CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 23

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

CHRISTCHURCH GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORT. (Lyttelton. Times, 14th inst.) The almost absolute dearth, of business in the grain market reported in previous Issues sti.l continues, and the number of Bale* i made recent!* has been extiemolit until,.

Holders of wheat are still firm in their demands for 5s 6d on trucks al country station^ and show no disposition to accept the lower prices offered by millers and merchants.. As a. result of t'^ev lower prices ruling in Australia and the danger of importations from the Commonwealth, the pric« of- flour has been reduced by 80s per ton, making a reduction' of £3 per ton since November 21. As in wheat, the business done in oats has been extremely restricted, and no parcels of any importance have changed hands since last report. Prices remain nominally unaltered, but o» few sales have taken place it is difficult to appraise the present values of this cereal. Potatoes are -a veritable drug on the market, and it is difficult to find purchasers even at nominal rates. A line was sold in tbe city during the week on a- basis of 15s per ton. It is stated that potatoes which were 1 purchased in Canterbury at from £6 10s to £8 about the end o{ October and shipped to Auckland are now being sold in the northern I city for a. fractional part of their original cost; indeed, at a price quite insufficient to I pay the cost of transit. ! The following- quotations are for purchaeei 1 from farmers, net oash. sacks extra, except where otherwise specified: — Wheat (nominal). — Prime milling 53 6d at country stations-. Oate (nominal.— Prime duns 8s Bd, Canadians, sparowbils, and Cartons 3s 6d, Danish | 3s 6d. at country stations. Chaff. — Oatsheaf, prime bright, £5 to £5 5* | at country stations. Peas. — Partridge and Prussian blue, nomi« aal. Beans. — Nominal. Flour. — The New Zealand Flourmillers' Cooperative Association (Limited) quotes th« I following prices per ton, local or shipping.— Sacks £11, 1001b bags £11 10s. 50! b bags £11 I los, 251b bags £12. Bran £4' 15s, poLard £5 ' 10s. Oatmeal. — £18. Potatoes (nominal). — £1 to £2 at country stations. Seeds. — Undressed farmers' lines red clover 7Jd to 8d ; white clover ■ nominal ; ryegrass nominal. , j Dairy Produce.— Cheese, dairy, large fid, loaf 6Jd; factory, large 6Jd to ejd. Butter, fresh' local factory prints lid. bulk 10& d, second grade lOd; farm separator 9Jd. farm dairy, Bd. Hams Bsd, rolled sides -9d. sides BJ<J. Fresh eggs Is. New honey 4jd to 4Jd pe* lb. RANGIORA. The splendid rainfall during the week has done a. great amount of good to the pasture*. i and will have the effect of filling out thn j grain. In sympathy with the produce market ' generally, business during the week has been almost at a standstill, no sales of any importance having taken place. Prices are. nominally: — "Wheat 5s to 5s 3d per bushe". j oats 3s to Ss 3d, chaff (o*t»h«af) £5, oat straw £2. Potatoes -are practically ansale- ' able, and no reliable quotations can be given. The advance at Home in the price of cowgrass seed has led to * better inquiry for colonial seed, but white clover is without | attention. Peas and beans have little or no 1 sale. ASHBUETON. There is very 'ittle change to report in the growing crops. The continued spell of dry weathsr has brought the oats on light land very quickly to maturity, and it is feared that the sample will be extremely poor. Already in come cases farmers hove turned their stock into the crop, it being too short to cut, and others are expressing 1 the opinion they would -have been wise had they done the same thing, and are not- looking with satisfaction on harvest operations. Some good, showers- were experienced' in-tha various parts of the district on Thursday, and these will have * beneficial effect on tha better crops on medium and Heavy land; «nr| although they will not increase *he yiek", they, should Assist materially in improving the quality of the jrain. Further, rain is • urgently needed on all sides, both for cropa and to bring on the feed for 'stock. There is practically no grain market, there being no inquiry for wheat »r oats, and very little* if any, remains- to be sold. Prices are entirely nominal. Hilling wHeat 5s 3d,, wbo'efowl wheat 4s 9d to ss, good short feed oats 3s 6d. Oatsheaf Chaff.— Prices have further receded, «nd the best offers are on the basis of £4 10s- for the best quality on trucks, country stations. Needless to say, farmers do not relish, the idea of accepting so larg» a- drop, and, taking the present outlook into consideration, prefer holding over. TIMAIITT. There has been a considerable drop in the price of wheat, and also of oats, this week. Some buyers are offering only 4s foe wheat, and though this is not being accepted,! a big line of prime milling wheat waa soldi, by a local firm on Thursday last to a local 1 ! miller at 4s 9d per bushel. TheTe is very., little wheat now held in South Canterbury, about the only lines left being those tor which the holders refused 6s a week t two ago. The largest shipment of wheat since 1905 ■waa made this week, 11,000 sacks being sentt away by the s.s. Whangape, for Auckland*? Flour has fallen in price to £11 per ton-. a reduction of £3 per ton in three week*? Oats have fallen, in price from 3s 9d to 8« 3d, the latter being an all-round price for duns, Gartens, and Danish, on trucksy

Old potatoes are commanding from £1 5a to' £1 108 per ton. but are almost unsaleable even at these rates. TIMARU SKIN AND WOOL SALES. There were large entries of skins at the fortnightly sales on Wednesday last, the fact of the last sale having been cancelled on account of the wool sales making an accumulation. The following prices were obtained: — Skins: Crossbred, 5s 4d to 7s 4d «ach, 6Jd per lb; half bred, 6s 6d to 7s 8d sach, 7Jd per lb; three-quarterbred, '6Jd to Bid psr lb; pelts, 7d to Is 4d per lb; merino 6Jd to 7d per lb. Wool: Dead, 7d to 7id per lb; fleece. 6Jd to 6Jd; merino. gd to Bd. Fat, 16s 6d, 18s 6d, 19s 3d to £1. ides, 3d to 3Jd per lb. SKIN AND WOOL SALES. Thiue was only a moderate entry at the ikin sales held at Ashburton- last week, and skins suffered another drop of Is to Is 3d. The following prices were obtained:— Skins: Crcsebre-ls J2s 2d to 6s 3d, halfbreda 3s to 6s 6d, merinos Is 9d to 6s, hoggets 2s 9d .to 6s 3d. block 3s 6d; pelts 4s to Is, lambs' 6d to Is lOd; skins by the lb, crossbreds sjd to 6Jd, halfbreds 6Jd. Wool: Locks and pieces Jd to 4d, bellies and pieces 4d to 6d. fleece wool 6Jd to 9d. Calfskins Is to Is 3d, hides 14s; "fat, bag l|d to 2d, tin ljd to