COMMERCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 53

COMMERCIAL.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. SYDNEY, December 21. Wheat 3s 7£d to 3s Bd. Flour, £8 15s country, £7 17s 6d. Oats—Algerian feeding 2s 6d to 2s 8d; seeding, •2s 9d to 2e 10d"; sparrowbills, 2s lid to 3s; giants, 2s 9d to 3s 3d. Barley—Cape. 2s lOd to 3s 6d; malting, 4s 6d to ss. Maize. 4s. Bran, £5. Pollard, £6. Potatoes, Tasmanian. £6 to £7. Onions, £l2. Butter—Selected, 120 s; prime, 116 s. Cheese, s£d to 7-id. Bacon, s£d to 7id. MELBOURNE, December 21. Wheat, 3s 7Jd. Flour. £8 10s Oats 2s 8d to 2s, 9d. Maize, 3s 54d. Bran and pollard, Sfe-Os. Chaff —Oaten dumped, £4 to £4 ss; compressed, £4 6s (uncovered), and £4 10s (covered). The market is fairly firm and the supplies are short. Potatoes, new, £6 to £7. Onions, £8 to £8 10s. ADELAIDE, December 21. Wheat, 3s 7d. Flour, £7 15s. Bran and pollard, 13d. Oats, Alegrian, 2s 6d. OAMARU MARKETS.. (Feom Otro Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, December 23. Business in the stock market has been on a modest scale. A number of sales of ewes and lambs in small lines have been made, and prices are very firm. Four and six-tooth shorn ewes with lambs have been sold at from 13s to 13s 6d, all counted; failing and broken-mouthed shorn ewes with lambs, at from 9s to 10s; and aged ewes in the wool with lambs, at from 9s 6d to 10s 6d. Fat heep are a little more plentiful, and at the weekly market wethers were sold at from 15s 9d to 17s 6d, and ewes at from 13s to 14s Bd. Business has opened in fat lambs for freezing,, and during the week several thousansd have been sold for delivery next week at from 15s 6d to 15s, according to weight, the average being about 14s. The demand for store cattle remains undiminished, but there are few obtainable. Three to four-year-old bullocks in forward condition command from £6 IDs to £7 lOs* and younger animals proportionate prices. Fat cattle are much more plentiful, and prioes have dropped £1 to £1 10s / per head. Ox beef has declined to 27s 6d per 1001 b ,heifer beef to 22s 6d, and cow beef to 20». I The demand for dairy cows has become even keener, owing to the great flush of grass, and good cows just at profit sell readily at from £9 10s to £lO 10s. Medium quality cows are worth from £6 to £7, while best heifers at profit command from £7 to £8 10a SOUTHLAND MARKETS. PTbom Ouh Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, December 24. Business in the stock market, continues to be quiet, owing to the approach of the Christmas holidays, but still a little is always going through. During the week fat cattle. experienced a very Sensational fail, duo undoubtedly, to the fact that practically all tho butchers have their requirements bought outside. This applies to country as well as to town butchers. There was a very big yarding at the Wallacetown sale on Tuesday, and the sale was the most unsatisfactory held for a considerable time, although a good number of vendors accepted the fairly low prices ruling. Good ox beef was selling at from 30s to 31s per 1001 b, and in some oases down to 28s. -The sheep sale, however, was a really good one, every pen of a fairly heavy yarding being cleared. Although the prices were not quite so good as at the sale of a fortnight ago, up to 23s was got for fat wethers in the wool, and 21a for a few pens of first-class fat ewes, A large number of lambs were yarded, and every one changed hands at prices ruling from 13s to 16s. The demand still continues strong for well-bred store cattle, and although a large entry was forward at Wallacetown last Tuesday, prices were fully maintained; in fact in some cases up to 5s and 7s 6d per head rise was experienced. Prices may be quoted:—Fat cattle —Ox beef 29s to 30s. The number of good cattle in the country i s getting pretty smalL and it is thought that the fall in price will not continue for long. Heifer beef 26s to 275, cow beef 22s to 235. Fat sheep —Best butchers' wethers in the wool 22s to 23s 6d, lighter 20s to 21s; best fat wethers, shorn, 17s to 17s 6d, lighter, 15s od to 16s 6d; fat ewes (extra special lines), 20s to 21s, lighter weights, 18s to 19s Fat lambs—Best, up to 16s; ordinary. 13s to 13s 6d. A good demand exists for store sheep, with a strong inquiry from all parts of Canterbury, but owing to the rough weather shearing operations have been very much retarded, and consequently offerings of sheep of this class are limited. . A keen demand from the north is practically assured which causes one to expect good prioes 'for store sheep for some time to come Young ewes with 100 por cent, of lambs are selling at 12s to 12s 6d, all counted, mixed ages in equal proportion, 10s 9d to Us 3d, sound' mouthed ewes 10s to 10s 6d older ewes down to about Bs, all counted. Ewe hoggets—extra good—were easily saleable at 17s bd to 18s, smaller 16s 6d to 17s mixed sexes in equal proportions 15s to 15s 6d wether hoggets 14s 6d to 15s, smaller 13s to' 14s; store two-tooth wethers 16s to 16s 6d- four, and six-tooths in good condition 'l7s to 17s 6d. Store cattle are in demand, three year olds bringing about •Pfi 1 *><* to £7 10s two-year-olds £4 15s to £5 10s, yearlings £3 to £3 10s and up. to £3 15s for well bred decent sorts; calves £1 15s to £2 5s Dairy cows aro in exceptionally strong demand, anything youmr and good selling at wonderful prices. Young cows easily fetch up to £l2, and some w high as £l4 even though they have been in profit for'two and three months, ordinary sorts £9 to £l*