COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12565, 20 January 1903, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

■ Daily Times Office, Monday evening, lhe amount of revenue "collected (it tliu Mutiedih Custom House, to-dav nu goods cleared for consumption wis £1201 9s. PRODUCE MARKET. There is a serious slU'mp in the potato market. New kidneys, which at the beginning of the year were selling nt £14 per ton, are now only worth £4 10s for bast samples: Whilst inferior lots havi sold as low w £4 per ton (bwj in). This represents a drop of nearly £10 per ton .in leeai than three weeks. As thero are renorts of an Abundant crop in Oamftfu and Canterbury, it is not anticipated that the market will rccove 1 * to any extent., ; A record lias been established in tho Old Country by the purchase of one ton of new potatoes for the sum of £500. Tho Horticultural Trade Journal reports that Mi' T. Kime, of Maroham-le-Fcn, purchased a ton of the new potato-Nq t thcrn. Star-from tho raiser, Mr Findlay, of! Markindi, N. 8., for the above-mentioned 'sum,..MlKime had

tlie Northern Star 011 trial during the past season. On Opril 12 he planted 221b of seed, anil the crop turned the ecale at IScwt. Twelve of the tubers produced 1491b—an. average of over 121b from each,—and one produced 141b; another produced 65 beautiful potatoes. Northern Star is said to be a handsome potato and an excellent disraserosister. Changing hands at such a high price, growers will watch its future with interpst. We understand that Messrs Nimmo and Blair have received a. few tubers of the Northern Star and growing them, with a view of offering this new variety to the public should results prove satisfactory. BRRADSTUFFS. The following further particulars of tho sale of new oats reported last Friday are to hand from Ashburton:—"ln new oats a start lias been made with a line harvested and threshed-on account of Mr «T. Stringfollow, consisting of 1500 bushels Canadian oats grown at Chertsey. These weigh 4211) to tho bushel, being out slightly on the green side, the paddock averaging 45 bushels, which must bo considered very satisfactory for the district. Price obtained for prompt delivery is 2s sd'on trucks, but it is not anticipated that this price will hold for future lots." In last season's oats the eale is reported from Leeston of 10,000 bushels of feed Danish oats at 2s 6d, f.o.b. This_ sale has practically cleared the Leeston district of i last season's grain. | Tho Sydney Town and Country Journal reports that there are five full cargoes of Manitoba flour fixed for Sydney, in addition to some thousands of tons in part-cargoes (sailers and steamers), arriving up to duly next. The Edcnmore, a sailor, from Taconw, has a full cargo of Washington flour (White Wings brand), the greater portion of which I has been sold to arrive, as has also a cargo of Starr's linker's Extra (Califomian flour), 011 board'the Blythewood, sailor, now on tho way from San Francisco. The White Wings flour has been placed at £11 5s per ton. Manitoba flour, to arrive; i 6 now worth £12 10s '(Sydney), but for large parcels for cash this price is shaded. The comparatively low prices for Manitoba, flour have already induced Now Caledonia buyers to operate largely in it.