COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday morning. Desiccated cocoanut is not too plentiful. Prices rule firm. A slight alteration haa talien place in kerosene deliveries. The quantity allotted for the, minimum price is now five cases instead ■of 25, as formerly. A small parcel of Imperial and High Adnural mixture was landed during the week. Advice by cablegram announces an increase in the price of Columbia maizena. The current quotation, however, remains at 6Jd to GJd, according to quantity. . A shipment of Big Tree benzine hos arrived at the Dunedin wharf ex Alert. Eight-onnco confectionery is on the markot again, and is quoted at 10s 6d per dozen. A new lino of packet peas is now available, and is quoted at 4s 9d per dozen. A very fine sample of onions grown at j Lindis Croißsmg has been forwarded to a local firm. These onions are 18 months old, and were stored in a wool shed, with no attention. The skins are a little on the dry side, and although the onions were not picked over, not one Bhows signs of sprouting a. rather unusual circumstance. The parcol goes to demonstrate once more what fine onions can be grown in Otago Central. OAMARU MARKETS. (From Ooti Ows Coiirespondbkt.) OAMARU, March 15., With the exception of one stormy break of brief duration, tlie weather during the week nijs been all that could bo desixod for liarvest purposes, and great headway has been inade with the work. Thrashing has been in full swing in all directions, and, given a continuance of good weather, it will not be ,^ e^ore whole of an abundant harvest will be secured, in prime condition. Reports as to yields continue good, returns of between 60 and 70 bushels of wheat having been obtained in several cases, while the higher figure is said .to have been beaten V ll at least one instance. As to oats, an indifferent yield is a rarity, and returns of 135 and 130 bushels per acre of Gartons are reported as having been thrashed out. Altogether the harvest will be the best that has boon known in North Otago for many years, despite the fact that the beginning of November the outlook woro a dismal appearance. . Wheat has been coming forward fairly freely, and a good many transactions are reported, mostly in lines of moderate dimensions, but the sale of one line of 1500 sacks of velvet with a small amount of red is reported. Oats hive been offering very freely, but merchants are chary of doing business except at reduoed prices, which growers refuse to concede, and business has consequently been restricted to a few modest lines at the following prices, at country stations:—A grade Gartons, 3s 4d net; B Gartons, 3s 3d net tor a prime sample; Algerians, 3s net and as Id-Jess commission. A good amount of barley, both malting and leed, is on the market, but fails to find buyers. for malting have declined considerably, and the sale of a line at 5s iOs net, at a country station, is reported. . Inere is still nothing doing in potatoes m a :wholesale way, only a small amount of digging having been done, and the output going from the field to Dunedin. The stock market is in a bad way. A great quantity of' sheep are on the market irom Southland, where owners are anxious to reduce their flocks owing to the unsatisfactory outlook for winter feed. But, though there is a willingness to accept reduced prices, there are few buyers except for rape lambs_ or store lambs in forward condition. £ . eneep are not plentiful, and maintain a . Gl !u Va i UC3 ' whlle fat ]am bs seH readily. At the Duntroon.sale this week fat lambs brought from 27s to 29s 9d, and fat and forward from 23s to 255. Sales of sheep of any description by private treaty have been limited to a few modest lines at the following prices:—Extra good two-tooth ewes, 30s: four-tooth ewes ,32s 6d; rape lambs, 22s to to 21s M 6bs 111 forwa rd condition, The cattle market? is exceedingly slow m regard to fat animals, for which there is a good demand. A great- number of store cattle are offering from the south, but market has gone right hack. Though reserves have been materially reduced, par«wS y - m re3 ?f, cfc t0 y° UD S cattle, sales are almost impossible to effect. Business has been small, the prices recorded being as S]°To : 7^ gh r ight from £10 in '■ i v W ifl keayy-weights, from £10 to all, and light-Weights, from £8 to ±a 5 two-year-old mixed sexes, £7 to £8yearlings, £5 to £6; calves, 20s to 255. '

SOUTHLAND MARKETS. (From Oto Own Correspondeut.) T ittl k VidRCARGILL, March 15. Little business is passing locally ih the anv ( f n U liU1 iU be a fortnight before any other than autumn-sown oits will bo th™ 7 h T t hl^ hkl S, though harvest is general fchioughout the province. Buyers' ideas of value are m the neighbourhood of 3s on S' sacks extra this depending to some extent on distance from port. This price ;s much on an equality with recent northern quotations of 3s lid, f.0.b., s.i. .In mS? quarters it is expected that there will bo a st.ill further decline, owing to the record yields being made in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland The possibility of ojqiort to Australia or elsewhere seems very remote owin<* to tho high rates of freights ruling, while the duty imposed in Australia makes it extremely difficult for New Zealand to compete with oats,'added to this is the fact that South Africa is at least in an equally good position to compete for any Australian demand as New Zealand. m<Xrkot a decided downward tendency in sympathy with oats. Nothing but the pnmest lines would now. bring anvthrng over £6 on trucks in the country. - U p to date there have been remarkably few samples °f grass seed offered going over 20lb from the mill. Seed has bean offered weighing as low as even 141b. LHit-weicrht seed from 161b to 181b has been sold at as low as 2s 6d per bushel. A fair index of values is 3s 9dl per bushel for 221b ■ s«ed Durmg the week a sale of a considerable line °£ last years ryegrass was made at 4s 8d in store, in Inveitjargill for 261b particularly well-milled seed. At the outse* buyers were prepared to pay rather more ill r {or anything approaching 61b seed, but an sympathy. with the slump _m values in the north little more than 7d can now be obtained for cocksfoot of any description. Tho hemp market remains in milch the same condition as in • last report. There is every appearance, with more shipping being available shortly, that it will ease storage accommodation, but it carinot possibly affect the ruling values, which are: Low fair £30 high fair being worth perhaps £32 on trucks' .During the past week the stock market has been very easy, quieter than we have seen it for a month. There is hardly any private business being done with the exception of lat lambs, fat wethers, or fat ewes; these of course, are still going into the works. The scarcity of feed' in Southland has ca:ised the easy market, and we do not expect prices to improve very much before spring. Sheep are selling in Southland to-diay at prices obtained for them seven or eight years asro showing that the market to-day is on a par with prices ruling at that time. Prices mav be quoted:— \

Fat Cattle.—Ox beef, 465; heifer, 44s ■ cow 42a; extra prim© best bullocks, £17 log to £19 ss; prime, £15 10s to £16 10s; light down to £12 10s; extra prime heifers, Cl2 to £14; prims., £10 10s to £11 10s; small and light, down to about £8 10s; fat cows £11 to £12; extra prime, £14. ' • Fat Sheep.—Extra prime wethers, 375, to 395; prime, 34s to 35s Gd; light, down to about 31s; extra prime ewes, 27s to 29sprime, 24a to 265; light and inferior, down to 21s. Cattle.—Forward three-year-old steers, £10 10s to £11 10s; two and 2£-year old steers £7 10s to £8 10s; 18-months, £5 to £6 10s •' oalv-es, decent sorts, 35s to £2 15s; small and inferior, £1 to 255; empty cows in good condition, £7 to £S; others down to £4 to £6. Store Shotvp.—Good] mixed-sex lambs 14s'to 15s-64; medium sorts, lis to 12s; inferior ajid light, down to 5s 6d to 8s; two-tooth ewee good sorts, 25s to 275; medium, 22s to 23s 6d; inferior, down to 18s; good two-tooth wethers, 19s to 21s;. light and inferior, down to 163; four and six-tooth wethers, good sorts, 26s to 28a; inferior, down to 25a. THE FRUIT WORLD. BeiHy's Central Produce Mart, Ltd, report—Business very keen during the"'past week; large supplies of fruit and produce came forward, and prioes have been well maintaii ed. Eggs and poultry have been coming forward in largo quantities, and good prices have been realised. Tho egg market is on the improve, and there is every indication ofthe prioes goin ? higher during the present week. The following prioes wore secured for consignors:—Apples: Desserts, choico Cox's lis to 12s 6d, Grravensteins Bs. Permains 6s 6d; oookers, choice ia 6d to 6s, inferior 2s to 3s 6di per case. Lemons: "Mission" brand, 4/ia. Grapes: Locals and Oamarus, IOJd to Is Id. Pears: W.8.C., 6s 6d to 9d 6d per case; cooking pears, 3s to ss. Peaches: Choice, 4Jd to 6Jd; jam, 3d to 4d. Quincos: 3£<l. Nectarines, 4d to G£d. AprdconG'' Choice, 4Jd to 6d; jam, 3Ad; bottling, 4£d Capo gooseberries, 9d per lb. Plums:- Deseerte, to s£d; jam, lid to 2d. Chillies, 8s 6d Jsear case. Garlic, to 4--jd per < lb. Tomatoes: Otogo Oontrals, 4d to 6Jd; Christ church hothouse, 6d to 8d; outside. 4Jd to 6Jd; locals, 7Jd to 9d; Nelson, Ss 6ci to 10s 6d .per cas,e. G-reen peas, 2ftd to aid. Buttor boacs, 4d to sd. French beans, 3Ad to 4*d pec lb. Rhubarb, 2s 6d to 3s Cd "per case. Potatoes, 7a 6d to 9s per crwt. Cauliflower, to -6s Gd. Vegetable nranxws, to Bs. Cabbage, to 4s 6d. Lettuce, to Is, 9d. Cucum bezs, to 9» 6d >psr dozen. Onions: Priir.-y Anddanids, 14a 6dl; Csuiterbnrys, 9s. Bacon: GoJdew. -Baj xoiie, la 3&<i; aides, Is

Wmo, la 3|d. Pigs: Bttocmers prinsv 9?dporkers, 9Jd. Butter: Balk, to Is 21d; eeV rator pats, Is 3d; special, 1b 6d. Eg"B----b-tempod and. gnarairteod, la 9d, Is lid: oaeo eggs, la Bd, la Od. Honey: Market very quiet; wo have effected sales of email lots up to 8dp OT lb; eeotions (choke), 10s 6d par dozen. Tea; Extra prime ' Broken Orange 3a. Linseed meal and calf foocbSpecial quality, 15a per 1001b. Meat iaeol.Oross Keys," 18a per 1001b. Molaeeca, 7e fad in casks; casca, 14a. Cape barley, 7s. Oatshcaf chaff: Choice, £8. Oaten duet, 5a 6d per sack. Wheat. A eplendid' line, 7a. Uats: Very unsettled; Duna, 4a 6d; Algerians, 4s 6d. Bran, 6s 63 per 1001b bags. W&eaten pollard, 14s per 1501b. Fairo food, i Lirmo sulphur, 2s 3d .per gallon m barrels; four-gallon tins, 8a per gallon. ra L lier - r , owt Blacfc leaf 401 Mb, 60s, Jb 13a 6d. Beeswax, 2s per lb. Egg orates 12s 6d. Poultry—Hens, 33 at Is 7d, 48 at Is S3, 105 at Is 9d, 98 at la 10d, 42 at 2a Id, 18 at 3s 2d; cockerels, 20 at 2b, 6 2s M, 25. at 2s 43, at 3s 4d; ducks/21 Is. ailat 36 chickens, Bat 10d, 31 at E." OSWALD •RiTTTT.T.-y Managing Director. — «> Fraser and Co., produce roercfeaaite, auctioneers, and commission agents, 146 Crawford s , Dunedui, report:— Eggs, market uneteady, fresh la Sd; Egg Circle eggs, Is lOd. gutter; lib pata, separator, 1b 3d; milled' • 18 Go °d bacon weights, 9gd ; overweights, 5d to Bd. Tallow, Scf £ P 01 ", owt - Ctenaru potatoes £8 to £8 10s. Horsehair is 3d per lb. Beeswax, Jion ?y : New season bulk, in 60lb trns, 7d per lb; sections, 8d to 9d; 10lb tins, fL Poultxy.-At.onr_ sale, on Wednesday at l.dO the following prices were realised ;— H«ns 50 at Is 6d, 60 at Is 7dl, 88 at Is Bd. 30 at Is 9d, 20 at 2s, 13 at 28 2d; cocberefi Is 6d to 3a each; ducks, 3s to 4s; geese, 4s to Ss; turkeys— gobblers lid, hens 10} d per lb, live weight.