Late Commercial.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 992, 6 March 1891, Page 18

Late Commercial.

CHRISTCHURCH CORN EXCHANGE.. The following is the Christchurch Corn Exchange Report (per N. P: Meyers, Secretary) for the week ending Friday February 27th 189 L , . The rains during the past week have done some damage to the unharvested grain of which there is a good quantity near the hills, however the rain has done an infinite amount of good to the grass and turnips which will counterbalance the injury done to the grain crops. The samples on offer are in good condition, but the majority are on the thin side. Wheat has hardened slightly and our last week’s quotations are easily obtainable. The absence of freight in port makes the buyers more independant than they otherwise would be. Pasture seeds are iu firm request but Dairy Produce is hardly so firm. The following are our quotations^: — Wheat—Prime milling Tuscan, 3s 4d to 3s 5d ; Pearl, 3s 3:1 to 3s 4d ; Hunters, 3s Id to 3s 2d. whole chick, 3s; Broken, 2s 6d tos2s9d. Oats —Milling Is Bd, Short feed Is 6d to Is 7d. Long and inferior. Is 4d to Is sd. Barley—Prime malting, 33 3d ; Aledium, 2s 6d to 3s ; feed Is 9d to 2s. Peas—Prussian Blues true to name 3s 3d ; feed sorts, Is 9d to 2s. Grass seed— Machine dressed, ss3d; Farmer’s lines varv from 3s od to 4s 6d according to quality. Cocksfoot —machine dressed, sd;’GTowers* samples 3Jd to 4id. Dairy Produce— Butter—factory made 7d to 8d ; Farmers' keg, 6Jd to 7d. _ Long shape cheese 4£d, medium and larger sizes 3fl to 4d. The above prices are those paid farmers, for delivery f.o.b. Lyttelton —sacks extra.

GRAIN ATARKET. Alessrs H. Matson and Co.’s report for the week ending February 27th, 1891: Samples of the new grain have been freely offering during the past week, and a fair amouut <if business has transpired,, as values nave fairly opened. Judging from the quality of the samples exhibited, this season’s average will be below the ordinary, some lines Having suffered severeiy from the drought. Wheat— Tuscan will again top the market in price, and good samples will be readily sought after Prices ruling are —Tuscan up to 3s 3d, nearl 3s Id to 3s 2d, Hunter’s 33 to 3s Id, chickwheat, whole, up to 2s lOd, broken 2s to 2s 6d. Oats Prime heavy oats have been m demand for Home shipment at Is 9d, but very few of the new crop can as yet be placed under the heading of ‘ prime.’ Ordinary feed Is bd to Is 7d, Duns Is 7d to Is Bd. Barley—Maltsters have not operated to any extent, prices demanded by growers being too high. Best samples are held for 3s 3d to 3s 6d, medium 3s, feed 2s. ... - Ryegrass—The demand continues good, any lines offering find buyers at 3s to _4s 6d for farmers’ samples, and town dressed is held for 5s 3d to 5s 6d. . , . ~ Cocksfoot —For immediate shipment by the Home going steamers high prices have been paid— good undressed seed realising 4sd to 4%d, and machine dressed (heavy seed) up to 5Jd. Peas —Blue Prussians 33 to 3s 3d. Beans —Hardly any sale. Butter —Weaker, 6d. Cheese —Firm, at an average of 4d. Quotations are f.o.b. sacks extra. The following is Cornish and Co.’s circular report of the Sydney produce markets, dated 23rd February : During the past month business has been fairly brisk, but in several lines we have to chronicle a serious depreciation! in prices. Our local supplies of hay,

chaff and maize have been extremely large, and the low prices ruling now should have a tendency to lessen our farmers’ consignments ior a time, when imported articles should move off a little better. At the wharves the quantity of chaff to hand from Victoria and South Australia is enormous, and we would recommend only small shipments from that quarter until stocks are materially decreased. Our river maize is coming to hand very freely and in splendid condition, while Queensland is contributing largely to our stocks. New Zealand oats have a ready sale at market values, but an absence of speculation is noticeable. We are not yet _in receipt of New Zealand and Tasmanian statistics regarding potatoes, and are therefore unable to say at present how values are likely to go during the year. With reference to our wheat harvest, the following information just received from the Government Statistician may be of interest to shippers : Statement of the probable results of the harvest season, IS9O-1. Estimated area harvested for grain, 385,009 acres. —Yield of grain, 4,300,000 bushels ,' average yield per acre, 11*17 bushels ; average yield for past 29 years, 13.34 bushels ; wheat available for consumption, after deducting 575,000 bushels for seed, 3,725,000 bushels ; probable consumption, 7,700,000; probable deficiency to bs imported, 3,975,000 bushels. LIVE STOCK ATARKETS Alessrs H Alatson and Co. (associated with the National M. and A. Company, of New Zealand, Limited,) report on the live stock market for the week ending Wednesday, 25th February 1891, as follows : Fat Sheep—One of the smallest entries to hand for a very long time. Competition was very excited, and prices obtained show a decided advance on late quotations. Best crossbred wethers sold at from 16s to 17s 6d, medium do. realised from 14s to 15s fid, best crossbred wethers and maiden ewes (freezers) realised from 14s 9d to 16s, medium do. made from 12s 6d to 13s, fat crossbred ewes sold at from 11s 8d to 15s 6d as per quality, merino wethers sold at from 10s 6d to 14s Id. This latter figure was obtained for a nice lot of merino wethers sent to hand by Air W. O. Rutherford, of Montrose, which topped the market for the day in their class. Half fat sheep, of which there was a considerable number penned, _ were, eagerly snapped up by the grazer at prices which made the experienced onlooker wonder where the margin for profit remained. Fat Lambs—About an average entry yarded Competition was very firm. Local traders combined against foreign exporters caused thing? in lamb to become very warm, and prices obtained show another advance on late quotations. Best sorts realised from 13s to 17s, medium do realised from 11s 9d to 12s 6d, other sorts from 7s 6d to ICs 6d as per quality. Store sheep—Fairly large entry to hand, all sorts and conditions of sheep being represented. Buyers numbered in full force. Competition was very keen. Two-tooth crossbred wethers and maiden ewes realised from 9s 9d to 10s 6d, four tooth do. sold at from 10s 9d to 12s 6d, crossbred ewes realised from 9s 9d to 10s 6d, merino ewes (two and four tooth) sold at from 7s to 7s Id ; these were in fresh condition. Lines of cull crossbred ewes realised from 53 6d to 7s 6d, cull lambs sold at from 3s 9d to 4s 6d.

Fat Cattle—Fair entry for which the demand was hardly as keen as at the previous week’s sale. Several pens of prime bullocks were offered, which sold at from L 7 to L 7 10s each ; cows sold better in proportion at L 4 10s to L 6 15s each ; heifers, L 3 15s to L 6 each. Veal —Small entry, brisk competition, rise of fully 5s to 10s per head on late rates ; best calves 25s to 30s ; others, 15s to 20s each. Store Cattle —Larger entry than usual, which met with a better demand, competition for best lots being particularly good. No lines were yarded, the entry was made up of odd lots. Yearlings 15s to 20s, eighteen months old cattle 20s to 30s, two year old 355, 47s 6d to L2 10s, three year old steers L 4 10s to L 4 15s, scarce. Dairy Cattle—Large entry. Good competition was obtained for beat cows, which sold at L 6 10s, L 7, to L 8 each, steers at L2 103 to L 3 10s each. Wool, Sheepskins, Hides, Rough Fat and Tallow—Fairly large entries to hand, brisk competition for all lots, prices obtained fully up to late rates. Butchers’ crossbre'ds 2s to 2s 7d for best lines, merinos Is 6d to 2s 9d each, lambs 2s to 2s 6d for best lines, country skins to 53 each, factory skins we have sold several large large lets at full market rates. .Rough fat, best lines, l£d to Igd to lfd. Hides at Canterbury Horse Market—At Tatteraall’s on Saturday last we held our usual weekly horse sale. There was a large attendance of the trade and public present. Competition was fairly good; but if those interested would hesitate for one moment and compare this market with the sheep market, we venture to think they would have something to turn their surplus energy and time to ; for the values obtained in the former market are as compared with those obtained in the latter, simply unreasonable and irrational. Of course, looked at from a general point of view, tlie export market is the cause of the enhanced value in the mutton trade; whereas, on the other hand, the * horse market’ has little or no foreign market which can be used with any sort of commercial stability ; and as a consequence we have very few buyers for foreign export. This fact alone must, to the most undiscerning and unpractised eye, be viewed with alarming consequences. .As it will be at once seen we have an ever-increasing surplus of inferior horses, which must iu a very short time so affect the prices of horses generally, as to bring them so low in money value as to make them unproduceable. We wiil not give further vent to this subject here, but leave it for agriculturists to express their various opinions on. STEVENS AND GORTON’S STOCK REPORT. Bulls, Alarch 2. We held large sales at Marton and Feilding last week, exceptionally so at the latter place, when our yards, including the recent additions, were filled to the utmost. The bidding was not quite so brisk at Marton, but all the stock sold well. The bidding at Feilding was very keen, and the prices at that sale were higher than any we have had this year. We quote : —Cattle.—Marton : Fat cows, L 3 6s 6d; fat bullocks, L 4 18s; three-year-old steers, L 3 11s. Feilding : Fat heifers, L 3 12s 6d ; two and a half to three-year-old steers, L 3 7s 6d ; 18-months mixed, 29s ; ISmonths to two-year-old heifers, 30s. Sheep.— Marton : Breeding ewes, 6s 9d to 7s 6d ; shorn lambs, 4s 6d to 6s 5d ; woolly lambs, 7s 9d ; rams, 1£ guineas to 2 guineas. Feilding : Wethers, 11s to 12s ; 2-tooth ewes, 10s lid to 12s ; for breeding ewes various prices, from 8s 6d to 10s 6d; old ewes, 5s 4d to 6s 7d ; woolly lambs, 8s 3d to 8s lOd; shorn, 5s 4d to 6s 8d ; tat ewes, 9s Id ; Bryce’s rams, at an [average of overL3 Bs7d per head; Romney rams, 1 guinea to 1§ guineas.

Following is Alessrs F. R. Jackson and Co.’s Wanganui report: Our sheep fair was well attended by buyers and others interested in stock. The St. Hillstreet yards and those temporarily erected were quite full, over 12,000 sheep being penned. We need hardly say that the bidding was brisk, and with the exception of one line of 100. ewes all the lots were sold. The following is the result of the sale : —Air R.B. Hanilton’s ewes made 24si to 28s each ; another small lot brought 17s ; and other 2-tooth ewas 11s to 14s ; full mouth local ewes, 7s 9d to 9a ; fat wether3, 12s 10d ; fat ewes 93 8d to 12s Id ; Napier ewes, 8s 6d to 9s ;; woolly lambs, 6s 9d to 8s; shorn, 6s 4d to 63 8d ; culls 3s. On Saturday we sold nearly all the horses that came forward, but prices, were very low. Poultry realised capital prices at our usual Saturday’s sale. Fowls, 2s 6d to 3s lid ; ducks up to 4s the couple ; geese 5s 6d to 6s 6d ; turkeys 8s 6d to 11s 6d the pair. Freeman R. Jackson and Co.’s Johnsonville stock report : —Fat cattle in rather fewer numbers were well competed for, and choice qualities made fully 17s the 100, others 16s. No fat sheep came forward. The stores entered sold readily at current rates. Pigs in average supply were in fair demand throughout. (FROM OUR OWN* CORRESPONDENT.) Christchurch, March 4. At the Addington saleyards to-day store sheep showed the large entry of 8000. The demand was strong all round, 4-tooth crossbred wethers making up to 13s 3d. Fat sheep in average supply, and competition good. Best crossbred wethers, 14s to 18s; do mixed sexes, 12s to 15s ; do ewes, 11s to 14s. Alerino wethers, 10s to 13s ; and two pens of extraordinary sheep, 18s and 235. Fat lambs in large entry. There was keen enquiry for export; the best made from 12s to 14s. Fat cattle in average supply. Beef 16s to 18s per 1001 b. Store cattle in small entry, and fair business. Pigs in small supply; competition slack, and a decrease in value. SHARE MARKET. The undermentioned sharebrokers report on the share market to date, March 4th, as fol-

Harcourt & Co. Thompson & Knowles R. C. Shearman & Co. Truebridge & Reich

Last Buyers. Sellers. sale. 3. Local— £ s. d. £ 8. d. £ s. i Wel’fc Woollen 2 5 0 2 7 6 2 5 6 Wel’t Gas 16 0 0 16 2 6 16 0 0 Trust and Loan 6 11 0 6 12 6 6 12 6 Equit. Building 7 0 0 — 7 0 0 Wel’fc Build ... 6 7 6 _ — 0 W & M Railway 18 0 19 6 18 Gear Meat Meat Export ... 5 10 0 5 10 4 10 2 10 0 0 0 (L5 paid) (L3) 4 12 2 10 6 0 (32b <5d) 1 3 6 — 1 2 6 Banks— N.Z. (old) 5 0 0 — 5 0 0 .... (new) National 7 0 0 7 2 6 6 19 0 1 16 6 — 1 16 6 Colonial 2 2 0 2 2 6 2 2 6 Insurance— N.Z 3 10 0 3 12 6 — National 17 0 — 16 9 Union 1 6 0 — 1 6 0 South British... 1 8 3 — — Standard (cum) 13 9 — — Miscellaneous — Loan & Mercantile, N.Z. Kiv’r Plate — 3 0 0 2 18 6 Land Mort’ge — 10 0 — National Mrfc’ge 10 3 — — N.Z. Shipping... — 4 0 0 — 0 ICaiapoi 2 5 0 0 2 5 N.Z. Drug 19 6 1 0 — Wanganui Gas 12 10 0 — : 0 — Westport Coal 2 0 0 2 5 — Gold —Fiery Cross, 7s 6d : Globe, 22s 6d ; Cumberland, 4s 6d : No. 2 Darks, 6s 4d; Inkerman, 12s ; Big River, 6s. J. Dransfield D. T. Stuart