COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 782, 20 June 1864, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Ofpioe, Saturday Evening.

Export entries upon 7479 oz. 12 dwts. of gold were passed at the Customs to-day, the duty on ■which amounted to £934 19s Id.

■ The total, amount of revenue received upon articles for home consumption was £274 4s Id, divided as follows:—Brandy, 115 gals, £51 15s; rum, 39 gals, £17,11s; wine, 101 gals, £15 3s; sugar, 17,247 lbs., £71 17s 3d; tobacco, 482 lbs., £36 3sj drapery, £75 8s; sundries, £11 93 2d.

DUNEDIN PRODUCE REPORT.

(From the "Witness.") June 18,1864,

It is to be regretted that our merchants had not looked out for the demand which they must have known would take place for sacks on the harvesting of oats and potatoes. There is a general complaint of the high price demanded for sacks, and their scarcity has already caused serious inconvenience. To make matters worse, the second-hand corn-sacks in town have been bought up on speculation. The wholesale price demanded for new is 28s per dozen, and for old 18s. The disposition, we hear, is increasing on the part of our farmers to combine wool-growing and stockfarming with the cultivation of the soil, and also to grow more extensively the English grasses. It will be encouraging to our wool-growers and arable farmers to hear that no less than three steam-ploughs are working successfully in the Province of Southland, and that the difficulty of cultivating rolling country by means of steam has been surmounted. In a few years we expect to see many of the extensive tracts of undulating country'in Otago, which are now occupied a 9 sheep runs, converted by mean 9 of the steamplough into fields of corn and cultivated grasses, increasing to a vast extent the production of wool, meat, and bread. Barley.—The stock is low, but demand is quite limited. We quote at ss. Crushed is worth 5s 6d.

Bean.—Small lots bring 2s. Carrots.—£4 to £7 per ton. Chaff.—Supply equal to demand. We quote .£6 to £7. . ' Gram.—Little or none in market. Price £16. Hay.—Demand for consumption is now almost wholly supplied by Provincial, which i3of excellent quality, and commands £5 to £6103. Maize.—The market is now quite bare. Small lots are worth 6s 9d to 7s.

OAT3.—New crop is worth, in large quantities, 3s 9d to 4s. Good Colonial and Californian, 33 6d to 4s. Scotch, nominal.

Onions have advanced considerably since last week. Picked samples are now scarce, and of ready sale at £18. . Potatoes are even firmer than last week, with a slightly upward tendency. Price, £10 by the quantity. Nearly all in the market are from the Taieri, and we have no advice of any from the colonies.

Turnips.—£4 to £6 pcr Tton. Wheat.—So few transactions are taking place, that it Is difficult to quote a price.

RETAIL PRICES.

June 18,1864. The supply of vegetables, with the exception of cabbages, has been pretty good during the week. Fear of the blight has, no doubt, deterred many from attempting to cultivate the cabbage. It is certain, however, that success depends upon management, for some cultivators, by attending to their plants in the early stages of their growth, succeed in bringing them to perfection, and are well remunerated for their labour. Some of the best cabbnges of the season come from Pelichet Bay. Poultry are again scarce. Fish have become more plentiful, but prices are rather high, owing to the fact that the fishermen have far to go, and at this season great hardship to endure.

Prices have undergone no material change since last week.

Bread and Flour.—Bread, Is 2d to Is 3d 41b loaf. Biscuit (cabin), 6d per lb. Flour, 4d per fb. Botchers'Meat.—Beef, Bdtolod. per 16; mutton, Bd. t0,10d.; pork, Is. per R>; veal. Is. perlb. • Dairy Produce. —Bacon, Is. to Is. 6*1.; butter, fresh, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d; ditto, salt, Is. 4d. to Is. lOd.; cheese, Colonial, Is. 6d.; ditto, English, Is. 6d. to Is. Bd. ; eggs, fresh, 4s ; ditto, imported, 3s 6d to 3s fld; ham, Is. 6d to 2s; milk, 8d per quart

Wild Fowi,.—Ducks, 7s to 8s per brace; teal, 3s to 4a per brace; pigeons, 4s per brace. Poultry.—Fowls, 10s. to 12s. per couple; ducks, 12s. per pair; geese, 15s. to 18s. each; turkeys, 15s to 303; rabbits 4s. to 12s. per pair; pigeons, 6s. to Bs. per pair. Fruit.—Apples, 6d. to Is. per & : ditto, dried, 9d. ; bananas none; oranges, 4a -o 6deach; pears, Is per lb; pine apples, none ; lemons, 6d to Is each; cocoanuts, none. Fish.—Barracoutas, 6d to Is each; flounders, 3s to 12s per dozen; gropers, 6s to 10s each; line- 2s Gd to 4s each; rock cod, Is to 2s each; garfish, 4s to 6s per dozen; herrings, 2s to & per dozen; silver fish, Is to 2s 6d per dozen; eels, Is to 2s perlb; crayfish, 9d to 4s each; oysters, Is 6d per dozen. Vegetables.—Artichokes, Is. each; aspara■eus none; beans, broad, 2d per ft; do, French. 6d per ft; cabbages, 6d. to Is. each; carrots 3d. per bunch; cauliflowers Is. each; celery, 6d to Is each; cucumbers, 6d to Is each; leeks, 2s per doz; lettuces, 2d. to 3d. each; onions, dried, 3d. to 6d. perlb; ditto, green,4d per bunch; parsley,4dper bunch; pie melons, Is. to Is. 6d. each; peas, none; potatoes, new, l£d. per To ; pumpkins, none; radishes, 3d. to 3d. per bunch ; rhubarb, Is. per bunch; tomatoes, none; turnips, 3d. to 4d, per bunch; vegetable marrows, Is. to 2s. each, watercress, 2d. to 3d. per bunchy

CANTEKBDIIY MARKET. (MESSRS MILES AND CO.'S REPORT.) (From the " Ljttelton Times.") Messrs Miles and Co report a limited demand for stock duiiug the past month; the scarcity of money still operates in checking any extensive transactions, what demand has existed has principally been for breeding stock and ttation properties Ewes are more saleable than other descriptions of stock at slightly reduced rotes on former quotations, We have to report the sale of about 2000 ewes of 2,4, 6, and 8-toothat 29s per head, and several smaller flocks at prices varying at from 28s to 30s per head. Wethers are nominally worth 23s 6d to 25s per head with little demand, and we have no sales worthy of note to record. Ewe Lambs are in moderate request; we have sold one flock of 2000 to 3000 ewe lambs about ten months old at 22s 6d per head, also 2000 ewe lambs from eight to ten months old at 23j per head. Store Cattle still hang on hand notwithstanding the few mobs that are being offered for sale. Holders are sanguine oi a rise in price as the winter passes over, but at present there are not many buyers in the market, and the rates quoted may be considered as nominal. We quote from L 8 10s to LlO, according to quality and condition. Fat Cattk.—Our butchers appear to be tolerably 'well supplied, and the demand that existed this time last year for the Otago market has subsided ; consequently, although the number of fat cattle on hand is perhap3 less at present than it has been for some years.tb.ere is not much disposition shown to buy. We quote from s£d to 6d. per Ib. as abtut the market value of fat cattle. fetation Property.—We have one or two large transactions pending, which we hope to report in our next. In the meantime, there is a good enquiry for suitable station property at slightly reduced prices. Holders, however, are firm, principally owiug to the close proximity of lambing season, and in anticipation of the forthcoming clio. We offered the Olent Hill station, with 7,174 sheep, 300 head of mixed cattle, 21 horses, and air station improvements, at public auction, on Thursday, the 2nd inst, but as there was no advance on the upset price, L 21.000, the property was withdrawn. We have since sold the Waipara station on account of Leven A. G. Walker, Esq., containing above 8,600 acres, with 4,500 sheep, for the sum of L 7.600. We have to congratulate the province generally on the rapid decrease of scab. This may be proved by reference to the Inspector's last returns, which shew that this terrible scourge succumbs to vigorous and systematic treatment.