GRAIN AND SEED REPORT,

Otago Witness, Issue 1927, 29 January 1891, Page 20

GRAIN AND SEED REPORT,

Mr Samuel Obb (on behalf of Messrs William B. Beynolds and Co., Stafford street) reports for the week ending January 28 as follows: — During the past week we have had a variety of weather, varying from intense heat to cold showers. In spite of all this, however, the orops are ripening, and while harvest to the north of us ib in full swing, In only a few places in the south is the reaper and binder at work. A fortnight's fine weather will change matters considerably. At this period of the year I have always given a resume of how the orops in the various parts were doing, and again adhere to it, beginning with the North Island. In Auckland the season has been a very open one, and their crops —what little of oats they have— are being out, and of very good quality. The grass seed crop inGUborne is of exceptional quality, while the quantity too is good, as the season there has also been open ; but in Napier the drought has played havoc amongst crop, grass, aud potatoes, so that the surplus from there of these will bs nothing like what they have had during the past two seasons. Travelling southwards from Hawera to Wanganui the grass is simply magnificent, while the crops are looking healthy, especially further on at Palmerston North, where the harvest is juat commenced, and certainly it is only a few years hence till this part of our colony will be able to produce oats for the requirements of the North Island, as the soil Is worked. Wheat, too, will become a prominent feature. The Wairarapa district will be about finished harvesting with some fair crops of wheat and oats. In the Marlborough? province the orops will be nearly all garnered, and better orops of wheat, barley, and potatoes have seldom been visible in this fertile part. As regardi the country round Canterbury, their crops are certainly not so heavy as they have had for some years on account of the drought, bnt still it is in the mind of many who have given the matter most mature [consideration that they are not as bad as they are painted. Some paddocks already .threshed out have verified this, too. Timaru have •had a dry season, and their crops show a decided difference to former years ; but Oamaru district is •most asturedly the worst of the bunoh, bnt whether the deficit already given out as short of former seasons is correct, is another matter, and of which time alone can tell. Many can recall the experience of May, 1889. when it was thought that at the rate we were exporting there would be no oats in the country, as the crop was said to be far short of former seasons. But how did the prognostications turn out ? Those who held on— some till now even— pan tell, and speculators, too, to their sorrow. Coming to the point as to the state of our cereal markets, Oats: A decidedly weaker element has manifested itself during the pait few days, and with regret we have to say that we fear 16 is likely to be permanent, as she present rates shut out exporting to the other colonies— Melbourne and Sydney being entirely out of sympathy with us. We have, however, seen such before, and it might not be long so. However, what is tending towards good for the incoming crop is the large quantity which is being sent co London. During the week we sold for AG, Waitahuna, 140 sacks at Is 4d (sacks 6d), on truoks there ; WS, 400 sacks Is 3|d (sacks 6d), at Heriot ; JS & TS, 709 sacks Is 6d (saoks 6d), here ; HJ, 500 sacks Is 3£d (sacks 6d), at Pyramids ; AM'G, 100 sacks Is 3Jd (saoks 6d), at Biversdale ; AS, 300 sacks Is 6d (sacks 6d). hers ; and others at similar pricei. Wheat.— This ever important cereal still commands the attention of millers, and all lots coming forward meet with a ready sale at a slight advance even on late quotations, as during the week a large parcel was sold at a price equivalent to 3* lid here. We quote for prime Tuscan, 3s lOd ; velvet, 3s 9d to 3s lOd ; medium qualities of sorts. 3s 8d to 3s 9d. Barley.— Nothing of local quality on the market, but some northern grown has been placed at a satisfactory figure to growers. Chaff,— Demand good, and supplies barely equal to it, so that prices are being maintained, anoTwe quote prime oaten sheaf, if wall out and screened, £3 10s ; ordinary, £2 2s 6d to £2 7s 6d. Potatoes.— Market much about the sqme as last week, but as harvest approaches a better demand and enhanced values may be expected. Ryegrass. — We can only repeat our previous observations on this, that in the absence of more sales of th'~a season's crop there is no. absolute price fixed ; but from the fact of all last season's being cleared off the market, the new crop.'wlll come on a very fair one indeed, and, as we hwa a very large outlet for a large quantity, we solicit growers to forward us their samples immediately they thresh, when we will give them our most careful and prompt attention. Cocksfoot: Numerous Inquiries, but no stocks yet available.