THE WEATHER

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 14

THE WEATHER

The rain that commenced to fall in Dunedin on Thursday afternoon continued persistently during the night, and also at intervals on Friday. _ .- Word was received in Dunedin on the 11th that 108 points of rain had fallen at Mount Pisa since the previous evening. Rain appears to have been more or less general throughout Otago Central.

(Fkom Oub Own Cobhespondents.) GERALDINE, January 10. For the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. on January 10 the rainfall' was 12 points. January 11. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. on January 11 was 38 points. Heavy rain at night after a dull day, with drizzle and showers. The conditions are warm- and muggy. TOTARA ESTATE, January 12. The , rainfall recorded at 9 a.m. was 41 points. HAKATARAMEA, January 11. The rainfall registered at Station Peak for the 24 hours ended 8 a.m. on the 11th inst. was 21 points, A light but steady rain has been falling all day, and at 5 p.m. it showed no sign of clearing. The barometer is fairly high and steady. HILLGROVE, January 12. The rainfall for the 48 hours ended 9 a.m. on the 12th inst. was. 38 points. CROMWELL, January 11. Unsettled weather prevails inland, and during the last 24 hours there has been a fairly heavy rainfall generally throughout the district. This will be of great benefit on the pastoral country and to turnip crops, which were showing the effect of the spell of dry weather. Ihe weather is still unsettled, but oolder. The rivers have so far shown no effect from the rain, and a rise does not seem likely. OTUREHUA, January 11. The rainfall registered hero for tho 24 hours ended 9 a.m. on the -10th was 13 points, .and this morning 30 points. WAIPIATA, January 12. For the 48 hours ended 9 a.m. on January 12 the rainfall was 32 points. DIPTON, January 10. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 9.30 a.m. on Thursday, 10th, was 4l points.

COMMERCIAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, January 8. The Union Bank of Australia has declared a dividend of 10 per cent, with a bonus of 2 per cent.

January 10. Waihi: Buyers, £1 17s 6d; sellers, £1 18s 6d.

January 10. Bank of England) returns; Gold coin and bullion in hand, _ £57,909,000 ; reserve, £31,826,000; proportion of reserve to liabilities, 19.71 per cent.; notes in circulation, £45,703,000; Government deposits, £37,899,000; other deposits., £123,534,000; Government securities, £56,858,000; other securities, £99,661,000. Discount on short loans, 3| per cent.; throe months’ bills, 4 per cent. War loans: 3g- per cent., £B6 2s 6d; 4 per cent., £93 15s. Following are the quotations for colonial stocks, as compared with those for the previmis wool' •

- x'jjv-* u curifiicv. i currency. Tin: Spot, £293 10s; three months, £292 ss. Silver, per oz. Other metals unchanged. Butter: Tho margarine that was distributed was rapidly absoi-bed. Cheese: The controller will distribute 50 per cent, of tho January applications next week. Wheat: Cargoes and parcels, none offering. The commission released a small quantity on the spot, w|iich was quickly sold at late rates.

Flour: Unchanged. The demand exceeds the supply.

Oats, peas, and beans: Firm at full prices.

Sugar: Unchanged

January 12. Australian Mutton.—None is offering, and only a few lambs, which have realised Hid. R-abbitskins are in good demand, favouring sellers. New Zealand are quoted at from 4s to 7s 6d.

Rubber.—Para, 2s B{d ; plantation, 2s 4|d; smoked, 2s 4id. Hemp is in good demand at the controlled prices. Stocks. total 19,301 tons; on the spot, 3959 tons; afloat (estimated), 4403 tons; deliveries, 1743 tons.

MARGARINE AND BUTTER. LONDON, January 8. The Food Controller will distribute on Wednesday a quantity of butter and margarine, equal to one-eighth of the trade's applications. The butter for the January distribution will consist of one-third butter and two-thirds margarine. It is understood that similar distributions will be made weekly. DUNEDIK MARKETS. FiBM AND DAIBY .PEODUCE. Mr B. J. M'Abthtjb (successor to Measr* M'llroy Bros.), George street, reports payinf for produce during the week ending thi 15th inst., as follows: Stamped fresh lilggs I Honey (Jib pat), 3/6 J/5 doB Honey (bulk), 6i<l lb Salt Butter, 1/1 lb | Honey (section), 7/6 do« Sep. Butter, l/l lb I Honey (Cartoßs), lib. 6/i alb, 15/- do* | Beeswax, 1/8. Compressed yeast, 8d packet. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. . WELLINGTON, January 14. The following is the High Commissioner's market report, under date January 12. (Note: . The quotations, unless otherwise specified, are the average market prices on spot): Meat. —The demand is in excess of the supply for all descriptions of meat. Notwithstanding the increased supplies, homekilled mutton and beef and Argentine beef are all selling at the maximum prices. New, Zealand lamb, Argentine mutton,_ and Argentine lamb are in small supplies at Hid. Butter.—The Government is releasing margarine to supplement the small supplies of butter available. Partly owing to prices being under the Government control, the imports of Danish, Dutch, and French butters have almost ceased. Cheese continues in active' demand owing to the small supply. Hempr—Now maximum prices have been! fixed, and -will be announced later. and Oats. —The market is quiet/ and there is no change in prices. OAMARU MAJRKETIS (Fhom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) OAMARU, January 12. Thrashing was commenced by a numbex 1 of mills on Monday in the earlier localities, but in the last half of the week there has been a break in the weather that broughi the work to a temporary standstill. A few; samples of the new grain have readied the market, but no sale has yet been made. . Chief amongst these samples is one of oats' of the Ruakura variety. It is a good plump berry, and declared by experts to be ( about the best sample of the variety seen here. A sample of malting barley sent in can. only be classed as of good average quality, but one of Capo barley is really good, A considerable area of crop has been cut, but it does not include any wheat- • fields. Wheat generally requires more sunshine and warmth to perfect it. At present the weather is dull, and there has been some ram, with a prospect of more to follow. In some places heavy rain a couple of days ago flattened crops more or less severely ( and some difficulty will be experienced in jrathering many heayy crops, while the ripening of the grain where the crops are flattened will be too irregular to permit of thrashing from stook. SOUTHLAND STOCK MARKET. (From Ocb Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, January 12. The s.s. Kaituna loads a considerable quantity of oats at Bluff this week for northern ports, a fair proportion of this being new business. To-day's values are 3a lid for A grade Gartons and 3s lOd for B grade, f.0.b., s.i. Those farmers who are holders of oats are not disposed to take the equivalent of these at their sidings, the equivalents being roughly 3s 4d to 3s 5d for A grade. For chaff) merchants are prepared to erive £6 to £6 5s on trucks at country sidings, sacks supplied by buyers, but farmers are holding off for higher prices, and these may be attainable, as, although harvest operations have already commenced in one or two instances for autumn sown oats, it' will be some time before any ■ quantity of new chaff can be placed on the market. Ryegrass crops throughout the district are looking exceptionally well, and an increase on last year's crop is assured. As to quality, if the weather holds, good condition and weight should bo much the same as last year. Good, payable prices are expected, but not so good as at the beginning of last .season.

The recent advance of £6 10s per ton in freight on fibre has caused buyers to reduce their prices to the same extent, high fair being worth now little more than £4O per ton on trucks.

OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR. Tho Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association report:—We he' mr usual Horse sale on Saturday, this bc. : . the first sale of the. year. The entry in all classes was exceptionally small. Only about half a dozen useful draught horses came forward. The attendance was very limited, especially as regards buyers, and tho result was any-

thing but satisfactory. Wo purpose holding our harvest sale in the course of a few weeks, the date of which will bo advertised. Quotations: Young, sound, sharp, cliffy geldings, £25 to £23; extra heavy horses, £26 to £32; seven-year-old and over mares and geldings, £l3 to £2O; and what is usually termed aged, £lO to £l2; vannors and spring-carters, £l4 to £2O; light sorts of harness horses, at fluctuating prices. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Messrs Dalgoty and Co. (Limited) report as follows: —Oats: There is ready sale for tho moderate quantity offering, stocks in ptoro are light, and all bright, heavy lines ere finding an outlet for local feed requirements at quotations. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 9d to 3s 10s; good to best feed, 3s 7d to 3s 8d; medium to good, 3s 3d to 3:- 6d per bushel, sacks extra. Wheat: Practically no wheat of any description offering. Tho few odd lines coming forward aro readily quilted at Government rates. Potatoes: There is no inquiry for old season's, and new season's tubers are now coming forward in larger quantities and meeting with a fair demand. Chaff: Consignments of late have not been heavy, and all good, bright, heavy oaten sheaf moots ready sale at quotations. We quote: Choice quality, to £7 ss; good oaten sheaf, £6 10s to £7; medium to good, £5 10s to £6 53 per ton, sacks extra. Donald Reid and Co.(Limited) report: Wo held our weekly auction sale of grain and produca at our" stores yesterday, when % values ruled as under: —Oats: There has been more inquiry for good heavy feed and milling lines. The quantity on offer locally 13 not large, and holders . are not readily disposed to accept prices at present offering. A few lines of good Gartons and Sparrowbills have changed hands during the past week. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 9d to 3s lOd; good to best feed, 3s 8d io 3s 9d; inferior to medium, 3s 3d to 3s 7d per bushel, sacks extra. Wheat: None offering. Chaff: Only moderate supplies have come to hand, during tho past week. Most of the chaff on offer at present is of moderate quality. There is good local. demand, and prime quality is readily placed on arrival. We quote: Best oaten sheaf, £6 15s to £7; choice, to £7 ss; medium to good, £6 to £6 10s; light and discoloured, £5 5s to £5 15s per ton, bags extra.

vious wgck : — Jan. 3. Jan. 10. Victorian 4’s 95 3-5 96 Victorian 31’s 84J 84 i Victorian til's * 70k to* Victorian 3’s 61| 62 ’New South Wales 4’s 814 811 Now South Wales 3}’s 093 100 New South Wales 3J’s f 69J 693 New South Wales 3’s G9j 70i Queensland 4’s 80f 90* Queensland 31’s Queensland 3’s 86^ 87J Gil 611 South Australian Si's 715 715 South Australian 3’s ... y, 56 56} New Zealand 4’s 85} 855 • Now Zealand 3V's 72 73 New Zealand 3’s 615 Gig Tasmanian 35’s Tasmanian 3’s 71 714 035 64 West Australian 35’s ... 73 73g West Australian 3’s 69 691 • 1929-40 currency. t 1920-30 curren icr.