CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3336, 20 February 1918, Page 12

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. (Lyttelton Times. February 16.) The uncertain and changeable weather conditions are having a serious effect upon harvesting operations. Some of the crops which have been cut are suffering, and, of course, thrashing is impossible under wet weather conditions. A fair amount of business is being transacted in wheat at the fixed prices. The first of the season's shipments to the North Island was to have been made to-day. There is . a shortage at present of Algerian oats, which are now worth 3s to 3s 3d a bushel. Gartens are quoted at 3s 3d to 3s od, Duns 3s to 3s sd, and Danish 3e to 3s 3d (country stations). Not a great deal of grass seed is in evidence, and quotations remain unchanged since last week. - ■

Thero is very little- inquiry for potatoes, cither locally or for shipping. Nominally thG .y are worth £3 10s to £4. The demand for onions has slackened, and quotations range from £3 15s to £4 a ton for present or March delivery. New chaff is auoted at £3 15s to £4, according to quality. ' TTMARU MARKETS. The- Timaru correspondent of the Christchurch Press writes:— A fair amount of business has been done this week m wheat thrashed from the stook. It was hoped that the condition of the wheat would now begin to show a, material improvement, but to-day's rain has upset these calculations, and it will be the •n ei v end oi . next week before the wheat will be at milling condition, unless the rain ia followed immediately by a nor'-wester and hot weather, in which case it should get back to condition earlier. The yields continue on the low side, and farmers are very doleful about the prospects. They appear .to be emphatically of opinion that very little wheat will be grown next season unless a material advance on this season's prices is promised. Remarkably few oats are offering, and in the absence of orders from the North Island the small business that is passing is for the most part speculative. Algerians have been sold at 3s Id to 3s 3d, Duns at 3s 3d to 3s sd, and Gartona (which are scarce) at 3s 5d to 3s 6d, on trucks, country stations, sacks extra. The market has a firmer tendency, as the yields are very disappointing, and in many cases the crops are almost a failure. A lot of business could be done in oatsheaf chaff if good,, bright stuff could be guaranteed and shipping space to the North Island could be secured. The removal of several vessels from the running is likely to make the space problem even more acute than it was last year, when it was as late as July before chaff could be shipped in any quantity. A big line of chaff changed hands this week at £4 ss, the quality being on the light side. Prime chaff would command 5s more, and values to-day stand at £4 to £4 10s per ton, on trucks, country stations. There is a diversion of opinion among merchants as to 'the futuro of the potatomarket. On the one hand some are prepared to quo'te as far ahead as June at £4 10s, f.0.b., s.i., this being equal to about £3 10s on i trucks, country statiens, to farmers; whileE others, fearing the ravages of the blight, are not prepared to quote at all. Some lopal growers have sold for delivery as soon as ready at £4 per ton, country stations, sacks found by growers. A trip around the country where potatoes are ohiefiy grown gives the impression that nearly every crop ia attacked by Irish blight. There is no local demand for shipment at present, but shipping is expected to commence about the end of March. Ryegrass and clovers have not been offering very freely this week,'but in quite sufficient volume to meet the demand. The former is not in such keen inquiry owing to the arrival on the Dunedin market ol southern seed, and white clover appears to be in heavier supply than usual. A fair-sized line was sold at Is per lb in the rough. The value of ryegrass runs from ,2s 9d to 4s for perennial and Italian, but cleaner lines than the average may demand a little more. Cocksfoot is offering in small lots, and is being bought up readily at Is to Is 2d per lb, according to bushel weight and purity.