RETAIL HOUSEHOLD MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1155, 17 January 1874, Page 14

RETAIL HOUSEHOLD MARKETS.

Butcher's meat has undergone no change in price since our last report. Bacon remains at 9d ; Cheese is plentiful at Od to lOd ; and butter is in good supply at 9d per lb. cash. Eggs are coming forward more freely, and are down again to Is 6d per doz. Flour sells at 6s 6d for 501b5., and oatmeal at 6s for 251bs. Old potatoes are now beginning to give out, but some good samples may still be had at 3s 6d per cwt. New Provincial sell at Is for 71b to 81b ; green peas, Is for slb ; beans in the pod, Is for 4lb. Good cabbages and cauliflowers are scarce. New Melbourne onions are 3d per lb. Strawberries are now nearly done. They still sell at Is per pound, and currants, black in particular, are becoming plentiful, and are worth 4d to 6d. Provincial plums are Is, and Melbourne 4d to Cd. Provincial cherries, Bd. This season's apples are now beginning to come in.

The supply of fowls is still short of demand, and ducks, geese, and turkeys are very scarce and dear.

The market has been fairly supplied with fish —deepsea and seine. A lot of dried rock cod, cured in Dunedin, sell at 0d each. Tho fishermen complain, and with good reason, of the want of accommodation at the jetty for landing and cleaning fish, and the subject is one which miuht well be brought under the consideration of the City Council.

Messrs Wright, Sthimiexbon, and Co. report for the week ending 14th January, as follows : —

Fat Cattle.— The supply was rather larger than usual, 130 head, mostly of good quality, were yarded ; but all were quitted at fair rates, We sold, on account of Jas. Shand, Esq., 22 bullocks at from £7 to £10 2s 0d ; on account of Jas. Allan, Esq., 15 bullocks, at from £8 to £9 - r >s ; and on account of Messrs Litt'e Bros., 22 head, at from £5 to £8 2s Cd. We also sold, privately, 25 head, at a price equal to 20s per IOOIIjs. We quote, prime quality, 20s to 22s per 1001b. ; medium do, 18s. Fat Sheep. — 1000 -were penned, which v ere all of good quality, and as the trade was bare, the whole were disposed of at satisfactory prices. We sold ISO half-breds at l.'Js, and 133 merino wethers, prime quality, at 10s. We also .sold privately, for delivery at bujoiV places, 1000 half-breds at 10s to lls, and, for deiiverv on station, 450 merino wethers at 7s Cd. Fat Lambs. - 75 were penned and sold at from 10s to lls ; w e sold privately, 100 at 9s.

Store Cattle.— No transactions. Store Sheep. — For \ouug merinos and crossbreds there is a good demand. We sold 1500 full-mouthed merino ewes nt ss. We quote crossbreds, 2-tooth, Ss : do, 4 and Ci-tooth, Ss Cd to 9s ; merino wethers, 4 and C-tooth, ns to r>s Cd : merino ewes, 2 and 4-tooth, 7s ; do, full-mouthed, 4s to ss. Horses.— Draught stock cannot be reported as in such active request. We offered at our jards on Saturday, on account of Mr William Thomson, a shipment of draught horses, ex Claud Hamilton, from Melbourne. Ihere was only a moderate attendance of buyers, and bidding being slack, only abou* one-half found purchasers. We quote first-class draughts, £55 to £0.5 ; medium do, £30 to £40 : good hacks and light harness horses, £25 to £30 ; medium do, £12 to £10; light and inferior, £3 to £7. Station Property.— On the 14th inst., we shall submit to public competition at our rooms, Run No. 328, tho property of the late John Gow, Esq., comprising 35,800 acres of country, with 1400 head of cattle. Wool. — We held our second wool sale of the season on Thursday, when there was a good attendance of buyers and others. The competition for several small lots of well-grown light-conditioned wool was active, and prices obtained may be considered satisfactory. Buyers do not seem inclined to purchase heavy-con-ditioned wools, except at figuros so much below last season's rates, that many growers prefer shipping to accepting prices offered. Subjoined we give list of lots sold and prices obtained ; -Greasy locks, PM, 2 bags, 3jd; washed cross-bred and black, S in diamond, 1 bag, lid ; greasy fleece, do, 1 bag, lid ; washed locks, EC, 1 bag, 4}d : greasy half-bred, Qin diamond, 1 bag, OTd0 T d ;do locks, do, 2 bags, 4d; greasy merino and half-bred, JJ, 3 bales ani 1 bag, lOJd; do mixed. JDG, 3 bales, lOJd; ditto merino, do, 1 bale, lOJd ;do halfbred, N, 2 bales, 12id ; do, locks, pieces, and merino fleece, P, 1 bale, 7Jd ; do merino do, 3 bales, lOjd ; do halfbred do, 7 bales and 1 bag, 10|d ; do half-bred and merino, PM, S bales, lOid ; do merino, Q in diamond, 1 bale, lid ; do do, 18 in diamond, 1 bale, lid ; washed merino and halfbred, EC 21 bales, 17d ; greasy halfbred, CgE, 4 bales, lOad ; do merino, MHaK, 3 bales, 10id ; do Leicester rams, R^E, 1 bale, lO^d ; greasy pieces, W, 3A bales, s?d • greasy merino wethers, C, G bales, 9*d ; do do ewes, T, 2 bales, 9fd ; do halfbred, JDG, 9 bales, lOJd; do halfbred and merino, S diamond W over JDG. 7 balcs,9'id ; do locksond pieces,2ibales,Cornerßush,sd do menus and half-bred, FF, 7 bales and 1 bag, 10gd ; greasy half-bred and merino, no mark, 6 bales, lO^d ; greasy cross-bred and merino, IWcW, 5 bales and 1 fadge, lOVd ; do cross-bred. 2 bales, W, HJd ; do do, B 1 fadjrc, Hid ; greasy cross-bred, 18, 0 bales and 1 fad"c, 11 Jd ;do locks, do, 1 bag, 3^l ; washed merino and half-bred, JA, 10 bales, 10k! ; greasy merino and halt-bred, Ea conjoined, 24 bales, lO.Vd ; do locks, do, 1 bale, 3jd ; do merino, JiVTT, 2 bales, lid j do locks, do 1 bug, 4Jd ; do half-bred find merino, DS, 1 bale and 1 fadge, llgtl ; do locks, do, 1 bag, 4d ; do merino and half-bred, HC, 3 bales, 12} d; do locks, do, 1 bag, s;d. "Slieepskins. — At our uiual sale on Wodnesday prices wore sliphtly easier than List wecfe. Green half-breds brought 5s 0d to Ci ; do merinos, 4s Od to 5s 2d ; station skins, 2s to 4s 9d ; pelts, 6d to lid. Hides are in fair demand. Medium weights brought from 16s to lSi e»ch. Grain.— By auction, we disposed of about 800 bagß wheat. Medium quality fetched from 4s 3d to 4s Hi per bushel ; fowl's food, 3s Od to 3s lid. Oats are slow of sale at from 3s 8d to 4s per bushel.

Mkssiw Driver, Stkwart, a.nd Co. report as folt lows for the week ending January 14th :—

Fat Caf tie.- -00 head were yarded at th.c Kaikorai to-day, being fewer than have been offered for some time past. The quality, however, was not bo good. At the same time, the whole lot wore sold at prices oqual to about our late quotations— say, from tin to 22s Od-perlOOlbg. We sold SO head on account of Messrs A. M'Laran and Co. at full rates, and have placed 35 head privately at quotations. A large proportion of the cattle now offering are of only medium quality, and we do not anticipate an over-supply of really prime be<*f for some time to oome. Fat Sheep.— oso of all sorts were penned, of which 575 were sold at say, for merino wethers, 0s Cd to 7s ; orossbreds, from 10s 6d to 12i 6d. We sold of various sorts 250, and have sold for forward delivery 600 halfbreds and 400 merlnoes. We quote present nmket prices, halfbreds, say, 2jd parlb ; merinoes, 2d. Fat Lambs —About 250 wore penned, which being an over supply, 100 had to be sent out unsold. Best quality realisod ftom 10s to lls ; second do, 7s Od to 8s Gd. We sold 60, and have placed 160 privately. Store Cattle.— Although there is still a fair demand at our Quotations for grown steers »nd helfera, have no important transactions to report, as there are but lev of tbis deaoriptloa offering. W« have told 150 held, h«l! faults «*4 co.wp{ M 41 T9 <ty ««&■

We quote steers. 3-years old and upwards, £3 10a to £4 ; ditto cows, £2 10s to £310*. Store Sheep. — There is a good enquiry for sound young sheep of almost every class. Daring the past week, several large lots have changed hands at our quotations, and we have almost concluded a sale of several thousand more. We quote cross-breds, say, 2-tooth. at 8s to 9s ; do 4 and 6 tooth, 9s to 10s ; do lambs, 7s 0d to 8s 6d ; merino wethers, 2, 4, and 6 tooth, 6s to 0s 6d ; do full mouthed, 5s to 5s 6d ; merino ewes, 2, i, and 6 tooth, 6s to 7s ; and fall-mouthed, 3i 6d to 4s 6d. We have sold during the week 10,500 of. various sorts at above quotations.

Wool. — The attendance at our sale this afternoon was not large, nevertheless there was active competition for all the lots offered, the greater number of which were disposed of at prices fully equal to last week's rates. Several lots were withdrawn for want of instructions, and others passed in, owners' limits not being reached. We are, however, in treaty for the sale privately of several of the latter, which will no doubt change hands during the w cuk. The catalogue submitted comprised 043 bales, anil annexed in priced catalogue of our sales by auction and privately, aggregating 470 bales : — Greasy : Pieces, JJ, 1 bale, Oid; fleece, R in square, 14 do, lljjd ; pieces and locks, do, 2do, 7W ; Leicester, crossin circle, 1 do,lo§d ; pieces and loeks,"do,3do", 6d ; fleece,'CoverT,4do,llJd; crossbred, J and HT, 4 do, 10§d ; do, XT, 5 do, lOJd ; fleece, do, 4 do, lOd ; locks, JS, 3 do, s£d ; mixed, S, 1 do, lOd ; Lincoln, RR over Whitelee, 10' f d ; pieces and mixed, Y3, 2 do, 7M : Leicester, WJa, 1 do, 12d ; half-bred, do, 6 do, 12d ; fleece, 1 part half-bred, RT, 9 do, o^d ; locks, Lin circle, 1 do, 3Jd ; fleece, TB over I, 2 do, 10|d ; do, do, 1 do, 8d ; do, T over V, 2 do, Hid ; cross-bred, CWB, 2 do, ll'Jd ; fleece, do, 1 do, lid: locks, RT, 1 do, 3d; mixed, JS, 1 do, lOd ; fleece, Cm diamond, 3do 9Vd ; Leicester, PN, 1 do 10} d ; cross-bred, do, 2 do, 10W ; do, PII, 3 do, 12d ; fleece, TL conjoined, 1 do, lOJd ; Lincoln and pieces, L in square, 1 do, s^d ; fleece, SB, 2 do, ll}d ; cross-bred, A.CB, 2 do, 12d ; do, GB, 2 do, lid ; fleece, PS, 14 do, lOd ; mixed part pieces, do, 2 do, 7£d ; locks and pieces, do, 2 do, 4Jd ; fleece, AM, 2 do, lOgd ; fleece, BR conjoined, under Elderslie, 60 do, lOJd ; crossbred. do, 70 do, lid ; three-quarter-bred, do, 18 do,vlld ; Leicester, do, 2 do, lid ; pieces, do, 24 do, 6d ; fleece, GW WO, 2 do, lOgd ; cross-bred, JS, 22 do. lojd ; do, S, 10 do, HJd ; do, cross in circle, 0 do, 12£ d ; fleece, do, 0 do, 12M. "Washed : Locks, D fl, 1 do, 7| d : fleece, B, 10 "do, 18d ; do and cross-bred, WW, 2 do, 18} d ;do do, AJ, 4 do, 19d ; fleece— l 7 Ist combing, 7 2nd do, 30 Ist clothing, 11 2nd do, V over EWH, 65 do, 19kl ; locks and stained pieces, do. 4 do, lOd ; dingy fleece," do 8 do, 16d ; pieces, do, 17 do, 15d ; fleece, ER over Whitelee, 13 do, 18id ; pieces, do, 1 do, 12d ; locks, do, 1 do, lOd. Sheepskins.— Our sale of last week was held on Friday, 9th inst., when we disposed of 1280 skins at full rates, say, Merinos at Is lOd to 5s 2d ; half-breds, 3s to 6s 3d, according to quality. Tallow.— None offered. Grain. — The market is without material change, and we make no alteration in quotations. There is comparatively little business doing either in wheat or oats. _______ Messrs J. and A. Maclean report, for the week end ing 14th January, as follows :—: — Fat Cattle. — The supply on Wednesday was above the average— l3o head being yarded- mostly good quality— and were all sold at prices ranging from £5 10s to £10 10s for bullocks, and from £5 2s Gd to £8 for cows. We sold a draft on account of Messrs Lindsay Brothers at satisfactory prices, and have during the week placed 25 head privately. We quote prime beef 22s 6d to 25s per lOOlbs, medium and inferior 17s 6d to 20s. Fat Sheep.— About 1000 were penned, of which 800 changed hands at the following prices, viz. : — For cross-breds, from 11s to 13s each ; merino ewes and wethers, from 7s to 11s each. We quote prime quality cross-breds, 2\d per lb ; do merinos, 2d. Fat Lambs — 75 were penned, and were disposed of at from 10s 6d to 11s each. We have during the week placed 100 at full rates. Store Cattle. — In this class of stock there are no transactions to report, graziers now being fully supplied there is little or no demand. Store Sheep.— We have still to report numerous enquiries 1 for cross-breds and young merino ewes and wethers, and have during the week delivered and placed under offer several large lots ; and ha\ c sold, on account of the Canterbury and Otago Association, 1200 half-bred wethers at full market rates. We quote half-breds, 2 and 4-tooth, 7s Od to 9s each ; half-bred lambs, 7s 6d to 8s ; merino wethers, 0 and S-tooth, 5s to 5s Od ; merino ewes, 2 to O-tooth, 5s Od to 7s ; fullmouthed, 3s Od to 4s. Grain.— The market s,till remains without change, wheut being dull of sale at from 4s Od to 5s for prime samples ; medium, 4s to 4s Od ; oats, 3s lOd to 4s, We have sold a few lots of wheat at quotations. ; also, 200 bags of oats for shipment at our highest quotation.

Messrs M'Lanlibkss, Hepburn, am> Co., held sales on Wednesday of the first lot of goods brought from the Surat. There were large attendances. The drapery and clothing sold very well, considering their damaged condition, and the general merchandise also realised fair prices. Hennessy's 1 star brandy, in case, fetched 27s 9d in bond ; Hunt's 3 diamond port, in bond, £7 ; candles, 9^d, duty paid ; Compton'a English hams, Is 2d ; tobacco, o|d, in bond ; and a lot of miscellaneous goods brought fair prices, considering their condition.

Messrs M'Landrkss, Hkpbuen, apd Co. report; that they on Wednesday offered by auction a number of town and country freeholds. Of the city property, section 72, block XVIII. in London street, together with the house erected thereon, and presently occupied by Mr Pierce Power, sold for £880. The lease for 7 years of a small allotment at the rear of Messrs. Gillies and Street's premises, and having a frontage of 30 feet to Dowling street by a depth of 50 foot, sold for £80 per acre. The subdivisions, of section 34 and half of 35, Block V., were passed in, hjdding not coming up to owner's reserve. Since tho salo, however, negotiations have hoen opened for the sale of the whole in ono lot, The various properties in tho Blueskiii District were all pas«ed in, the bidding not reaching the viewH of the owners.

Mr D. M. Svkddixg reports having snld by auction tho following bank, insurance, and mining scrip at his rooms, Princes street, on Tuesday:— National Insurance Co.,l3ssharesatl2sodandsoatl3sprommm; National Bank, 45 at £3 4s Gd ; 85 South British Insurance Company, at £2 Is 6d ; 60 Shoto\ er C«. M. Company, at 14s 6d ; 50 Arrow Rhor G. M. Company, at os.