Commercial.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1013, 31 July 1891, Page 27

Commercial.

Laery and Co. report prices for the past week :—Oats, Is lOd to 2s ; potatoes, 25s to 40s ; early seed potatoes, 45s to 50s; feed barley, 2s3d; pollard, 80s to 85s ; bran, 70s ; chaff, 50s to 70s ; oatmeal, L 9 10s; peas, Prussian blue, 4s; Swedes, 30s ; carrots, 30s; flour, roller made, Ll2 10s : wheatmeal, Lll ; new cheese, 4d to oil ; eggs. Is to Is Id ; turkeys, 5s 6d to 7s ; geese, 5a Gd ; ducks, 3s 9J ; fowls, 2s 9d per pair ; garden peas, 4s to 5s ; bacon, 6d ; hams, od ; honey, 3d to 4d; butter, dairy made, lOd to lid ; factory made. Is 2d to is 3d ; salt do, 9d; onions, L 5 to L 5 10s ; apples, 6s to 9s ; pears 11s to 16s ; rye grass seed, 4s Gd to 6s; cocksfoot, Edwards and Mcßeath report on the labour market: —-There is a fair demand for servants, town and country. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report on the produce markets for the week ending Wednesday, 29th July, as follows Wool. —Privately during the week we have placed all the lots passed in at our last auction at satisfactory prices. There is still a good enquiry for all descriptions of wool, and we anticipate good competition at our next sale on 17th prox. , , , Sheepskins. —We submitted the usual tity of green skins during the week, which were all taken up by our local fellmongers at full rates. We quote prime crossbreds and halfbreds 4s Gd to 5s 8d ; inferior, 3s 6d to 4s sd. Tallow and Fat. —It is satisfactory to learn by cablegrams received frorn our head office that the London market continues very firm, and prices have advanced slightly since last advices. Locally there is a good demand, and we placed our usual weekly supplies at full market rates. We quote- nferior to good tallow, 14s to 18s ; rough fat, 12s_to 13s. Prune mutton tallow in shipping lines is worth 2-a to 23s per cwt,

Hides.—ln sympathy with low prices ruling at nil the Australasian centres, this market continues dull, and values remain without alteration. # . Wheat.— This cereal continues in fair request, and small parcels of good whole fowl wheat have found buyers at 3s 9d to 3s lOd. A small business i 3 passing {in spring wheat for seed, at the equivalent of Southern quotations. Oats. —Market quiet, and very few transactions are reported. We quote good feed, Is 9d to Is lOd. Barley. —Nominally worth 2s to 2s Gd. Potatoes. —Prime quality is moving off slowly at 30s to 85s. Supplies are largely in excise of demand, and there appears no prospect of any improvement in values meantime. Grass Seed. —Late quotations unchanged. There is very little enquiry at the moment. Hemp. —We regret to learn, from London cablegram of 24tli inst, that the upward movement reported in our last has received a check, prices having declined 10s per ton ; the market closes weak. Locally good quality can be placed at up to Ll 7 par ton, but the quantity on offer is limited. Frozen Meat. —For mutton, the London market is weaker, and prices have declined Jd per lb sine 3 last report. Market for lambs is unchanged ; while that for beef is quiet, forequarters are quoted at 3Jd per lb.

ENGLISH MARKETS. W. Weddel and Co., in their Loudon circular of Juno I3th, quote as follows : wool. The series of colonial wool auctions for this year commenced on 9th inst. The total net available quantity for disposal was 346,400 bales, of which 115,500 bales were from New Zealand. The attendance of buyers on the opening night was numerous, and competition proceeded with good spirit. Prices for merino wool wero about par to 5 per cent below closing April rates. The offerings of New Zealand merino wools were small, and values ruled slightly in buyers' favour. Now Zealand crossbred wool formed a good proportion of the catalogues, and when light in condition was strongly competed for. Occasionally, however, inferior and faulty lots showed a decline of about 5 per cent-. Since the opening sales the auctions have progressed steadily, and no further change in values has been established. Home buyers have thus far operated more freely than’ Continental, while the American section of the trade has competed well for such parcels as suited their requirements. Reports from the manufacturing districts continue to express a considerable amount of dissatisfaction with current business, which is characterised as unprofitable in many quarters. . Fresh arrivals for the fourth series, which will commence on Bth September, amount to 122,500 bales, of which 21,500 bales are from New Zealand.

G rain—wheat. The weather has been very changeable, having set in colder again after a line warm week which had a beneficial effect upon the country. The growing crops aro looking well, but, according to present appearances, the harvest will be three weeks later than usual. Finer weather and heavier shipments of wheat for Europe havo helped to depress the trade, which has been very dull during the fortnight, and prices must, in most cases, be quoted 6d to Is per qr. lowen Excellent crop prospects in America are neutralized to a great extent by the expected large requirements in France, where the crop outlook is stiff regarded as very unsatisfactory. BUTTER. The butter market has been depressed. The only parcel of New Zealand landed, viz, ex Bimutaka, was in very bad order, and quotations aro quite nominal at 60s to 70s per cwt for medium, and 4-8 s to 56s for inferior. CHEESE. The shipments of cheese from America and Canada have receded in value. New Zealand descriptions have necessarily fallen too, and cannot now be quoted above 50s to 52s per cwt for fine, and 44s to 48s per cwt for secondary. NEW ZEALAND HEMP. At. the public hemp auction held during the past fortnight, 1000 bales were catalogued, and 600 sold. The demand has been slack, but as holders were fairly firm, prices havo been maintained. We quote : Fine Auckland, £24 to £25 ; good Lyttelton, £22 10s to £3 ; good Wellington, £22 10s to £23; fair Wellington, £2O 10s to £2l ; common, £l9 to £2O ; low £6 to £7 per ton. Forward sales have been reported at slightly reduced rates ; but shippers are r.ow asking more money. PEOZEN MEATS. With changeable weather and irregularity in the volume of supplies, prices have shown considerable variation during the past fortnight, but owing to the good demand in London at this season, prime sorts have made a distinct all round advance. English and Scotch beef and mutton have been less freely marketed, the rapid growth of vegetation throughout the country inducing farmers to hold back their stock. For these descriptions quotations mark an improvement of, say, Jd to fd per lb in the case of beef, and Jd to £d per lb in the case of mutton. PEOZEN LAMB. The mildor weather has induced a stronger demand in London and the provinces, and although there have been some heavy arrivals lately from New Zealand, prices have been well supported. Whre it not for the anxiety to effect sales evinced by some holders, values could have beeu easily advanced during the present week. There are a good many thin, inferior lambs on tlie market, and these nave, as usual, militated against the satisfactory sale of the bettor qualities. PEOZEN BEEP. Stocks have been very light indeed, and quotations have been about steady, though to a large extent nominal. The provincial markets have been good for mutton and lamb, but rather weaker than London for beef.

Current quotations on Smithfield Market are as follow ;

LONDON WOOL SALES. The following are the prices realised for some of the wool shipped from this district at the June auctions. Ex Orari, Northbrook and Kenmore. — Grease cross combing, RX, B£d; OL, lOd ; pt. hoggets, G, 9-Jd ; WJM, Huangarua, 9d, B.\d, 8d ; lambs, 94d; pieces, 64d, sjd ; washed, 7d ; TT, Turitea, 9d ; hoggets, 94d ; pieces, 3d. MP, Turitea, combing, 9d; hoggets, B£d; pieces, 6Jd. EP, Adderstone, combing, 9d ; hoggets, 9Jd ; pieces, 6jd. Dakim, embg, fine, lljd; pieces, 6|d. HB, Ahiaruhe, combing, 9d, 8d ; pieces, 6Jd. Ex Morayshire. —R&S overT, greasy crossbred wethers, lOd, lid ; maiden, E, IOJd ; E, 10d ; hoggets, 9d ; EW and hoggets, Bjd. Ex Orari, Kenmore and Northbrook. — LL, scoured crossbred, lid ; mixed, lOd ; scoured crossbred pieces, Bd, lOd; locks, 11 Jet ; crossbred, lOd; Lincoln, lOd. JL, greasy crossbred pt. lambs, 7f d. LH, Mayfield, scoured; lOd. H4H, greasy, 9d, scoured pieces, Bd. Wairakau, greasy, B£d ; scoured, first pieces pt. combing, l(Rd.

LITE STOCK MARKETS. CHRISTCHURCH.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. (associated with the National M. and A. Company of N.Z., Ltd.), report on the live stock market for the week ending Thursday, 23rd July, 1891, a 9 follows :

The continued cold and muggy weather, though perhaps seasonable, is far from pleasant, and more rain in bulk would he preferable to the existing condition of our water supply. The yards at Addington wero very muddy on Wednesday, and what with chilly air, liquid manure, and bedraggled condition of the sheep, it took some time to get to the real business of th«s day. The market opened with languid competition, but was spasmodic throughout the day, Bheep, really prime fat, commanding firm competition. The totals comprised 7082 sheep, 383 cattle, and 322 pigs, of which our entry consisted of 1755 sheep, 207 cattle, and 240 pigs. Fat Sheep.—Large entry to hand, including many very prime lines of freezers. In fact, prime freezers seemed to be the order of the day, for consignment after consignment of magnificently fattened Bheep were submitted to auction. Competition was very firm and very regular for all good sheep, which sold at rates fully up to late quotations. Half fat Bheep and. inferior sorts suffered a drop of from Is to Is 6d per head. Merinos, of which there was a large percentage yarded, sold fully up to late quotations for all suitable for export; other sorts suffered a slight decline.

Store Sheep.—Moderate entry to hand, which included no special lines. Enquiry is growing very keen for breeding ewes of all denominations. Sheep suitable for feeding off turnips are abo in great demand, but are very difficult to find. Eat Cattle.—Large entry, fully 230 head of fut cattle came forward’ for this week’s market, including several lines of really prime bullocks and heifers. Bidding was slack, and a dragging sale resulted. Prices equal to 18s per 1001 b was about the outside range of value for the day’s auction. Bullocks sold at £6 to £9 ; heifers at £4 10s to £7 10a ; cows, £4 to £7.

Yeal. —Small entry. Best calves, 25s to 37s each ; others at- 10s to 15s each.

Dairy Cattle. —Small entry, which met with a dragging sale, best cows sold at £5 to £6.

Store Cattle. —Larger entry than of late, which met with a slightly better sale. The entry was made up chiefly of odd lots, consequently quotations are difficult to arrive at. Darfield. —On Friday last we attended the above market. Fully 4000 sheep were penned. Biddings were fast, and most satisfactory prices were obtained. On behalf of Mr Gill we topped the market with a line of crossbred wethers at 23s (Mr Barrett being the purchaser). Good lines of freezers sold at 17s to 18s 7d ; fat ewes, 13s 6d to 15s ; hoggets. 9s 6d to 12s 8d; merino ewes in lamb at 7s. As one of the many instances of the marvellous recuperative powers of this country, we are informed by Mr Reginald Foster that, despite the export of some 700,000 sheep, besides those used for local consumption, the returns for the current year far the Canterbury district north of the Rangitata show a decrease only of 5800, which, considering all things, is simply infinitesimal. The returns from South Canterbury will not be ready for another fortnight, but Mr Foster informs us that he believes they will be equally satisfactory. Canterbury Horse Market. —On Saturday last we held our usual weekly horse sale. There was au average entry to hand, including horses suitable for all requirements. Competition was only fair, prices ruling on a par with late quotations. Biddings were spasmodic and irregular, buyers exhibiting a tone of disinterestedness which is not over-oheering to the acting salesman. Horse markets generally at this time of the year never suffer from over activity, but rather on the other hand seem to the onlooker to be in a chronic state of morbid flatulency, for which the only cure is time. On Saturday last good active hacks and light harness horse 3 realised from £8 15s to £l9 each ; serviceable draught and farm horses made from £l3 to £22 per head. greymouth. At the cattle sales beef realised about 2Ss per hundred, while mutton fetched from 17s 6d to 21s. Two pens belonging to Craig realised 18s and 19s respectively, with a very

fina lot of D. McDonald’s of Totara Flat, realised from 20s to 21s. This was the top price for the day. MANAIA. The Egmont Farmers’ Union report :-We quote: 2* to 3-year steers, £-1 Is Gd to if 1 is; 2to 2 A-year do, 10s to £3 ISs (hi , IS-month to 2-year do, £2 10s to £2 19s Gd ; yearling do, 30s to 33s 9d ; cows, springers £3 10s to £3 15s; empty do, £2 17s to £3 ss. Sheep—Shorn lambs, 9s lOd.

AUCKLAND. Messrs Hunter and Nolan report : Cattle. There was a slight decline in the value of fat beasts, but dairy and store stocks were unaltered. Competition was not so keen as on the previous week, and fat beasts receded in value 2s Gd per It 01b as compared with the previous week. Some averages of s.eers were: £8 ss, £7 17s Gd, £7 12s, £7 9s Gd, £7 3s £6 10s, £G 9s, £b Gs 3d, £G 4s Gd ; cows, £5 10s, £4 15s, £4 12s Gd, £4 os, £4 2s 6d, £4, £3 ISs 3d. Sheep.—Wethers sold at from 12s to lbs ; ewes, 10s Gd to 15s Gd each ; lambs, 11s 3i to 12s 9d each.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, July 29. Fat cattle—22s head were yarded at Burnside for this day’s sales, the greater portion of which were inferior to medium light and haltfat steers, with a number of aged cows, only a very few peas beiiii? of really good quality. A good number of the butchers being supplied from last week’s full entry, the demand today showed no improvement, the prices ruling being r.o higher than they were the previous week. Best bullocks brought L< os to LS 10s (three pens extra heavy weights Lb 17s Gd to Llol7s 6d); medium, Lo os to Lb 17s 6d ; lightweights and inferior quality, B 3 to L4l7s 6d. Best cows, Lo 12s_ 6d to Lb 2s 6d : medium to good, L 3 3s to Bo os ; inferior, Lll7sGdtoL3. Fat sheep—The entry today was a small one, only 1224 being penned, including about 270 merino, a few of which were very prime, others only very mecuum. The crossbeds, both wethers and ewes, ranged from medium to good, a few pens of the latter bein'* very prime and heavy weights, lhe limited number to hand caused a little more animation to prevail; a very fair demand was experienced, and, as might be expected, a considerable rise in prices was the result Best cro=sbred wethers brought lGs 6d to Us ; medium to good, 14s 6d to 16s ; best crossbred ewes 15s to 17s (two or three pens, extra prime. 19s to 21s 9d) ; ordinary, 12s to 14s 6d ; merino wethers, 6s 6d to 12s; extra prime, to Christchurch, July 29. Live Stock Market.—Store sheep About 1200 were yarded. A very good demand existed for forward conditioned sorts, twotooth crossbreds bringing 13s to 13s 9d, hoggets 10s to 13s, and one exceptionally vo"d pen 14 s. Crossbred ewes brought 12s” 2d to 14s 2d, and a line of forward conditioned merino wethers, 8s 6d. Fat sheep —The market was very wavy, over GoO being yarded. Prices were not as a rule firm. Best crossbred wethers sold at 17s 4d to 23s ; wethers and maiden ewes from los od to Us 6J crossbred ewes varied greatly, being sold at from 10s Gd to 19q in accordance with weight and condition. There were comparatively few merinos, the best of which brought 16s; inferior sorts sold as low as S=. Fat Cattle —Nearly 300 head were yarded, the majority being excellent. Oe or two lines of heavy weight bullocks sold at from v t os to LS 7s Gd; heifers, from L 5 t0 >1.6 2s Gd. Cows sold at all prices, from L 3 to L 7. Store cattle—With the exception of a line of yearlings of mixed sexes, which brought 18s> and one of a year and half olds that sold at 30s, the entry contained nothing but cows of varied ages and quality, for which the demand was weak. Pigs-Nearly 350 pigs were varded. The prices for baconers ranged from‘22s 6d to 425, and from 12s to 21s for porkers. There was fair demand for weaners and store?.

(BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Palmerston North, July 29. Messrs Freeman JR,. Jackson and Co. report as* f"llows of their sale at JolmswiviHo on Wednesday :-Fat cattle in short supply and indifferent quality sold without alteration in prices - good sorts were wanted, so the enquiry remained unsatisfied. Sheep were in moderate number. Medium wethers brought up to lbs Id Pigs plentiful : those guaranteed corn fed sold readily both for bacouers and porkers, but the market for stores was very dull, and prices considerably below anything offered tins season.

WELLINGTON MARKETS. Wholesale Prices.

NZ L AND M. AGENCY COMPANY’S REPORT. Received by cable by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited). Frozen Meat. Lamb Prime New Zealand per carcase ... . ••• ••• 5d P er Mutton —Canterbury ... ... 4Jd ~ Wellington 3?d », Beef —Hindquarters ... ... 4gd ~ Forequarters ... ••• 3Jd „ Tallow.

Fino mutton ... 20s 9d per cwt. Good beef... ... ••• 2os 3d „ Hemp. Medium N.Z. is worth £2l 10s ... per ton F.a.q. to arrive iron ship, c.i.f. bill lading ... 41s 3d per 4Solbs (Quotations corrected up to 27th July 1891) SHARE MARKET. The undermentioned sharebrokers report on the share market to date, 29th July, as fob loxvs : -

J. Dransfield R. C. Shearman & Co. Harcourt & Co. D. T. Stuart _ McKinnon and Tring- Truebndge & Reich ham

s. d. f*. d. Prime Scotch Mutton 5 to 5 8 per Sib „ English „ 4 8 5 4 ,, foreign 4 4 » 4 8 „ New Zealand Mutton .. 2 11 „ 3 1 Secondary ,, , 2 7 is 2 10 Inferior , 2 2 2 6 „ Prime „ Lamb 3 6 „ 3 8 Secondary ,, , 2 S „ 3 4 >, Prime River Plate Mutton .. 2 4 „ 2 6 Secondary ,, , 2 ,, 2 2 Prime Sydney , none ,, ,, Queensland , , nom. 2 i .. 2 2 is jSew Zealand Beef, hinds nora. 3 2 „ 3 4 „ ,, for s nom. 2 4 „ 2 6 ,, „ Queensland , , hinds nom. 3 ,, American ♦ , hinds 3 10 „ 4 2 ,, , fores 2 3 „ 2 10

?AIUI AND dairy PRODUCK £ s. d. £ s. d Milk, ouart - 0 0 4 Butter. fresh farm in 0 1 0 to to 0 0 Butter, factory mad Salt butter - e 0 0 1 0 1 s 1 0 2 .9 Cheese (new) - 0 0 4 to 0 0 5 .tlyiift, dozen (fresh) 0 1 1 Bard, lb. - 0 0 G 7 Bacon, lb. • Ham, lb. : 0 0 0 0 to 0 0 8 Fowls, panBucks, pair 0 0 2 3 6 3 to 0 3 9 0«n?e, pair - o 6 Turkeys, pair - " 7 0 Hay and Corn Market. £ s. d. £ s d Maize, Poverty Bay O its, feed - 0 0 3 1 0 10 to to 0 0 3 2 4 0 Wheat, do - 0 3 9 to 0 3 10 Carrot* 1 10 0 to 2 0 0 Hay, ton Oaten, ton - Straw, ton - 3 3 2 10 0 10 0 0 G to to to 4 3 3 0 10 0 0 0 0 Chaff,— 3 10 0 0 Wheat straw 2 10 to 5 10 0 Onions (N’.Z.) 5 0 0 Potatoes 1 5 0 to 2 0 0 Ki.ou It Market. 6. d. ft, i Sharps, per ton - - 4 5 0 Bran per ton Colonial Flour “ 3 11 10 10 0 0 to 12 10 0 Oatmeal • 0 10 0 to 19 0 0 Pearl Bari ay - 15 0 0 nominal r$C t.-D.s 0 a . d £ ft. r <t,y0v;>b.j, btmbs < Cocksfoot, lb. 0 0 ■1 0 y to 3J to 0 0 6 0 G 4 Wt. Clover, lb. - 0 0 1U to 0 0 Bed, do 0 0 S 9 Alsylre, lb. - C-»vr Grass, lb. Timothy, lb. I-t-.nj, lb. Y.-nseed, j,erevil. 0 c 0 0 0 0 0 0 iO 7 C' to 0 0 nouiiit.il 9 - 0 10 10 0 nominal Meadow F&acur lb ' 0

rows : — Last Buyers. Sellers. sale. Local — £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. cl. Wel’fc Woollen — — 2 11 G Wel't Gas ... Trust and Loan 15 0 0 0 15 5 0 (ex) G 11 — — Equit. Building G 11 0 6 17 G (ex) — Well’t Building 6 14 0 10 0 (cum) W & M Bailway 0 19 9 1 1 9 Gear Meat — 5 10 0 — Meat Export (L5 pd) ,, (L3 pd) ... z 2 17 G 5 0 0 2 17 6 „ (32s 6d pel) Banks— — 1 7 6 0 13 9 National — — G Colonial — 2 1 — Insurance— 12 6 N.Z. — 3 — National 0 16 3 0 16 9 — Standard 0 14 3 0 14 9 — N.Z. Accident 0 S 0 — — Miscellaneous — Loan & Mercantile N.Z. Kiv’r Plate - 3 0 0 C£ 1 O Land Mort’ge National Mrt’ge 0 10 Agency Co. — 6 — N.Z. Shipping — 0 3 18 6 — Kaiapoi Wooll’n 3 10 3 11 0 — N.Z. Drug ... — 0 0 19 G — Napier Gas 15 0 — — Wanganui Gas 32 10 6 — 0 — Mokihinui Coal 0 7 3 0 8 —