CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 20

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

CHRISTCHURCH GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORT. (Lyttelton Times, April 30.) Holders of good wheat are still disinclined to accept current prices, while buyers evince no disposition to advance their limits, with the result that only a limited amount is passing. The greater part of the wheat that has been placed on offer has shown very unmistakable signs of the weather, and a fair quantity of this class is changing hands, mostly at prices undor '3s 6d, the greater quantity finding its way into millers' hands. Small parcels have been purchased foi shipment to foreign parts, some in execution of orders and some on consignment. The highest price that has been paid for wheat during the last week has been 3s 8d for velvet, at a convenient station, but few parcels have reached this price, and since last report prime North Canterbury wheat, uninjured by the weather, has changed hands at 3s sd. Oats are still coining forward slowly,, and prices are firmly maintained. Algerians are at present commanding quite fancy prioes, and as high as 2s 2d has been paid for prime samples of this variety. In the majority of cases farmers ask 2s at country stations for their holdings, but this is at least one penny above merchants' extreme limits, and the result has been that sales have not been numerous. Eggs are now coming to hand more freely than a few weeks ago, and the price has been reduced to Is 6d per dozen. The following quotations are for purchases from farmers, net cash, sacks extra, except where otherwise specified: Wheat —Milling 3s . od . to 3s 7d, extra prime to 3s 8d; ohickwheat. 2s 9d to 3s; damaged wheat, 3s to 3s 3d. Oats —Duns Is 8d to Is 9d, heavy Danish Is 8d to Is 9d; Gartons, A grade Is 9d to Is lid, B grade is 9d; sparrowbills Is 9d; Algerians to 2s 2d. Barley—Feed (nominal) 2s, malting 3s to 4s 6d, according to quality. Chaff —Oatsheaf £3 5s to> £3 10s, at country stations. •Potatoes—£3 2s 6d to £3 5s per ton. Beans —3s. , Peas—Partridge 4s to 4s 2d. Onions — £1 10s per ton. Oatmeal—£ll 10s. Flour—The New Zealand Flourmillevs' . Co-operative Association, Limited, quotes the following prices per ton, local or shipping:—Sacks £lO, 1001 b bags £lO 10s. 501 b bags £lO 15s, 251 b bags £ll. Bran £3 ss, pollard £4. Seeds—Ryegrass (nominal) 2s 2d to 2s 6d, cocksfoot (nominal) 3£d to 4£d, white clover (farmers' samples) 6gd to 7d, cowgrass 6d to 7d. Dairy Produce. —Cheese, dairy, large sd, loaf 6d ; factory, large, s|d to 6d. Butter, fresh local factory prints Is Id, second grade factory Is, farm dairy Bgd. Hams 9d, boneless hams 9-|d, sides 6fd, rolls shoulder rolls and middles (equal numbers) 7|d, • shoulder rolls only 6|d, middles B£d, rolled hams B£d. Lard, pats bulk 7d, bladders 6d. Freeh eggs Is 6d per dozen. GRAIN SALE. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., held its monthly grain sale yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance of buyers, and bidding was brisk. The catalogue comprised; about 2400 sacks, the greater proportion of which was sold. Wheat was well competed for, especially whole fowl wheat and* seconds. Oats scarcely had the same inquiry, but on the whole sold fairly well. Second quality and seconds barley sold satisfactorily. Chaff also sold well. Prices were as follows: Oats—Second quality Danish Is 7d, Gartons Is 9d to 2s Id, Algerians 2s to 2s 2d. Wheat —Milling 3s 6d, whole fowl wheat 2s lid to 3s 3d, seconds 2s lid to 2s 9d. BarleySeconds Is 6d to Is 9d, feed 2s to 2s 3d. Oatsheaf chaff—To 755, sacks in. ex store. RANGIORA. The trend 1 of the wheat market is decidedly on the down grade. The recent cablegrams from Home all point to lower values and a weak market. Would-be sellers were numerous this week, but, owing to the difference in the ideas of values, very little wheat was sold. The millers throughout the Dominion are for the most part well stocked, and consequently, they have in .nany cases stopped buying. Buyers generally are wondering what is to be done with all the weathered inferior wheat in growers' hands. Fully four-fifths of the wheat crop is damaged, and with a surplus of two million bushels and little or no export trade it would seem that prices must decline. Best unweathered milling wheat is.•.Quoted'at 3s 6d and weathered lots'from 2s lid to 3s 3d. Very few oats are offering, and values remain about the same as last Week. Table Derwent and Up-to-Date potatoes are £3 5s per ton, Seed Beauties and Early Rose £3 10s, sacks extra. Cowgrass is in good supply, and is quoted' at 6d to 63d, white clover up to 7d' for clean lots, ryegrass seed 2s 3d to 2s 9d per bushel,

Italian 2s to 2s 6d. Partridge peas have changed hands at 3s 9d to 4s, and blue Prussians 4s 6d to 4s 9d. Well-saved, clean lines of chaff have realised to £3 ss, discoloured £2 10s to £2 15s. TIMARU. Not much business has been done in wheat this week, local mills having temporarily filled their requirements. _ Prices for good milling, however, fully maintain their values, and mixed lines cannot be bought under 4s f.0.b., sacks extra. Good' whole fowl wheat brings 3s 3d to 3s 4d f.0.b., sacks in, seconds up to 3s 3d f.0.b., sacks in. There is very little doing in the oat market, as offerings from farmers aru exceedingly small, and high prices are asked. Sales have been made out of merchants' stocks at 2s Id f.0.b., sacks in, for Gartons. Duns are in good demand, and are selling ud to 2s 3d f.0.b., sacks in. Very little barley is offering.' Prices range from 2s od to 3s 3d on trucks at country stations. A fair business has been done in potatoes at 85s f.0.b., sacks in. Lines have to be very carefully selected, and merchants only buy actual shipping requirements, preferring not to stock up owing to blight. CULVERDEN. There was a good attendance at the Cul verden sale yesterday, and an entry of 8000 sheep, of which 3000 were fat. Prices for fat lambs ragged from lis to 13s 9d. for fat ewes 8s 6d to 13s Id, fat wethers 13s to 17s Bd, store ewe lambs 5s to 12s, store wethers to 14s, sound-mouth ewes 13s to 13s 3d, wether lambs 8s Id, merino wethera 10s 6d HORSE FAIR. The Ashburton branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association held a horse fair yesterday, when about 130 horses were offered. Competition was not >risk, owing to prices not coming, up to vendors' resorves? The following prices were obtained :—Unbioken draughts—One-year-olds, £6 10s to £7; two years, £29 10s to £3O; three years, £9 to £l7 10s; four years, £26 to £32 10s. Broken draughtsThree years, £2O to £36 10s; -four years, £37; five years, £l6 to £37 10s; six years, £lB to £2l; seven years, £22 10s to £24; nine years, £ls .to £25 10s; a.ged, £6 to £lB. Unbroken hacks—Two years, £5 ss; three years, £5. Broken hacks—Five years £5 to £10: aged, £3 to £5.