COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17871, 28 February 1920, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Friday evening. Reporta of tho French wheat crops, as given by the London Grain, Seed, and Oil Reporter of December 19, are to tho effect that persistent naius have restricted field operations, as muoh of tho land has been too Baturated to work. With subsequent milder weather, it was hoped that further ©coding would bo possible beforo tho frosts sot in. Tho prospects for tho planted arena were regarded ae satisfactory. From Argentine it is stated that tho wheat prospects in tho northern zone are excellent, but elightly inferior in the Bohia Blanca area. Satisfactory progress is being mad© with tho ingathering of the crop, and it appoiuu that recent storms caused very littlo daiaago. The Italian wheat crop has turned out to bo greater than expoctod. There is mention of considerable delay in wheat-sow-ing in some districts. As regards Germany, reports are that tho early arrival of winter has caused a substantial reduction in the acreage ef winter wheat unci rye. The Spanish crops continue to be favourable. LOCAL MARKETS. Very littlo new season's wheat has been thrashed in tho Ota go district, and in tho meantime millers are securing their requirements from Canterbury. Fowl wheat is in good demand, but supplies aro very short. Prices oi millers' lines aro as follow: — Flour, £16; bran, £6 10s; polhwd, £3 10s; pearl barley, £32 lOu; oatmeal, £30. Tho prioo of pearl barley shows a sharp advance during tho week. A elightly better demand has been experienced for oats within the past few days, both for prompt and forward lines. Millers and merchants have purchased a few lines of last season's oats at • 4s 8d per bushel, sacks extra, ox store. Those ore wanted "for immediate use. The first lines of new oats, which aro expoctod to bo thrashed next w>eek, will also bo wanted for immediate consumption. Up to tie present thero have been no lines sold, by Otago growers for forward delivery. Eound about ss, on trucks, is being asked, but millers' ideas of value are in the vicinity of 4s Sd on trucks. In tho shipping market forward oats only are attracting attention. Early in the week quotations were received from Auckland at 6s 3d, spread delivery, but when token up locally no confirmations Wore received. Prices have now advanced to 5s 6d, f.0.b., s.i., with very few sellers. PRODUCE REPORT. Consignments of chaff have eased off, but consumors have sufficient on band for immediate requirements. The market therefaro remains steady at £7 10s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck, for tho best quality. Tho Waitonio lifted a fow trucks for Auckland, but as merchants aro holding stocks in storo this, shipment did not affect prices.

Owing to the high prices ruling after Carnival Week, growers have been sending in heavy consignments of potatoes, with the result that the market has eased a little. Ton lots, prime, are worth about £15, sacks included, ex store. The Board of Trade regulations fixing tho maximum prico of hams and bacon has been rovokod.

Bacon rolls are now being offered at Is 8d per lb. Hams aro unprocurable.

Current wholesale prices aro as follow: — Fowl wheat, 8s per bushel, sacks extra (very scarce). Chaff: Prime oaten sheaf, £7 10s; medium and poor quality, £5 to £6 (hard to quit). Onions, 123 6d to 14s per cwt. Eggs: Fresh, 2s Id to 2s 2d; stamped, 2s 2.», d to 2s 3d. Butter: Milled bulk, best, Is 5d to la s£d; separator pats, to la 5cL Margerine, Is per lb. .Pigs: Prices nominal; supplies short. FRUIT REPORT. A busy week has been experienced in tho fruit marts. Tomatoes fell considerably in price towards the end of tho week, in consoquenoe of heavy supplies arriving from Nelson. Supplies of stone fruit—peaches, apricots, and plums—havo slackened off. Peaches have been jx particalsiily good demand, .and all lots coming forward have realised high prices. Plums havo also met a keen inquiry. Heavy shipments of apples have arrived from Nelson and Canterbury, and prices have eased a little. Nectarines are in good demand. Tho raspberry season has finished. Prices of grapes havo been irregular daring the week. Fairly heavy supplies of cucumbers have arrived from tho North Island and Canterbury, but prices are well maintained. Peas and French beans are still available in fair quantities. Prices continue firm. Current wholesale prices are as follow: —

Dessert applos: Worcester Pearniains, 8« to 9s; Cox's Orange Pippin, 12s to 14s for extra choice; others, lid to 2Jd per lb; cookers, ljd to 2d per lb. Oranges: American, 45s to 47s 6d per double case.

Hothouse tomatoes: Local, Is to Is 3d per lb; Christchurch, outside-grown,, to Bid; Nelson-grown, 8s to 10s 6d per case, if ripe; green and rough, ss; Otago Central, 6d to Bd. Lemons: California!!, 50s per double case. Plums: Cooking, 4s to 6s per case; dessert, 3d to 5d per lb. ' Grapes: Is 3d to Is 6d per lb.

Peaches: Crates, choioe, to 8d; prime, 3d to sd; cases, 4d to 4Jd. Apricots (about the finish): Small, 3d to 4d per lb; crates, 5d to Gd per lb. Carrots, Is per dozen bunches.

Cabbago: Medium size, 2s to 3s per dozen; prime, 4s per dozen; sacks, to 0s for choice; second grade, 2s to 2s Gd per ©ack; inferior, la to Is 6d.

Caulifowera: Medium, 2s to 3a per dozen; prime, 6s to 83 per dozen.

Lettuce: Choice, to 2a per dozen heads; medium, la. White turnips. Is per dosen bunches. Potatoes: New locale—Peninsula 2\& per 4b, Forbury to 2d; Auckland and Wellington, in bags, lis to 14s per cwt; Xaiori and Oainoru, 12s to lGs per cwt. Cucumbers: Hothouse, small, 53 to 6s per dozen; largo, fo 8s; outside-grown, halfcasea to 6s; cases to 18s. Peas, 3d to 3£d par lb. French beana, id. to s£d per lb. 4» . AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, February 27. Barley: English, 7s, 7s 4d; Cape, 6s, 6s 4d. Oata: Algerian milling, 5s Bd, 5s 9d; feed, 5s 4d, 5s sd. Potatoes, £8, £8 10s. Onions, £13, £13 10s. The market in hides is very, brisk. Medium and good condition advanced Id to ljd per lb. Kips improved Ji CANTERBURY MARKETS. (Pbb United Press Associatiwt.) CHRISTCHUBCH, February 27. Activity in produce lines has been affected to some extent by the wet weather, which has held up thrashing. Algerian oat 3 are etill in demand, and recent quotations are fully maintained, supplies being insufficient to meet inquiries, which continue steadily from the north. Gartone are showing little activity, growers being disinclined to accept tho prices, which aro fully Is a bushel lower than those offering for Algerians. Most of tho deliveries of Gartens have been of A grade, and the proportion of B grade will bo unusually small th:'s season. Thero has been a good deal of activity in the barley market during th<? week, prices showing a firming tendency for some time. Sales of big linos averaging from 2000 to 5000 bushels h<Jve been recorded on trucks at country stations at figures ranging from 8s 6d to 9s, with an, occasional line bringing 9s 3d— this, however, being a peak price. The market generally is a fluctuating one, but indications are at present that it will remain firm, as a reduced area was sown this season. Onions are worth £3 at country stations. Present indications are that potatoes will be in weaker demand when the main, crop comes in. Present Wellington prices suggest that there will be little margiu there for southern operations. Usually at this time of year a good deal of forward business has

boon. doBO with Wellington, but such has boon practically nil so far this year. Any forward business done has 'been on the basis of £5 to £5 5s a ton at wayside stations for April-May delivery. <j>. TALLOW MARKET. (I'itn United I'iikss association.) AUCKLAND, February 27. Beef tallow, i'tU per ton; mixed tallow, £78; tinned tallow, £65. RECOUP PRICE FOR HIDES. (PBll UNITED I'IIKSS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, February 27. After tho Auckland so.lcs of thin week _it was anticipated that hides would realise firm prices at the first enle held in Wellington siuce the lifting of the embargo on export. When the sale was held prices mado a record for Wellington, and showed an appreciable advance on thoso realised at Auckland. Approximately 13,000 hides and calfskins wore offered, and prices generally woto from 80 to 100 per cent, higher than tho Government schedule price. Buyers operated on behalf of English, Canadian, United States, and Australian firms. It will bo remembered that the fixed prico for ox hides of test quality was 13d per lb. Tho first firm to sell to-day obtained 2%1 per lb for first quality ox hides, 22d for cow hides, 26Jd for kips, 3SJd for yearlings, and 44d for calfskins. Tho latter price was paid for a shipping line. o STUD SHEEP AND CATTLE FOR OTAGO. At tlio dispersal sale of Mr Leonard White's Corricdsilo stud sheop and purebred Shorthorn cattle, held on tho 23rd instant at Langley Estate, Rakaia, Canterbury, tho largest individual purchaser of both was Mr J. A. Johnstone, of Wright, Stephenson, and Co., Ltd., Dunedin. Recently Mr Johnstone acquired Buabey Park, near Palmerston, and it is on this property that the stock purchased at Mr Whites salo is to find their future home. Mr White's Corriedales havo the reputation of being in the forefront of the flocks of that breed, of sheep in New Zealand. NeaTly all tho leading breeders in Canterbury attended the sale, and thero were quite a number from Otago as well, one from tho North Island, and another operating on behalf of a sheep-breeder in tho United States of America. Both sheep and cattle wero shown in perfect condition, and the excellence of their breeding was the subject of much favourable comment; in fact, so general was tho appreciation that, as far as the sheep were concerned, prices were obtained at auction such as heretofore have been unknown in tho history of the breed in oither Naw Zealand or Australia. A three-shiear stud ram, first prize winner in 1918, and first and champion in 1919, realised another fetched 130;js, and still another, a two shear sheop, 120gs. For other specially selected stud sheep prices ranged from 30gs to 75gs, and for good flock rams tho range was from 7gs to lOgs each. Specially selected stud ewes realised from 20gs to 55gs each, and others from 7gs to 16gs apiece. Out of the Langley Corricdale flock 150 stud rams and ewes were purchased for Bushey Park, and 21 head of Shorthorn cattle. Mr White's herd of iShorthorn cattle was founded 30 years ago, and was known as one of the best in Canterbury. Other Otago purchasers of Mr White's sheep were Messrs Wm. Ayson (Waikaka), F. Bayley (Green Valley), James Chapman (Dunback), J. A. Murdoch (Toiro), D. J. Ross (Hillgrove), and T. Stringer (Duntroon). .> THE EAINFIELD STUD SALE. The aggregate of tho prices secured for tho Friesian cattle and Romncy Marsh sheep, offered last week at the first annual sale of stud stock at Mr W. D. Hunt's Bainfield propel ty, Southland, was between £5000 and £6000. Tho highest price paid for a Friesian heifer was 127 guineas, Mr John Macdonald, of Otautau, being the purchaser, and the other prices for female stud cattle ranged from 100 guineas to 30 guineas. A five-year-old bull, purchased by Mr Donald Macdonold, of F/dendale, brought 95 guineas, and the prices of other calves ranged from 85 to 30 guineas. Mr Donaldl Macdonald, of Edendale, paid as much as 180 guineas for a Romney Marsh ram; Mr Y. Yardley, of Moa Flat, paid 145 guineas for another; Mr Donald Macdonald, 100 guineas for a third; while tho prices of other stud rams ranged from 85 guineas to 13J guineas. Pons of five flock rams sold .at from 15 guineas' to 4, guineas. Buyers were present from all parts of the South Island, but Southland money was strongly in evidence right through the eale, the highest prices for both sheep and cattle being paid by Southlanderß. <e> PROPERTY SALE. Some freehold properties were put up to auction by Messrs Alex. Harris and Co. yesterday. Lot 1, situated at No. 15 Peter street, Caversham, was tho .only sale effected, the remaining properties being passed in. Scott Bros., produce merchants and commission agents, Dunedin. report:—Eggß, 2s 3d per dozen. Butter: Pats, Is sd; separator, Is 5Jd per lb. Honey: Prime clover, bulk, 7Jd per lb; 10lb tins, 8s Gd each; sections, 7d. Beeswax, 2s 3d per lb. Poultry: Cockerels, 6s; hens, 5s per pair; ducks, 7s; geese, 8s 6d per pair; gobblers, Is 6d per lb; hens, Is 4d per lb. Pigs: Prime baconers, Is Id per lb; porkers, la; overweights, Cd to Is per lb. "Hams, 2s per lb. Bacon, Is Gd per lb. Potatoes: New sorts, local, lis to 14s 6d per cwt. Onions, £14 per ion. Chaff: Prime eaten sheaf, £7 10s per ton; medium quality, £6 to £7 per ton, sacks extra. Fowl wheat, 8s per bushel, ex store, sacks extra. Oats: Gartens, od per bushel; best feed, 5s per bushel, ex store, sacks extra. Straw: Pressed whoaten, £3 10s; oaten, £3 15s per ton.