Commercial.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1036, 8 January 1892, Page 29

Commercial.

LONDON MARKETS. Messrs Weddel and Co. in their London circular of November 13, quote as follows : WOOL. There is no change to report in this market, the volume of private business passing being very small, and solely in satisfaction of manufacturers’ immediate requirements. In Yorkshire, and also on the Continent, the trade is in a depressed state, and there is no prospect of any material improvement taking place before the opening of the next public auctions, on 24th inst. For the fifth series of sales 81,000 bales have arrived, including 10,500 from New Zealand. . GRAIN WHEAT. Seasonable weat her has tended to strengthen the demand, and has given British farmers au opportunity of carrying on threshing operations and winter sowing satisfactorily. From some parts of the Continent, however, very unfavourable reports are coming to hand with respect to winter-sown wheats. The f ac k Russia having now definitely prohibited the export of all sorts of grain, except wheat, has caused, a good deal of excitement m the various markets,' while the probability, almost amounting to a certainty, that an embargo will also be placed on wheat exports ere long, has imparted great firmness to values for that cereal. Notwithstanding the readiness of American and Indian sellers to meet the strong demand emanating from Home and Continental buyers, prices have advanced Js to 2s per quarter for all descriptions since the date of our last report. BUTTER. The general butter market has been firmer, and prices have further improved, especially for the finer qualities. There is no colonial on offer, but the first arrival of new season’s make from Australia is expected next week. CHEESE. The cheese market is unchanged, finest American and Canadian being still worth 48s to 52s per cwt. There are no New Zealand consignments. HEMP. Only limited transactions have . been repot ted during the past fortnight. Prices on the spot have receded £1 per ton, while for forward delivery there is very little demand, even at some concession on recent rates. Quotations are, nominally, as follow: —Fine Auckland, £24 to £25 ; good Lyttelton, £2L 10s to £22 10s; fair Wellington, £lB 10s to £l9 ; common, £l7 10s to £18s; tow, £6 per ton. Manila and sisal are quiet and lower. PKOZEN MEATS. Although the weather has been seasonable it has not sufficed to strengthen the demand appreciably, and as supplies of all except The vory primest qualities have been plentiful, prices have tended to recede, Scotch mutton and beef have maintained their position, but English and foreign mutton have both lost ground. American beef has been irregular in respect of supply, and prices have fluctuated from day to day, showiug only a slight improvement on balance. Frozen Mutton. —Arrivals from New ZeaZealand have been less heavy than of late, but stocks of all qualities, except prime, are still excessive. The range of prices does not show much alteration, but the average value of secondary sorts is lower on the fortnight. Australian receipts have been comparatively light, and as shipments will hereafter be greatly curtailed, importers have been able to raise prices slightly. River Plate sheep are in smaller compass, and values are firm. Frozen Lamb. Quotations are quite nominal.

Frozen Reef.—Supplies are still in excess of current requirements, and the value of hind-quarters shows a further contraction of about Jd per lb. There is a large quantity of very inferior beef on offer just now (including old cows), the presence of which has the; effect of depressing values all round for hindquarters. Frozen fore-quarters have maintained their value, American refrigerated fores having been relatively scarce and dear as compared with the supply of binds of the same description. . The provincial markets have been fairly steady, but quiet. Current quotations on Smithfield market are as follow : s. d. s. d. Prime Scoich Mutton .. .. 4 0 to 410 perßff> „ English „ .. -• 10 ~4 2 ~ ~ Foreign ~ • •• 3 2,, 3 4 ~ ~ New Zealand Mutton .. 27,, 2 9 „ Secondary „ „ " ? -in ” 9 o Inferior ~ >. 110„ 2 0 ~ Prime „ Lamb nom. SO „ Secondary ~ „ nom. 2 8 ~ Prime River Plato Mutton .. 110,, 22 „ Secondary ~ ~ ” 1 8 ” i ~ ” Prime Sydney ~ an” Queensland ~ “ u »> New Zealand Beef, Kinds 2 0 ~ 22 „ ~ o n for-s 1 8„1 10 ~ Queensland ~ hinds 2 0 ~ , American ~ Kinds 34 „ 3 8 ~ „ ~ ~ fores 24,, 2 6 „

LIVE STOCK REPORTS. AUCKLAND. Messrs Hunter and Nolan report: Cattle: There was increased animation in the market. The demand for fat stock was brisk, and steady for dairy and store stock. Competition was steady throughout at Newmarket, and an average number was yarded. Beef reached fully 20s per 1001 b. Some averages of fat steers were—£9 7s 6d, £8 7s, £8 9s, £7 7s 6d, £7 3s 6d, £7 3s, £6 15s 84, £6 12s fid, £4 17s 6d ; cows—£s 12s fid, £4, £3 17s 6d, £3 los. Sheep were penned in moderate numbers at Newmarket, competition was good, at the previous week’s values :

Wethers sold from 10s to 14s fid each ; ewes; 10s to 11s 3d ; mixed sexes, 10a 6d to 14s fid, lambs, 5s tb 13s 3d. Pigs : Young porkers sold at from 17s to 21s each Messrs Alfred Buekland report : At Remuera, all descriptions of stock were in short supply. Dairy cows advanced in price. Prices ranged from £5 to £6 each. Fat cattle sold irregularly. Second quality were at store prices, but well-fatted steers were from 19a to 21s tlio 1001 b. Sheep were no better worth. Prices for wethers were from 10s to 15s each. Lambs of good quality, brought from 8s to 10s ; inferior, 6s fid to 7s 6d. Few pigs yarded- Those were at late values. JOHNSONVILLE. Freeman R. Jackson and Co. Johnsonville stock report : —There was a brisk demand for fat cattle at 16s the 1001 b, occasional nens_ up to 17s. The quality generally was of a medium character, with a few bullocks indifferent and light. These sold well notwithstanding. The best bullocks ranged from L 6 7s 6d to L 6 153 ; light weights, L 5 15s to L 6 ss. A bare entry of sheep, wetbers, suitable for freezing purpose, made 12s 6d each ; no heavy weights to hand. (PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, January 6. Fat cattle—2o3 head came forward to the Burnside saleyard for this supply, twothirds of which were good to prime,, the rest only medium quality. For really good quality there was a very fair demand, but the prices .ruling were slightly lower than those obtaining lately for similar quality, while for inferior to medium prices were still less satisfactory. Best bullocks brought L7los toLSSs (one or two pens extra heavy, LS los to L 9 7s 6d) ; medium to good. L 6 to 1.7 6s ; light weights, L 4 to L 5 17s Gd. Best cows, L6to L 6 12s 6d ; medium, L4to L 5 10s ; light, L2 10s to L 3 10s. Fat sheep—2s74 were penned, of which about 160 were merino wethers, medium to good, the rest all crossbreds, mostly ewes, with only a few pens of wethers of good to prime quality. For the latter competition was fairly active, although prices for these hardly reached last week’s values. Ewe mutti n had less attention, prices ruling much lower. Best crossbred wethers brought 12s 9d to 13s 9d (one pen 14s 3d) ; ordinary, 11s to 12s 3d ; best do to 12s 6d ; ordinary, 8s to 10s ; merino wetheys, 7s 3d to 10s, CHEISTCHURCH, January 6. The cattle market was fairly well GlleA in the sheep department, and business wmr'prislc. The sale of cattle was small and unsatisfactory. There was a good Store shoe—About 3000 were yarded, comprising tvvo and four tooth crossbreds, which were sold in large lines as follows :—ISOO two tooths at 10s; forward conditioned four tooths, 11s 6d. Another big line more forward of large framed sheep realised I3s. Fat lambs—A good demand existed for fat lambs suitable for export and prices remained firm from 11s 6d to 13s 9d, being obtained for best quality. A large number sold at from 8s to 10s 6d. Fat sheep—There was renewed activity in the sale of fat sheep, several buyers for export being present, and values improved for best sorts of crossbred wethers and maiden ewes, which brought from 12s 6J to 15s. The sale of old ewes and meiino wethers was slightly improved. Fat cattle—Of 205 yarded, more than half were old cows, for which there was a slack demand. Best steers sold at from L 6 to L 6 10s, and heifers up to L 6 ss. Store cattle—The entry comprised only 65 head of mixed sorts, which sold pretty freely at improved rates. Dairy cows showed an advance, L 6 15s being obtained for cows in full profit. Pigs—Only fifty of all sorts of stores, with less than a score of porkers, formed a most unsatisfactory entry. They met with ready sale at to per lb. N.Z.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 ... ... 81 per lb Mutton—Canterbury ... 4.d ~ Wellington ... 3§d ~ Beef —Hindquarters ... 1 Forequarters ... 2fd ) Tallow. Good mutton ... 26s 3d Good beef ... 25s 3d Hemp. Medium N.Z. is worth £2O per ton (Quotations corrected up to 7tli Jan. 1892.) WELLINGTON MARKETS. Wholesale Prices.

Messr3 Laery and Co. report as follows: There is no perceptable change in the produce market since our last report. Wheat now offering at 4s 6d ; but we have not heard of any business being done. We are of opinion that wheat will command good prices this year, but 4s Gd.is out of the question at present. Oats, holders ask high figures, but no business doing. The same remarks may apply to oats, as given to wheat. Barley, none offering. Peas, none in market. Potatoes, plentiful. Onions, market fully supplied. Cheese in fair demand. Hams and bacon, in good demand; Eggs, market fully supplied. Emit, market has not been well supplied with assorted fruits for the holidays. We quote : Wheat, nominal, 4s 6d at shipping ports ; oats, Is 9d to Is lOd ; potatoes, 40s; kidneys, f>ss ; onions, fis ; cheese, Ll 3 to L'l3 10s ; oatmeal, L 9 103 to 810 ; eggs, Is 2d ; hams and bacon, 7d ; chaff, 60s to 70s ; apDles, os to 6s; fowls, 2s 6d; ducks, 3s; plums, 6s half case ; cherries, 7s 6d to 10s half case; apricots, 15j half case; tomatoes, 7s half case; grass seed, nothing doing in this line, being too early in season.

FARM AND DAIRY PRODUCE- £ s. d. £ a. d Milk, quart 0 0 4 Butter, fresh farm 3b 0 0 8 Butter, factory made 0 0 9 Salt butter - - 0 0 7 Cheese new - 0 0 to 0 0 0 Fggs, dozen (fresh) - 0 1 2 Lard, lb. - - - 0 0 3i Bacon, lb. • - 0 0 6 Ham, lb. . 0 0 7 to 0 0 8 Fowls, pair - 0 3 9 to 0 3 3 Ducks, pair - 0 4 0 Geese, pair - 0 5 6 Turkeys, pair - 0 7 0 to 0 7 6 Hay and Corn Market. ij s. d. £ a d Maize, Poverty Bay • 0 3 0 nominal Oats, feed - ■ 0 1 8 to 0 2 0 Wheat do - » 0 4 0 to Q 4 6 Carrots . 1 10 0 to 2 0 0 May, ton - . - • 3 10 0 to 4 0 0 Oaten, ton - - 3 0 0 to 3 10 0 Straw, ton - 2 10 0 to 3 0 0 Oh a If, - —* - 2 16 0 to 3 5 0 Wheat straw - 2 10 0 Onions (N.Z.) • 0 7 0 Potatoes, new - 2 2 0 to 2 5 0 Floor Market. Sharps, per ton - - 4 0 0, s, d. Bran per ton . 3 5 0 Colonial Flour - 13 10 Oatmeal - 9 10 0 to 10 0 0 Pearl Barley - 15 0 0 nominal Seeds. £ a. d. £ a Ryegrass, bushel - 0 4 8 to 0 6 6 Cocksfoot, lb. . 0 0 02 to U 0 44 Wt. Clover, lb. - . 0 0 10 Red, do - 0 0 8 to 0 0 9 Alsyke, lb. - - 0 0 10 Cow Grass, lb. - - 0 0 7 to 0 0 9 Timothy, lb. - 0 0 5 Rape, lb. - 0 0 . 2 nominal Linseed, percwt. - 0 16 0 nominal