Late Commercial.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 998, 17 April 1891, Page 20

Late Commercial.

CHRISTCHURCH CORN EXCHANGE. The following is the Christchurch Corn Exchange Report (per N. P. Meyers, Secretary, for the week ending Friday, April 10th) 1891. ~ , . .. Consequent on the news cabled from the United Kingdom and Australian Colonies, the wheat market has been in a somewhat disturbed state. Prices at the present rule in favour of sellers with a buoyant tendency and farmers will do well to consider the advisability of selling locally. Oats remain in the listless condition they have been in for some weeks past, sales have been most difficult to effect, and prices disheartening to growers. Barleynothing doing, as the few samples offering do not come up to maltster's standard. Beans have seen business at quotations, whilst peas, except Blue Prussians for export purposes are most difficult to quit. Grass seed This being the off season transactions are restricted. Potatoes—Kidney sorts are entirely neglected. We would warn our farmer friends that they may do serious damage to the good name of Canterbury Potatoes by shipping their Derwents before ripe. Butter no material change can be noted. Cheese is taken in small lots tor local use, the export trade at this season being imited. The following are our quotations : Wheat—Prime Tuscan, 3s 9d to 3s lOd ; Pearl, 3s 7d to 3s 8d : Hunters, 3s 6d. Oats—Milling Is Bd, Short feed, Is 6d ; Long and inferior, lg 3d to Is 4d. Barley—Prime malting, 3s 3d; Feed Is 8d to Is lOd. Beans, 2s 4d to 2s 6d. Peas—Prussian Bines, 3s ; feed 2s 3d to 2s Gd. Rye Grass—Machine dressed, 5s 3d to 5s Gd; Farmer’s parcels, 4s to 4s 6d. Cocksfoot best machined 4d to 4Jd ; second quality, 3d to 3Jcw Potatoes—Kidneys 20s to 25s ; Derwent 25s to 27s 6d delivered at country stations within a radius of 12 miles. Dairy Produce—Butter— Fresh and factory made 8d to lid ; Farmer a keg, 6id to 7d. Cheese—Small loaf shape 4£d; Larger sizes 3kl to 41. The above prices are those paid to farmers, for delivery f.o.b. Lyttelton, new sacks extra Os 6d per doz (potatoes excepted). LIVE STOCK MARKETS. CHRISTCHURCH. Messrs H. Matson and Co.’s report for the week ending April 9th, 1891: — _ The entry at Addington comprised 10,581 sheep, 403 cattle, and 371 pigs, of which our entry consisted of 5760 sheep, 210 head of cattle, and 181 pigs. Fat Sheep—Large entry to hand. Competition was good and prices obtained were satisfactory, being on a par witli late quotations. Best crossbred wethers sold at from 14s to 17s 6d, best crossbred wethers and maiden ewes realised from 13s to 15s 9d; merino wethers sold at from 10s to 13s; fat crossbred ewes realised from 8 s 6d to 14s as per quality. Fat Lambs— Small entry yarded. Competition was somewhat dull. Prices ruled on a par with late quotations ; best sorts realised from 10s to 12s 3d ; medium do, 7s 6d to 9s 6d. Store Sheep—Large entry to hand. Competition was dull, and sales were difficult to effect. Crossbred wethers and maiden ewes, 4 to 6-tooth, realised 12s 6d ; 2-tooth do sold at from 10s 6d to 11s 6d ; full-month crossbred ewes, of which there was a very large number yarded, sold at from 6s to Ss 6d ; merino ewes 3s to 4s 6d. ' Fat Cattle —About an average entry to hand. Competition was a little better than of late. Good beef sold well, inferior was dull of sale, best bullocks sold at from L 5 10s to L 7 10s, heifers realised from L 4 17s 6d to L 6 ss, cows sold at from L 4 to L 7, as per quality. Store Cattle—An average entry yarded. Competition was good for all well-conditioned cattle ; other sorts were difficult to quit. Pigs—Very large entry. Competition was dull, and prices eased accordingly. Wool, Sheepskins, Hides and Tallow.—We had a large entry of country and butchers’ skins. Prices were even, and fully up to the average. The competition for ox and cow hides is simply ridiculous. There is no competition, and values are unsatisfactory. The rough fat is in some instances rcugh in the extreme, and the way in which the packing is performed is marvellous to a degree. If the unscrupulous packer could only witness the action of the aristocratic soapboiler, belltopper on head and knife in hand, dissecting the rascality of the vendor, his sin would shame him. VVe do not wish in any way to hurt the feelings of the honest packer, who puts all his choice samples on top and at the bottom, but at the same time we would remind him that the searching scrutiny of the buyer finds the hidden treasure of filth in the centre of the sack, so sure as daylight follows night. Who suffers? Why the rascal who tries to make by the medium for his gaining wealth at the expense of the respectable community of soap boilers. Tattersall’s —On Saturday last we held our usual weekly horse sale. There was a very large attendance of buyers and the general public present., Competition was very good, and we had the satisfaction of clearing nearly tne whole of our entry of 130 horses at very satisfactory prices. Unbroken light draught horses sold at from Ll 4 to LlB each, good shaped draught and farm horses realised from Ll 7 10s to L 2 3; medium do, Lll 10s to Ll 6, stylish hacks and harness horses sold well at from 10s to L2O each.

JOHNSONVILLE. Freeman R. Jackson and Co.’s Johnsonville stock report.—The market was moderately supplied with cows and bullocks. The demand and quotations remain unaltered. __ No wethers to hand, sheep being represented by a small number of local ewes. Pigs abundant. Baconers improved in value, but porkers were at easier values.

AUCKLAND. Hunter and Nolan report that the cattle market has been fairly supplied, and the demand steady, without noteworthy alteration in value. There was no noticeable ohange m value. Some averages of steers were : LG 19s L 6 12s 6d, L 6 ss, L 5 15s, L 5 13s, L 5 7s 6d ; a good cow from Opotiki sold at L 5 17s Gd, some averaged L 4 10s, L 3 15s, L 3 12s, L 4 2s 9d. Sheep—Wethers sold at from 13a to 16s 3d; ewes, 8s 9d to 12s ; mixed sexes, 12a to 15s j lambs, 7s 3d to 130 9d. STRATFORD. Mr Newton King reports that the yards were filled with cattle of excellent qualities, buyers were numerous and bidding brisk. The sale altogether was most successful, nearly every pen being sold at the hammer. Calves made 16a to 24s ; very small do,, 5s to 9s; yearling steers. 25a to 30s ; mixed, 245; 2-year heifers, 35s 6d to 40a ; store oows, 45s to 50a ; fresh do, L2 15s ; fat do, L 3 ; 3-year steers, L 3 7s 6d to L2 12s ; forward do, L 4 2s ; a nice pen of speyed heifers. L2 13s ; dairy cows, L2 10s to L2 19a Gd ; shearling lamps 6a 4d. At Waiwakaiho, on Thursday, there was a smaller muster of cattle than of late, prices

were very good indeed. Sheep sold well, 12a 3d tor fat ewes. Small oalvea 8a Od to 12s, good do, 15s to 18s ; yearlings, 203 to 24a ; Jersey heifers. L2 2s, store cows (poor), 35s ; good, 45s to 50s ; fresh do, L2 16s, springing heifers, L 3 10s. MANUTAHI. The Egmont Farmers’ Union report that the entries of both cattle and sheep were large, and the attendance good. The bidding was brisk, and moat of the stock changed hands at the hammer. We quote :24 to 3year steers, L 3 7s to Xi 3 9s ; 2»year, uo, L2 2a Gd to L2 12s ; fat cows and heifers, L 3 to L 3 5s ; forward heifers, 44s to 51s ; springers, L 3 2s to L 3 6s ; empty oows, 50s ; 2 tooth wethers, 10s 9d to 12s Id ; full-mouthed ewes, 6s; shorn lambs, 8a Gd do culls, 4s At the Hawera sale the number of cattle penned far exceeded those advertised, and the majority of these were of exceptionally fine quality ; but very few sheep came forward. On acoount of the bad waather the attendance was very small, but bidding was brisk thronghout, and the greater.part of the stock offered changed hands at prices favour, able to the vendors. We quote: Fat and forward bullocks, L 4 10s to L 4 16s ; forward 34-year do, L 4 to L 4 5s ; 24 to 3-year steers, L 3 11s to L 4 ; 2 to 24-year do, 41s Gd to 60s ; 18-month to 2-year do, 33s to 40s ; weaners, 18s Gd ; store cows, 42s 6d to 45s ; 24-year heifers, L2 16s to L2 18s 6d ; 2-year do, 38s Gd to 41s ; full-mouthed ewes, 7s 9d. manaia and opunake. Nolan, Tonks and Co report that at Opu* nake a useful lot of cattle were yarded, the majority of which sold freely. At Manaia the yards were well filled with both cattle and sheep. Bidding was very brisk, every line being cleared at or after the auction. We quote : At Opunake—Weaners, 16s to 24s ; 18-month steers, 40s ; do heifers, 3'2s ; 24-year steers, L 3 7s ; cows, L2 9s to L2 15s; fat do, L 3 to L 3 5s ; springers L 3 to L 4; shorn lambs, 2s 9d. At Manaia—Yearling steers, 31s ; 18-month steers, 29s 6d; 2-year do, L2 9s Gd to L2 13s 6d ; 24-year do. L 3 to L 5 5s ; 3-year bullocks, L 3 14s ; 3 to 34-year bullocks, L 4 4s ; 18-month to 2-year heifers, 33s to 36s ; 24-year do, 44s ; cows, 50sto 535; forward condition do, 57s ; fat do, L 3 3s. Sheep—4-tooth ewes, 13s ; ewes, aged, 8s 4d; shorn lambs, cullb, 4s 3d. NEW ZEALAND HEMP. The New Zealand Loan and Metcantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cable message from their London office, dated 15th inst.:— ‘ Hemp con. tinues dnll of sale. Wellington Las fallen £1 per ton since last report. Auckland quotations unchanged.’ (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, April 15. At Addington yards to-day there were large entries of stock in all departments. Stockowners are complaining of the dry weather, and it is expected that feed will be short in the winter. The demand for fat cattle is limited, and there is no improvement in values. Store cattle are in poor demand, and many cases owner’s reserves were not reached. Store sheep were in large entry, and competition was brisk, especially for lambs. Crossbred ewes and crossbred wethers fetched 5s 11a to 8s 9d ; lambs, 5s to 9s Gd. Merinos in good demand.

DUNEDIN STOCK MARKET. Dunedin, April 15. Fat cattle. Burnside for this day’s sales. Only about onethird of these were good to prime. The quality of all the rest was half to three parts fat, with a considerable number of aged cows. A moderately fair demand was experienced, for good beef, but without any improvement in prices. Best builocks brought L 6 10s to L 8 ss, extra heavy a shade more, medium to good L 4 10s, cows L 5 10s to L 6 ss, medium L 3 2s 6d to L 4, light and inferior L2 to L2 12s Gd. We sold, on account of various vendors, at auction and privately, 35 head bullocks and cows at quotations. Fat sheep—The entry to-day comprised 3636 crossbreds and 128 merinos. Of the former nearly the whole were ewes, and only a few pens of wethers, the quality ranging from medium to good and prime. There were also several buyers from the country, and competition was fairly active all through the sales, the whole being disposed of at prices showing a decline of from Is to Is 6d on last week’s prices. Best crossbred wethers brought 12s 9d to 14s 9d; one small pen of extra prime to lss 9d ; medium, 11s to 12s 9d ; best do ewes, 12s to 13s. 6d.. Two or three extra heavy to 11s 6d—medium, 8s 6d to 11s 6d; merino wethers, 6s 9d to .Lis; extra prime to 13s 9d. We sold on account of Mr Peter Williamson (Milburn), and others crossbred ewes to 12s.