70 to is of gum. Had this steamer arrived a day later, as originally provided -n her schedule, this cargo would have been included in the June figures. CANTERBURY MARKETS. ONIONS RISE IN VALUE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —I'KESS ASSOCIATION.] Friday. Business has been quiet during the week. Potatoes are scarcely so firm as last week. The big shipment at the beginning of the week, on top of the 7500 sacks that went to Auckland by the Waikouaiti the previous week, has given the Northern'centre an ample immediate supply, and this is being reflected in a weaker demand for prompt and June potatoes, and, to a lesser extent, for "spreads." June deliveries have been sold at £5 a ton, f.0.b., and July-Septem-bers at £6. ' Onions have jumped in value and are now quoted at £7 a ton on trucks. Wheat has eased by about a penny a bushel since 'last week. A good deal is offering, and for the moment millers are not buying very liberally. Business was done yesterday at a nearby station at 5s 8d a bushel. ' Fowl wheat is selling slowly. Ine prompt value is 5s 7'jd, f.o.b. Oats show little change, it being a very quiet week. \ alues range about 4s lid, and to 4s 2d for June A Gartons, and 3s lOd for B grade. Spread deliveries to September are quoted at 4s 3d to 4s 3jd. Chaff is. if anything, a shade easier, although there is no change to speak of. The tone of the seed section is inclined to be quite firm. This is particularly the case with Italian ryegrass, and, to a very slight extent, with perennial and white clover. Italian has been sold at 4s a bushel, f.0.b., or up to 2s 9d on trucks. Perennial is quoted at 5s 3d to 5s 6d, f.0.b., or 3s 9d to 4s on trucks. White clover is also inclined to be firmer at. round about lOd to per lb. to farmers.

FEILDING STOCK SALE. GOOD PRICES REALISED. [*BY TELEGRAPH.- —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] FEILDING. Friday. The offering at the Feildiug yards was smaller in numbers. A very good sale resulted, especially for fat lambs, which sold about 2a better than last week. The price l'or be3t shorn fat lambs was in the vicinity of Is a pound. Fat wethers werp hinder or sale, anid sold at prices slightly eas.er than last week. Fat ewes maintained lute prices. . , An outstanding entry 111 the s.tore sheep section was a line of 1500 medium condition early shorn four-tooth wethers, winch sold at 31s. Altogether about 5000 store sheep were offered. , , There was a fair entry of breeding ewes. Medium quality sold at late rates. Store lambs were in average 6upply, snd sold well. . _ , , The range: of prices was:-—Fat lambs, 20s to 34s Gd: fat ewes, 27s to 33s 4d; fat wethers. 31s Od to 395: four and five-year ew£S. runming with Southdown rams, 32s Gd to 355: four and Bix-tooth ewes, running with Southdown rams, 36s to -lOa; blaekfaced lambs, 26s Id to 30s 2d: woolly blackfaced lamb 3, 27s to 393: shorn white-faced lambs, 28s lOd to 34s 6d; fat and forward ewes. 23s fid to 24s Gd; four-tooth wethers, 3-1s to 3Gs. . , The entrv in the cattle ■ section > mainly consisted of weaner heifers and a fair number of steers and bullocks. Fat cattle were in shorter supnly. A medium entry of dairy cattle sold well tip to late rates. Four-year fJereford bullocks, £lO ss; fouryear ■ Aherd eon Angus bullocks. £ll !J2s; 21-year Polled Angus cross steers. £s:_ ..ersey weaners heifers, .-€2 5s 6d to £5 9s; Jersey springing heifers. £5 15s to £9 15s; store cows. £3 Gs to £4 15s: store neifers, t '° to £5" fat cows. £5 10fi to £9 as; f>it bullocks'. £lO 15s to £l3 10s: fat heifers, t's to £7 12s Gd: vealers, £3 16s to £i 3s: dairy cows, £7 10s to £8; cows in milk. A3 10s to £4 15s. TE AWAMUTU QUOTATIONS. The Farmers' Co-operative Anot Company report having held the** good Awpmutu saW- on Thursday, when a goo

January February . March April May 1925. Tons. 492 . .520 . 482 . 330 1926. Tons. 402 389 452 338 332 1927. Tons. 2G5 198 441 317 ! '*27 1928. Tons. 27S 307 411 295 390 Total , , . 2349 1913 149S 1GS1