COMMERCIAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 7913, 10 June 1902, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

THE HOME MARKETS.

By Telegraph. Wellington, June 9. The Department of Agriculture have received the following cable from the AgentGeneral, dated London 7th :—"Dull sale for all qualities of mutton, and a further drop in prices seems imminent. Average price fco-dav : Canterbury mutton, 4d ; Dunkin, Southland, and W.'M.E. Company, 3|d; other North Island mutton, 3-kd. The lamb market as, depressed, and stocks are accumulating. Average price : Canterbury brand, 4|d; New Zealand lamb other than. -Canterbury, 4J,d. The beef market is weak. New Zealand hinds, 4J,d ; fores, 3Jd. Butter is steady. The New Zealand supplies are finished. Danish, 103s; Siberian, 91s; Canadian, 98s. The cheese market is dull, and buyers are holding back expecting prices to go lower—s6s. Ine hemp market is steady. G-ood fair Wellington Grade, on spot, £35 ; June-August shipments, £29 10s. The stock is 484 tons against 295 tons last year. Cocksfoot seed is firm, and buyers have been offering for cocksfoot seed more freely. New Zealand 171b standard, 495."

SALES OF STOCK. There -was an entry of 75 horses at Christchurch Tattersall's on Saturday, including a draft of fairly young animals from, the North Island. These animals were mostly light and leggy sorbs, in rather backward condition, and they did not appeal to local buyers, the consequence being that very few were sold. All round the. sale was a disappointing one, and fully half the entry was passed. A few really good draughts made from £3B to £45 10s, medium forts £2O to £3O 10s, and lighter £l2 to £lo. A few light harness horses sold at from £8 to £ls, inferior sorts being hard to quit at any price, -with the high price of feed The Coalgate monthy market was heid on Friday, -when the yarding showed a. fallino-.off in numbers, only 4350 sheep and lambs' coming to hone,. The bulk were in the fat pens. The freezing wethe'rs were mostly of good quality, but the lambs, with few exceptions, were on the light, side, and b want of finish was noticeable tnroughout. - The entry of stores was chiefly in small lots of from 50 to 100, but most of the sheep were good'. The attendance was an average one. Though good prices were obtahieS for all well-finished sheep- a)nd lambs, the salo had a dragging tendency, a want of spirit being manifest throughout. The following were the prices : Freezing wethers, 17s to 19s sd; lightweight do, 14s lOd to 16s; mixed sexes, 14s to 15= Hd; maiden ewes, 13s lOd; freezing lambs, 12s to 13s 2di. light and unfinished lots, 10s to lis 7d; fat crossbred ewes, best sorbs 12s sd! to 14s 4d, others 7s- lid to. lis 6d; fat merinoi ewes, 5s 3d to 8s; rape lambs, 8s 3d to 9s 4d ; store do, 6s to 7s lOd; two and four-tooth crossbred ewes, 10s lid; crossbred wethers f two-tooths), lis 4d to 1'ls: 7d; two'and four-tooth do, 14s 3d to 15s Id; merino ewes, ss. At the Pleasant Point sole yesterday tliere was a fair entry of sheep, but the sole was a.-rather dragging one. The prices given for stores were a little easier than of late, but fat ewes maintained their position. Very good butchers' fat ewes brought from 12s 6d, 12s 8d to 13s; fairly fat ewes 9s 6d, 10s 6d, lis to lis 6d; small 2-tooth ewes in lamb, 9s lOd; fair store threequarter bred lambs, 7s 6d, 7s 8d to 8s; smaller lambs, 6s 6d to 7s; cull lambs, 4s to ss; small 2-tooth wethers, Bs. Cattle -—There was a good entdy. Fat steers, licrht weights, sold at £7 10s; fat cows, £8 to £8 10s; forward store steers, £6; cows in profit and near calving, £6 to £8 ; 2-year-old heifers, £4; yearlings, 3os to i ,40s; calves, 20s to 255,