COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17504, 21 December 1918, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Friday Evening. Crop reports receivel in London about tho end of September state that considerable rains have fallen in France, but, fortunately, most of the crops had, been secured. 'Xtraehing results were good, and! tho quality of this year s wlieat was excellent. Ploughing has xna-de a fair beginning, and the agricultural position, as a whole, is moat satisfactory. According to a revised official report, the yield of wheat in Italy is not quite so large as shown in <m earlier estimate, being now put at 19,750,000 quarters, against 20,660,000 quarters. The crop compared with 17,527,000 quarters in 1917, 22,098,000 in 1916, 21,350,000 quarters in 1915, and 21,210,000 quarters in 1914. The demand for fowl wheat continues keen, but stocks of good quality are scarce. Lower quality is, therefore, receiving more attention, and sales are being made at 6s 6d to 7a per bushel to consumers. Prices of millers' linos are as follow: — Four, £15 10s; bran, £6 10s; pollard, £8 10s; pearl baxley, £25 10s; oatmeal, £29. A fair inquiry for oats has been experienced over the last few days. Supplies have been wanted both locally and for shipment, anci the small lots left in stores aro now pretty ■well cleaned up. Millers have been able to pick up one or two small lines in the country. The current quotation for A Gartens for shiment is 6s, f.0.b., s.e., and 5s lOd to 53 lid for B's. Locally good G-artons are selling from 5s 5d to 5s 7d per bushel, sacks extra, ex -truck.

Thera are buyers in the market for rye grass, but their limits do not come up to sellers' ideas, and little business is reported Merchants, who guittcd part of their stocks last March are inclined! to increase prices on the balance of their holdings, especially now that it is reported that tho area saved for grass seed right through New Zealand will bo considerably less than last year.

PRODUCE REPORT.

Consequent on the laok of shipping space export chaff business is not now very brisk, and any lines coming in on consignment are being sold locally. Inferior and medium quality is neglected. Prime quality is worth, from £8 to £3 5s a ton, other qualities being quoted at £5 to £7. Auckland reports that the chaff market is considerably easier in tho face of large supplies from the south. Most of the big firms are supplied with sufficient chaff to carry them over till tho new season's chaff is available.

Old season's potatoes irro now about finished, and the market is -very firm lor remaining odd lots of old tubers and also for the now season's. Tho absence of freight is prwooitmg Auckland now season's from arriving in any quantity, and local supplies are coining in from the Peninsula and Oainaru. Tho wet weather has kept back crops, but after tho now year supplies should prove more plentiful. Sales of old potatoes have bean made up to £25 for good quality. Advices from Auckland st-a-to that tho potato crape there are good, both in yield end quality, but that tlx) troublo is that tho area under crop is much 1«m than in previous years. Under tho circumstances it is quite likely ,thn4 high jrioaa ,'wxU be aaiatamed> ice: the

lest of the season. Sales of email paroela liavo been made at southern porta at £17 10a a ton, f.o.b. I A few consignments of new potatoes Ita.vo arrived, during tho -week from Auckland, but their quality cannot bo compared with that of tho local-grown. Considerable parcels of Peninsula a.nd Forbury-grown have arrived, but priocs, nevertholess, have been well maintained. . Tho market is bturo of onions. A shipment w expected to arrive from Melbourne in tho Kaiapoi in the second week in January. About 22s Gd por cwt ia quoted to arrive. Supplies of both eggs and dairy butter are in keen demand. Bacon-carers have had to increase thoir prices for porkci's owing to tho demand to carry -them over tho holidays. Tho price, for baconsra is unchanged from la&t week. Supplies o£ bacon aie wry ahort. Local ourers aa'e paying Sp por lb tor baconers, and 9d foe poiloers. Cuvredit wholesale priocs aro as follow: — Fowl Wheat. —New ZoaJandl-grawn, 6s 6d. Chaff.—Prime oaten shoaf, to £8 sa: good, to £G 10s. Oaten straw, £3 ss; wbeaton, £2 10s. Potatoes, to £25 per ton. Egg's.—Plain, Is 6d; stamped, is 6d. Butter.—Milled bulk, Is to Is 3d per lb; separator pats, Is 3d. • Honey, lOd per lb. Pigs.—Baconers, 83d per lb; porkers, lOd. Bacon.—Local rolls, la dd; Chrietchuxcli rolls, Is 4d; hams, Is -Id; ham rolls, la -Id to la sd. FKUIT REPORT. ' Busmoss has been fairly brisk in the fruit marts during tho week, t.lie demand for vegetables being particularly good. Fair-sized litres of tomatoes have been coming in from Christeliuich, and at tho sales this morning there was a sharp rise in anticipation of tho holiday demand. Cherries and strawberries are arriving from Otago Central and Canterbury. Strawberry prices rule rather high for housewives who desire to make jam, the tea-Toom proprietors being keen buyers. Some splendid fruit has come in from Otago Central, and prices have ranged up to 23 to 2s 3d, with a drop down to Is for poorer quality. As no American apples are likely to reach , the market this year, buyers have to be satisfied with Canterbury-grown out of cool store. A few cases of P. Barry pears have been ; sent forward from Canterbury cool stores. 'Ihe first plums of the season have arrived from Auckland, and brought 9s per box of . 181b.

Gooseberries are very plentiful, and low prices have been accepted for prime sorts to quit. One or two small lots of mushrooms from the Peninsula and Waitoti have realised up to lOd per lb.

Extreme prices are being realised for greon peas. Values ranged up to 8d per lb at the auction marts to-a&y. Current wholesale values aie aa follow: —

Apples.—Stunners realised up to 235, but are now finished. A few Boston russets reached the market towards the end o£ the week, and are bringing 20a. Cherries, Is 6d to Is 7VI pear lb for choice; others, la to Is 3d. Black currants, 4£d on stalk, 5d deanedL Red currants, id to <Ud. Mushrooms, to lOd per lb. Strawberries.—Waimate-grown, lid to Is 4d per pottle; Otago Central, ta 2s. Hothouse Tomatoes.—Local, 2s to 2s 2d per lb; Christchurch, Is 8d to 2s per lb. Auckland plums, 9s per box. Pears, 16s 6d to 19s per cose. Cabbages, choice, to 6s per dozen. Cauliowers, 10s to lis per dozen for extra choice; prime, 6s to 8s; medium, 3s to 5s per dozen. Parsnips, new season's, Is 6d to Is 9d per dozen. Spring onions, 6dl to 9d per bunch. Radish, 9cl to Is per dozen. Lettuce: Choice, Is 6d; good, to Is; medium, 6d to 9d per dozeii. Rhubarb, in cases of 30lb, 3s 9d to 5s per case. Potatoes.—New potatoes, 5Jd to 6d for Peninsula^grown; Forbury, ,5d to 5Jd; Auckland, did to 4fd; Nelson, 3|d per lb. Cucumbers, 14s to 16s per dozen for large; medium, 12s to 13s; small, 6s. Green peas, 7d to 8d per lb. Gooseberries.—Prime, to 2d; good, to lid; medium, Id to ljd per lb.

MELBOURNE MARKETS.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURiNui, December 20. Barley: Chevalier, 5s 6d to 5s 9d. Potatoes, £13 10s to £14. Onions, £10 10s to £11 10s.

CHRISTCHUKCH MARKETS.

(Peb Ukited Tress Association.) CHRISTCETURCH, December 20. Beyond the usual hand-to-mouth trade, and that only in email volumes, there is nothing doing in the grain and produoe market in oonsequenoe of the shortage of supplies of grain. There will now be no improvement until after tho holidays.

PROPERTY SALE,

Messrs Alex. Harris and iCo. report having sold yesterday by auction section 22 Glenaven, North-East Valley, area 19.6 poles, with six-roomed dwelling, etc. Mr Crockett secured the property at a satisfactory price.

Fraser and Co., produce merchants, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, agents for the Otago Egg Circle, report:—Eggs: Fresh, Is 5Jd; Egg Circle eggs, Is 6d—market firm. Butter: lib pats separator, Is 2d to Is 2Jdmilled bulk, is 2id to Is 3d. Tallow, 23:Dto 28s per cwt. Beeswax, Is 9d to 2s per lb Horsehair, Is 3d. Pigs: Good bacon weights! 9d to 9|d, overweights, Gd to Bd. Honey: Bulk, 7d per lb; section, 9d to lOd. Oamara potatoes, 5d per lb; Aucklands, 4id. Southern. Cross mcatmeal, 50 per cent, protein, °03 per 1001b. Poultry: At our Christmas sale on Wedlnesdjay at 1.30 wo had a largo yarding, 20 to 30 lots having to be sold in our yard. The prices for all lines were exceptionally good, especially for spring cockerels, ducks, gecso, and "turkeys. Tho following pricos w©r© realised at per head:—Hens, 30 at Is 7<3 '>00 at Is Bd, 175 at Is 9d, 100 at Is lOd, 70 "at 2s, 64 at 2s Id, 100 at 2s 2d, 50 at 2s 3dducks, 15 at 4s 7d, 30 at 5s sd, 40 at Gsgeese, 10 at 5s lOd, 8 at Gs, 7 at 6s 6d, 10 at 7s, 18 at 7s 2d; cockerels, 21 at ss,' 36 at 5s 10i, 8 at 6s; roosters, 15 at 2s; turkeys,, gobblers 6at Is 3d per lb live weight. Out next sale will be held on January 8. We wish all our clients a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Scott Bros., produce and commission agents, report: —Egga: Strong demandi; fresh Is 5Jd, stamped Is 6d per dozen. Butter: Dairy, Is 2d to Is 3d; bulk—milled Is 3d, separator la 3d per lb. Honey: Quiet; prime clover, bulk 7d per lb, 101b tins 7s 6d each, sections 7d. Beeswax, 2s per lb. Poultry: Wanted: cockerels 6s, hens 3s 9d to 4s per pair; dulka 7s to Bs, geese 9s to 10s per pair; gobblers lid, hens lOd per lb. Pigs: Prime baooners 9jjd, porkers 9|d, overweights 4d to

7d pear lb; hams Is 3d, baoon Is 3d per lb. Onions: Arriving, £16. ChaJf: Prime oaten sheaf wanted, £8 5a to £8 10s' per ton; medium quality, £G 15a to £7 103 per ton, sacks oxtra. Oats: Scarce; prime Cartons, 5s 9d per bushol, ex storo; best feed, 5s Gd per bushel, ex stare, sacks extra. Fowl wlieat, Gs 6d to Gs 9d por bushel, ox store, sacks erfra. Straw: Quiet; pressed wbcaten J?2 15s, oaten £3 5s to £3 10s per ton.

W. Stbwart (Ltd.), poultry merchants, 230 Princes street, D-unedin (established 30 years), buyers of all kinds of poultry, report for tho week ending December 21:—Hens: Wo can guarantee good prices at present for good condition birds. Wo aro in need of a largo supply of ducklings, goslings, and young roosters. Write for particulars; no commission charged, railway freights paid; crates supplied free.