THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 26

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM.

WELLINGTON, August 31. The High Commissioner's cablegram from London, dated 29th August, is as follows: — Mutton.— The market is dull, except for prime light-weights. Quotations: North Island mutton, light-weights, 3Jd ; heavywieighta, 3>gd ; Canterbury, light-weights, 4gd (nominal).

.Ijannb.— TK© market is ©Hpfhtl.y weaker, with less demand. Supplies of Home-grown lamb are heavy and are lowering prices. Quotation?: New Zealand lamb, Camefcury brands, 5Jd; other than Canterbury, sid.

Beef. — The market is firm, and the supply is running short, but high prices are restricting business. In New Zealand beef hindquarters are quoted at 43d, forequarters at 3Sd.

Butter. — The market is quiet, with little doing, but a srood feeling prevails. The stock of New Zealand Gutter is exhausted. Danish is quoted at 120s, Canadian 115~, Siberian 108s per cwt. Cheese.— The market is^ steady, but there

' is not much demand. Prices are firm. j The stock of New Zealand cheese is ex- | hausted. Canadian i 3 quoted at 61s per cwt. Hemp. — The market is speculative, but ( quiet, and there is little doing, but a good j feeling prevails. The following are the current quotations: — Good fair grade, .on | spot, £26 15s; fair grade, on spot, £23; I fair current Manila, on spot, £23 10s. I October to December shipments are quoted j a s follow:— Good fair grade, £26 10s; fair j grade, £22 10s; fair ourrent Manila, £23 10s. Last week's output from Manila amounted to 24.000 bales. Wool. — The market is steady, with an improved demand- Following are the cur- [ rent quotations for Bradford tops:—Thirtysixes, low crossbreds, lOd ; forties, low crossbreds, 10£ d; forty-fours, medium croesbneds, llAd; fifties, halfbreds, Is 33d; fifty-sixes, quarterbreds, Is 6id ; sixties, merinos, Is lid. Hops. — The market is very quiet. Cocksfoot. — Buyers are not keen to do business. DT7NEDIN MARKETS. WHOLESALE PRODUCE HEPCIITS. Mr J. Fleming, Princes street aouth, reports under date the 25th inst. : — "Wheat p»r bushel. I per ton Best milling ... 4/3 Oatmeal, in 25' s 250/0 Medium do ... 4/2 Oaten chaff 75/o—B7/6 Fowls' ... 3/6-4/0 Ryegragshoy 80/0-86/0 Milling oats ... 2/6 Straw ... 40/0 to 45/0 Feedoate... 2/o—2/3 Pearl barley .. 340/0 Malt barley ... 5/0 cir Feed barley 3/6—3/0 Onions, good ... 14/0 Cape barley ... 5/0 per lb. Maize 5'C Rolled bacon ... 9d per ton. Side bacon ... 9d Hour, in 200's ... 215,0 Smoked hams ... Bid Flour, in 50"« ... 230/0 Cheese ... 6d— 6Jd Pollard 140/0 Good salt butter, 9d to Bran 135/0 13d. according to quality Potatoes selling at £4 2s 6d "to £A 5s per ton. Carrots £1 15s per ton. Turnips, 22s 6d per ton, on truck, railway. A good ■Qeinand for straw; none in the market. Good demand for good ryegrass hay. FARU AND DAIBT PRODTJCI. Messrs Irvine and Stevenson, George street, report paying for produce during the week ending the 25th hist. as. follows : — Bacon (roll), 9d per lb Fresh buHer, lid to Ham, 8d per lb ]/3J per lb Fresh egfts. 1/0 doz Salt butter ; not buying Fresh butter, good ordinary (in lib and Jib prints), lid to' Is Id per lb. Figs, 1301b to 1601b, sid. , THE FROEX MEAT MARKET. NAPIER, August 27. The C.C. and D. Company cable from London: — ''There is a better demand for frozen beef, and price 3 have advanced. To-day"s quotations: — Napier, Wellington, and North Island mutton, 3^d. Lamb: First quality. sgd; second, bid. Beef: Hind<.. **d; fore?, 3id." CHRISTCHURCH MARKETS. CHIUSTCHURCH, August 23. There is »•> further movement to report '

in* wheat, only small lots having changedi hands during the last few days at the prices quoted. The demand has been principally for" the North Island. A large quantity of chaff is being shipped to Sydney this week, and a considerable amount of space is booked in the steamers sailing next month. Theire is, however, no new business reported, but, on the other hand, it is stated that some Melbourne importers have been endeavourine to arralige. cancellation of orders. The local price is now weaker, and £3 15s is all that is offered. Potatoes are dull of eale, and the quotations available are the outside prices for prime lots: | OAMARU MARKETS. , (Fbom Our Own Cohkespondent.) I OAMARU, August 30. The supply of fat stock is very limited just now, beef being particularly scarce. For prme ox beef, up to 27s 6d per 1001b. j has been paid; heifer beef, 24s to 255; | cow beef, 20s. Forward-conditioned bullocks, i three to four yearsvold, are in fair demand at £5 lCcs to £6 10s, but younger cattle are more neglected. Two year olds are selling at £3 5s to £3 10s ; 18 months, £2 5s to £2 10s; yearlings, £1 5e to £1 10e. Dairy cows are not much inquired for owing to feed having been checked by the frosts. In fact, grass is scarcer now than it was six or seven weeks ago. Dairy cows are . worth £6 10s to £7 10s, and extra good £8. The sheep market lias eased in consequence of turnips being now well throughand of grass being backward. Best two and four-tooth ewes are worth 21s to 22s • six and eight-tooths, 18s to 20s; fulLmouthed 14s to 15s; hoggets (mixed sexes], 13s to 14s. Fat sheep are almost as scarce as fat cattle. For good wethers 18s to 20s js being paid, and for best fat lambs 16s to 17s; store wethers, 15s to 16s. The line weather is giving farmers every opportunity of pressing on with their springwork, the soil being in excellent condition. The absence of stock in tihe numbers of years ago and the prospects of good prices offer ample reasons for the large area that is going to carry white orop this year, and teams are busy everywhere. The quantity of seed oats that is being sold indicates that there will be a gpedly area, but the proportion of wheat will be larger than usual Wmt«r wheat has brairded well and, with an abundant sunply of moisture below, will, under anything like favourable atmospheric conditions, yield excellently. Millers have been buying fairly freely m small parcels this week, the largest t !£ n<3actlon r<? P<> l 'fced being that affecting 800 sacks of mixed wheat, for which 4s lid less commission, at a country siding, %vas paid. On the same basis red chaff whrat was sold at 4s Id. Of net transactions there have been a number, the prices ranging from 4s to 4s Id, at country sidings, the latter figure being obtained for 600 bags of Tuscan. For other lots for delivery ex town stores 4s Id to 4s 2d, less commission, has been paid, ii, will be seen

that prices are a shade firmer than they were a week ago. Oats have declined in consequence of forced sales in ihe south, and just at present have a. quite nominal value here. Small lots for local consumption are going out at 2s 3d, ex store, and screened seed ranges up to 2s 6d, according to quality and description: Potatoes have eased in consequence of a declining demaYid from the north and of other ports underselling. Farmers have been getting £3 .10s to £3 15s net at their sidings, and £4 delivered in town for good table sorts, while shipping business has been done in diminutive parcels at £4 7s 6d to £4 10s for U,p-to-Dates, and at £4 7s 6d to £4 15s for Derwents, f.0.b., sacks in. Seed potatoes are in demand, and a fair quantity ia being shipped at £4 15s to £5, f.o.b. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. (Ltd.) report: — We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce on Monday. There was a good attendance of buyers, but competition was not keen, and in consequence a proportion of the offering had . to be passed in. Values ruled as under: — — Oats. — The market is still in an almost stagnant condition. •Seed orders are now { coming to hand, and in this respect fair business is being done. The demand for ' export is. however, practically at a stand- i still, as holdere are not prepared to accept the reduced prices offered from other markets. Present shipments are chiefly to eupply forward contracts, and until these are completed little new business can be i looked for. We quote:— Prime milling, 2s Id; good to best feed, Is lid to 2s O^d; inferior to medium, Is 9d to Is lO^d per bushel (sacks extra). "Wheat. — Local offerings are small, and in the case of prime samples are being taken up by millers at quotations. Medium quality is not wanted, and is being quitted as fowl wheat, for which there is fair local demand. We quote : —Prime milling, 4s 2d . to 4s 3£d; medium, 4s Id to 4s lid whole fowl wheat, 4s to 4e Id ; broken and damaged, 3s 3d to 3s lOd per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. — Consignments are coming forward in sufficient quantity to supply local and export orders. The demand from northern markets is not quite a& keen, and in eoiwequenoe sales ai« not so readily effected. We quote:— Prime Derwents, £4 2s 6d to £4 ss; medium to good, £3 15s to £4; prime Up-to-Dates, £4; medium to good, £3 10s to £3 15s; inferior, £2 15s to £3 5s per ton (bags included). Chaff. — The demand for export is not so strong, but nearly all prime oaten sheaf corning forward still finds an outlet to supply orders already taken up. For medium and inferior quality there is practically no inquiry, and consignments of this class are difficult to place. Straw chaff is in fair demand, but many buyers who were in vant of it have now supplied their requirements with light oaten sheaf chaff. We quote: — Prime oaten sheaf, £4 to £4 2s 6d; medium to good, £3 7a 6d to £3

15s; light and inferior, £3 to £3 56; straw* chaff. £2 5s to £2 15s per ton (bags extra). Straw.— We quote: — Oaten, 45s to 47s 6d;, wkeaten. 37s 6d to 40s per ton (pressed). Turnips. — We quote: — Best swedes, 21s ta 22s per ton loose ex truck.

HIDE SALES. MELBOURNE, August 27. At the hide sales there was excellent' competition, and the catalogue was cleared at prices which were in sellers' favour.

CLEARING SALE AT "RIVERSIDE.''

DIPTON.

Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., report having held a successful clearing sale of stock and plant on- account of Messrs Deegan Bros., " Riverside," Dipton, on Wednesday, 26th ult. The recent sale of the whole of the Riverside property necessitated a total clearance of the whole

of the stock and plant on this well-known estate, and a very large gathering of Jarmers and others from far and' near came forward to attend the sale of the superior sheep and horses which the Messrs Deegan. Bros, were known to possess. The quality of the stud Border Leicester sheep, their condition, and the bloom on- them, «rae «i revelation to many. Nothing but very good management could have brought oufc such a large number in such excellent order. The stud ewes aiwi ewe hoggets were of quite exceptional merit, while the . ordinary Leicester ewes and ewe" .hoggets " were highly commended all round- Tb« ! prices realised for the sheep were -not quite • up to the expectations of many $f the " spectators; but to those in ' close touch with the sheep market, nearly every line brought, as good a pries as was warranted} in view of the downward tendency, of the ! market. Ko grass is available yet,, and it was only those buyers who have turnips to eat off and are in need of extra stock, who oould operate. Nevertheless, the average price for the whole flock of 3300 was over 20s a head. The cheep sale at Gore this jreek suffered considerably for the same „ reason. Out of 6000 offered very few were cold, the sale being reported extremely dull. Under these circumstances, therefore, lower prices would have had tft be taken at Riverside had the quality ofi the stock not been exceptional. The horses were also a" very good lot and sold very well indeed. There were some superior mares and geldings ofiened, and some o£ the young draught horses attracted considerable attention. Amongst the offered were 19 dairy cows, for which the demand was "^extremely keen. The implements and sundries, of which there "was large assortment, sold well. Messrs Deegan Bros, had excellent arrangements made for the convenience o£ buyers at- the sale, and although their stud cheep did not bring as much money as they anticipated in view of their recent good' sales to Australia, they faced the market in a manner highly- appreciated by the public and the auctioneers. Messrs D. Kingsiand and Son. had charge of the ■> catering and attended to this important part o£ the proceedings in their customary - lavish manner. TII3 follow,inig are particulars of the • principal sales, viz : —Sheep— 379 Stud! "Border Leicester ewes^ two-tooth to eighttooth, up to 395; 15 Border Leicester studj ram lambs, 2£ guineas; 63 Border Leices- ' ter stud ewe lambs, 22s 6d; +7 _oged' Leicester ewes, 17e; 18 aged Leicester rams, 235 ; 312 Leicester ewes, two-to»t!h, . to eight-tooth, up to 23s 4; 324 Leicester ewe hoggets, 18s 8d; 100 Leicester ram hoggets, 17s 6d ; 56 crossbred ewe hoggets, 17s 6d; 108 crossbred ewes, mixed ages, 18s 7d ; 174 heavy fat wethers, 17a 9d ; ' 405 fat wethers, 16*; 1033 %tore wethers, 13s 6d; 228 small wethers, lls Id; and! I 23 fat ewes, 10s ' Cattle. — Eighteen, steers and 1 heife-rs, £♦ 6s ; 14 yearlings, £1 10s; 19 dairy cow« at £11, £10 10a, £9 10s, £8 ss, £8, £7 10s, £7 ss, down to £6 per head. Horses. — Chestnut mare, • 6 years, £48 ; geldings' £41, £40, £39, £38 10s, £37, • £28, £24 10s, £22, and £20 10s; mares £40, £36, £31, £30, £28 10s, and £27 10s; hacks, £13 10s, £8, and £6; youngr draught) " horses, three and four-year-olds, £25, £24 10s, £20 10s, £17 10s, £16, and £14 10s. Two-year-old filly, £23 lOe; yearling 3, £9 10s, £8, and three at £7 10s. Implements and sundries. — Portable engine and bagger, £90; drills, £33; binder, £19 10s; seed cower, £16; D F plough, £15 10s; swamp dough, £9 10s; xoller, £12; two drays £12 5e and £12; gigs, £9 10a and £8 ss; buggy, £18, etc, j eto. -

DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYA.RDS.

Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Do. ' report as follows: — We had only a smalt display of horees forward for v last Saturday's ' sale, the supply beinsr made up (with a fewexceptions*", of aged and stale, draughts : and light harness sorta. There was the ! usual muster of town buyers, and a fair number of country settlers in quest of g-cod plough horses, fit for immediate hard work. The quality of most of the animals forward was anything but attractive, consequently business was limited, and sales were hard to effect. However, several changed 1 , hands at prices ranging up to £40. We could place any number of sound young . draughts, heavy and medium, and there are numerous inquiries for strong upstanding spring-carters and spring-vanners. During the week we have disposed of quite a number of draughts at up to £50, and spring-carters to £30. We quote: Superior young draught geldings, at from £45 to/ £50; extra good do (prize-winners), at from £50 to £55; superior youngdraught mares, at from £50 to £60: medium draught mares and geldings, afc from £30 to £40; aged do. at from £15 to £20: well-matched carriage pairs, ab from £70 to £100; strong, spring-van horses, at from £25 to £30; milk-cart and butchovs' order-cart horses, at from £18 to £35: light hacks, at from £8 to £13; extra good hacks and harness horses, at from £13 to £25 ; weedy and good do, at from £5 to ' £7.

OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE .BAZAAR.

The Gtago Farmere' Co-operative Asso' eiation of New Zealand reports: — We held our usual weekly horse eale at our bazaar on Satuerday. We had an entry of "25 draught mares and geldings, vanners, spring-carters, and lieht harness horees. There was a good attendance of farmers and town carriers, who competed keenly for all useful horses offered, and we succeeded in disposing of the greater part of the entry at good values. Draught horses were in good demand, and sold readily at up to £39 10s. This -was <rood> value considering that none of the hone* forward were in sale condition. Springcarters (heavy) sold up to £24 10s, and light

jt*irnees horses sold at late quotations. Our annual spring horse sale takes place on September 3, and ■ from the number .of entries coming in $ro anticipate a good sale. We quote: Good useful draught mares and) fielding* (young and sound), from £35 to £45; lighter sort* and older, £23 to £33; heavy lorry pairs, from £80 to £100 ; useful plough mares and geldings, £30 to £40; pedigree Clydesdale mares, to £150; good sorts of Clydesdale mares, suitable for Btud purposes and general farm work, £40 to £50 ; carriage pairs, £80 to £100 ; springfcdrtere (good sorts), from £20 to £32; upstanding buggy mares and geldings, from £15 to £22; hackneys, from £12 to £15; lighter sorts, from £7 to £12.