RETAIL HOUSEHOLD MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1162, 7 March 1874, Page 16

RETAIL HOUSEHOLD MARKETS.

Bntchor meat remains at last quotations. Hoisting beef, Od to 7d per lb : boiling, 3d to 4d ; stewiog, id to 5d ; steak, 6d to Srt. Legs and loins of mutton, 4d to 5d per lb ; chops, 6d ; boiling, 3d. Pork very scarce. The supply of bacon Mid hams is scaiv.ely cqu vt to the demand. Cheese is vtry plentiful. Butter is getting scarcer, witii an upward tendency. The cash price of the best is now Uto Is Id. Eggs have advanced to Is (id per dozen. Milk, 3d to 4d per quart. Biead, 5W to 0W per lib loaf. Vegetables are'p'entitul. Potatoes, 121bs to 181bs for Is ; onions, Slbs Is ; peas, 51bs Is ; vegetable marrows, Od to 8d each. Apples and pears are in good supply, but other kinds of fruit are scarce. Oruuges are 4d to Od each.

SKENE'S LABOUR EXCHANGE.

It is vei\> tantalising to have numbers of able and willin" hands arriving at Port Chalmers, and then to find them under the dreaded yellow flag. Tlioy are all wanted i.ow. Imniigiants landing in such fine weather as we at present eujoj are certain to have a good opinion of the place. It is to be hoped the cause of detention will soon be removed, and that .such serious drawbacks will not occur again, How do tho Glasgow ships manage to arrive so clean and healthy, and tho London ships su often the reverse ? Arrivals by tho Mongol are getting very well placed. They aie well pleased v\ith their prospects, and some of them say they tiro quite contented at tho idea of winning the plain necessities of life a state of things they never dreamt "fin the old country. '1 he ban est is pretty well through, most ot the crops in stook, or stack. Ciood men are liberally paid in the ban est field. Wages by the week keep about, 48s, .'.os, and ,V>s. A r er.v few farm servants out of work. They niuge from £52 to t. r >. r > fors'uiilo men : married do, i.OO and £(>f>, wife to help • she] .herds. UiO, £05, and £70. Fennde servants aro still high, and will be for a long time. There is a good doinand for boys and girls, at 5s to 10s per week. Masons, carpenters, and bricklayers are well paid, and fully cinploj cd. Day labourers can get plenty of work at Is per hour and upwards. No idlers.

Messrs Wiuoirr, Si'epiibnhox, and Co. report for the week ending 3rd March, as iollows :—

Fat Cattle. -30 bead wore yarded, of which tho greater part were hut ordinary quality. All, however, wore disposed of at a little under late rates. We sold, on account of Messrs Lindsay Bros, and Sawors, 30 head of fair to good quality. Bullocks brought from £0 to t7 f>s ; cows, iLi 17s Od to £0 10s. Wo quote prime quality, 20s per lOOlbs ; middling do, 115s to 17s. Wo also solil privately 02 head, for delivery next month, at tti 15s por head. Fat Sheep.— 7oo were penned, of which wo wihl V2ii eross-breds at lls Od, and ISO nicrhm \\ utters at 10s, AYe also sold privately 2,{iO uyoM-byeils at 10s. We uunto prmiu UMtMwdii, 'i\<X por lb; do merinos, 2d to2kl. ■ Fat Lambs.-- Only a scanty supply eaino forward. Tho doinand is fair, and a draft of really good quality would -sell well. NVe quote present market price at l)s to lls each. Storo Cattle.— Tho donuuid for this class of stock is slightly loss, Our salos comprise 178 head mixed, cattle at £8 12b W' At our Piilmnrston ■mlo. oh Tlivii' 1 -' day, sth Jlnsclt, nvb sftull offer about 800 head bullocks

and cows. AYe quote bullocks, three to five years, £4 to £4 10s ; spayed cows, £3 5s to £3 10s ; mixed lots, £2 5s to £2 12s Ud.

Store Sheep.— We have enquiries for all descriptions of yo ing sheep. Our sales consist of 1500 full-mouthed ewes, at 4s, and 750 two-tooth cross-bred-s, at 7s 6d. AYe quote cro^s-bred lambs, 8s ; do wethers, 8s ; do ewes, 9s to 10s ; merino wethers, 5s ; do, ewes, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, 7s ; do, do, full-mouthed, 4s to ss.

Pure Bred Stock. — On Tuesday, 24th ult., we held our annual sale of pure bred stock. There was a large attendance, but the bidding was rather languid. AYe sold on account of Mr John Murray, rams, 2-tooth, £4 to £5 15s ; ram lambs, £6 to £12 5s Account John Cargill, Esq , 4-tooth ram, £4. Account slr.s Gowj Leicester rams, 2-tooth, £4 ; 4-tooth, £0 ; full-mouthed, £3 5s to £4 ; Leicester ewes, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, £3 5s to £4 ; 200 ewes, 13s to 13s 3d. Account Mr Somervillc, Esq., 2-tooth rams, £2 ; lambs, £2 2s. Account Mr George Wilson, Leicester rains, £3 ; 300 i-brcd ewes, 9s. Account Messrs P. and 1). Grant, 2-tooth Leicester rams, £3. Account AY. H. Cutten, Esq. . 5 Ayrshire cows at £5 to £G. None of Mr Murray's shorthorned cattle were offered on account of their poor condition

Station Property. — There is a good demand for both .station and freehold properties, and anything firstclass offering would find buyers at full rates. AYe have to report having' sold, on account of the Trustees of Mrs Gow, Run No. 325, situate at Switzers, consisting of 35,800 acres leasehold, with about 1000 head of cattle (without muster) for £5,100, the purchaser being Francis Fielding, Esq., of Switzers. AYe beg to call the attention of capitalists and others seeking investments, to the sale by auction of Messrs AY. and J. Sanders's Kyeburn Station, consisting of 140,000 acres leasehold, with 40.000 sheep, which will take place at our AVool Stores, High street, on Tuesday, 3rd March, at 3 o'clock. Horses.— Good heavy draught and strong cab horses are the kinds most in request. Our sales on Saturday were mainly confined to dealers' lots, of which a fair number changed hands. AYe quote first-class draughts, ,£55 to £00 ; middling do, £27 to £35 ; good hacks and liu'ht harness horses, £25 to £30 ; middling do, £12 to ,£lO ; light and inferior, £3 to £6. AVool. — By the Claud Hamilton there arc cable telegrams from London, under date 17th February, reporting as follows : — "The Colonial wool sales opened this evening. Total arrivals, upwards of 160,000 bales : upwards of 5500 bales were offered ; attendance of both home and foreign buyers was large ; bidding commenced with great spirit ; prices range samo as last scries." We held our fourth wool sale of this season on Thursday last, at which there was a good attendance of buyers. The lots catalogued were chiefly farmers' lots, and we disposed of nearly all that were offered, at prices fully equal to late rates. AYe append list of marks and prices :—: — Ureasy lambs, AVMK, 1 fadge, 13id ; do do, S in diamond, 3 bales, 13} d ; do merino, 1 bag, lO^d ; do orossbred and merino, AH, 2 bales, lOJd ; do Kioto, do, 1 bag, Ud ; do merino, M in eirole, 4 bales, lOd ; do half* bred do, 1 bale, lOJd ; do locks and pieces, do, 1 fadge and 1 bag, 2J.d ; do fleece and locks, X in block, o{u; washed locks" and pieces, and greasy fleece, TM, J bale, 12d ; greasy merino, JA conjoined, 4 bales, 9^d ; do half-bred and merino, Mcl), 5 bales, lOgd ; do pieces and black, do, 1 bale, (id ; do half-bred and merino, U, 12 bales, 11 ,d : do locks and pieces, do, 2 bales, 4gd; washed cross-bred, H, 3 bales and 1 fadge, 18Vd ; greasy do do, 1 bale, ll^d ; do merino ewes, 12 bales, RL over Crookston, ]OJd ; do halfbred, do, 2 bales, lltjd ; do pieces, do, 2 bales, Od ; do locks, do, 1 bale, 3id ; dq locks and black, do, 1 bale, 6 |d ; do merinos and half-bred, do, A over JDG, 3 hales, 10^1 ; do lambs, do, 1 bale, lOd ; do merino, P, 3 bales, 10 jd ; do cross-bred, AY, 1 bale, 10§d ; do do, over JM, 1 bale, 12^d ; do half-bred, HB conjoined, 5 bales, 11 Yd; do merino ewes do, 4 bales and 2 fadges, lOj-d ; do locks and pieces, do, 1 fadge and 1 bag, 4Jd; do lambs, EC. 1 bale, 14Jd ; do merino, --s over JT V 1 bale, lO'Jd ; do Leicester and merino, JG, 2 bales, HJd; do locks, do, 1 bale, 5Jd ; do do, 5d ; 1 bale, 4d ; washed fleece, PD, 1 bale, 15cl : greasy crossbred, horse-shoe, 22 bales, 12W ; do merino, da, 7 balos, lid ; do locks, do, 1 bale", 3Jd ; do pieces, d«» 1 bale, 5Jd ; do merino, F, 2 bales, 10] d ; do merino, and cross-bred, DM'D, 1 bale, lOjjd ; do merino ewes, AVM, 12 bales, lOd ; do locks and pieces, do, 1 bale, lid ; do cross-bred, SH, 4 bales and 1 fadge, 12kl ; do, merino, do, 10^(1 ; washed looks, do, 1 fadge, B|d ; scoured lambs 3 bales, piuces 1 bale, Ist clothing and pieces 1 bale, K. 5 bales, lOkl ; greasy half-bred lambs, AVAIKAUIIA, 18 bales, 11 fd ; greasy merino, crass in, red, 10 Id ; do half-bred, do, 2 bales, lid ;do pjeces t do, 1 bale, 4d. Sheepskins.— At our sale on Thursday, we sold a, considerable number, chiefly pelts and station skins, as follows :- Merinos, Sd each ; mixed, 8W to 10d; cross-i brods, 20d to 24d ; lambs, 24d.

Hides. — We disposed of several lots, medium weights, at front 17s 3d to 18s Id. The demand for well-cured hides is pretty good.

Tallow --At our sale on Thursday, wo sold several lots (none fit for shipment) nt from £21 las, ta t2G {op inferior ; and £2.1) 10s to 4.30 104 fur fuir to gouil.

Groin. — Tl^erp Is. :i good demand for wheat .suitable for shipment, all lots of first-class offering having been taken up readily at from 4s Sd to 4s Od. There have been sales of now win at at 4s Del per bushel. Oats continue in demand, but there are very few old in the market, and the new have not yet come forward. AYe quote old oats 3s lOd to 4s per bushel.

Messrs Deivkr, Stewart, and Co. report as follows for the week ending March 4th :—: —

Fat Cattle.— Onlj a moderate supply of 05 head were yarded to-day, and the quality for the most part being ver.v ordinary, we are unable to report any improvement in late puces. Really good quality would have been eagerl.v sought after. Best bullocks brought from five guineas to £7 12s Gd ; cows, £4 to £U. We sold, on account of Messrs Win. Slmnd and others, 3S head at above rates, and hay c placed during the week 30, privately, at market rates.

Fat Sheep —About 450 of \ arious sorts were penned. Half-breds realised up to ltts ; merinos, from 8s to 10s>. AYe sold 200 at thr yards, and have placed 700 privately for forward delivery. AYe are unable to report any taprovement on late quotations — say 2Jd for crob.sb.rcds, and 2d for morinos. •• Fat Lambs.- -Only a few inferior sorts were penned, which brought from 7s 3d to Ss. AYe have sold 100 privately at !)s.

Store Cattle. AYe have no important transactions to roport. There is a fair demand for speyed cows and bullocks in good condition, ut from .-C3 to Hi for cows, and €4 to -£5 for bullocks.

Store .Sheep. There is still ;i very active doinand for sheep of over} description, and large transaction. 1 ) have Uken place during the week. We have sold in various lots about 7000 :it our quotation 1 ,. Young merino ewes are much sought after at Os Od to 7s ; do wethers, (is ; do full-mouthed, 5s (id ; do lambs, 0s to (is (id ; cross- breds, from !)s to 10s j do lambs, 7s Cd t«*i

Wool. — Advices fioni the Home market to hand per; Claud Hamilton, at Hokitika, on 20th ult., report the wool market as unchanged. The quantity for offor at the February sales was 16,000 bales. On tho opening night 5000 bales were offered— the attendance of both Home and foroign buyeis being good Prices ranged same as last scries. In this market there has been comparatively little business done during- the week. We shall offer a quantity, embracing some cliOlcq ljy% clip, on Wednesday next. ' ' '" * Sheepskins.-- At tho usual sale this (Ity shejit; was, i^ good attendance and fair competition urijtt about 100Q skins were sold at prices fi\HA. equal to those of last wcok. Full woollcd jidus fetched 4s Od to 5s 6d ; medium, 2s (HI tv *s i pojts, Od, to Is Od ; lamb skins, Is fidto VJd/ 1 glides. -- None offered.

Grain. — Tlio market is aetivo for both wheat and, oats, the stacks of old crop of cither sort being now all hut exhausted. New wheat may be quoted at 4s 7d to Is Od. Good old oats aro in request, and saloablo at' fully 4s por bushel. The late fall in the Molbounjo markot of about Od por bushel has apparotitly ipado np alteration in tho market, tho stocks op hand' bqlug 8C light, barely equal to immediate requirement^,

Messrs ,T, and A. Wacwas ropprfc for; week ending 3rd, March, us foltowij: — ' Sty C^tjl*'-'^ fectd iwe« ywtded oa Wedßcjdf.^

of which'were of medium quality, mo really prime beef Seimr forward. We sold a draft of 21 head bullocks on account of Peter Grant, Esq., Cray, which realised from £4 17s Cd to £8 ss. Cows realised from £4 10s to £8108. We quote really prime beef, 20s per lOOlbs ; medium and inferior, 15s to 17b 6d. Fat Sheep.— 6so were penned, 250 of which were turned out unsold, the balance realising— for cros,sbred wether.-, Us 6d each ; merino ditto, from 7s to 10s, according to quality ; old ewes, ss. We quote tjrime quality cross-breds, 2i<lperlb; ditto merino, 2d. Fat Lambs..— l6o medium quality were penned, which were sold at from 5s to Os Store Cattle.— Quiet well grown cattle are enquired lor and any lots coming forward can be placed at prices ranging from £3 10s to U 10s fpr bullocks, according to breeding and condition ; and £3 to £3 5s for cows. For mixed herds there are few enquiries, and cannot be quoted at over 455. Storo Sheep.— Thero is still a great demand for voumr sheop of all classes, while old stock commands little attention. We have sold during the week 2500 mixed merino lambs, 2500 mixed merino 2-tooth sheep, 50004 6 audS-tooth merino ewes, 4000 full and broken ewes '250 mixed ewes, and 300 cross-breds, at full market rates. We quote 2, 4, and 0 tooth merino ewes, 6s to 7s; full-mouthed, 4s (idtoos; wethers, 2 4, and 6 tooth 5s 9d to 6s Od ; full-mouthed, 5 ; merino lambs, 4s 6d to 5s Od ; cross-bred ewes, 2, 4, and 6 tooth, 10s to lls ; do wethers, 2 and 4 tooth, 8s to 9s ; do lambs, 7 "£mL-At our monthly sale at the West Taieri Yards on the 24th instant, we sold, on account of Messrs D. and A. M'Pherson, Leicester rams, from 60s to 80s each ; ram lambs 35s each ; and have placed several other first-class lots under offer. Wool —At our -weekly sale on Monday last, about 100 bale's were catalogued, some of which not reaching owners 1 limit were passed. There was, a good attendance of buyen, but the bidding was rather dull. The following lots changed hands, viz. :— 1 bag CB fleece, 14-U1 • 3 bags, CB pieces, (id ; 5 bags greiusy merino pieces, 4Jd ; 4 bags greasy locks, 2W ; 0 bags greasy merino fleece, 10* d; 11 bales greasy merino fleece, Did; 1 bale greasy locks and pieces, sd: 5 Dales greasy locks, 3id : 1 bale greasy HB pieces, 5d ; 6 bags greasy HB pieces, sd; 4 bales and 2 bags greasy merino fleece, &}d ; 1 bale greasy H B fleece, lO'jd ; 4 b*les greasy CB fleece, llld: 1 bale greasy HB pieces, 4W ; ft bags greasy CB fleece, 9£d ; 2 bales greasy locks and pieces, 4d. Sheepskin*. — 1800, principally dry station skins, were catalogued, and were all sold at the following prices, viz. :— Merinos, 3s to 5s Id ; half-breds, 4& to 5s 7d ; two bidea do, 7Jd per lb. Iftderi.— We sold about 40 medium weights at from 15s to 19s. „ „ ... Tallow.— A small lot of medium quality wa.s catalogued, which sold at £23 10s.