CANTERBURY CRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 14

CANTERBURY CRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

| CHRISTCHURCH, August 15. I The principal business done by the larger I firms during the week -was the booking of ! orders for spring sowing received from visitors to Christchurch for the holidays. The bookings have been fairly largo for grass seed and clovers, showing that there will be a fairly large area sown down this season. The indications are that there will be a much smaller area sown in grain than was the co«« I last year. 1 Oats and chaff show practically no change since last report. The fine weather being

now experienced has relieved anxiety for the time being regarding feed in the near future. - There is a better demand for potatoes, without any change in prices, which range from £7 15s to £8 at country stations. Thera is a scarcity of offerings of red clover, and the price to farmers is firm at la 6d and Is 7d, according to quality. Whit© clover is still worth Is 4d to Is sd. Linseed is very firm, there being little offering, and £26 10s is now being quoted to farmers. Onions are rather firmer, and. are worth £l2 to £12 v 10» at country stations. COMMERCIAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, August 13. At the tallow sales 2061 barrels were offered and 415 sold. Fine declined. from 2s 6d to Bs, but lower grades were unchanged. August 17. Hemp is quiet. High point, August-Octo-ber shipment, £sl 10s. Rubber, Para, 29|d; plantation, 23gd; emoked, 22fd. Linseed oil £l2O, Argentine £123. , The Bank of England returns show the' stock of gold coin and bullion to bo £86,171,000; reserve, £27,014,000; .proportion of reserve to liabilities, 24.2 per cent. Tho notes in circulation total £79,725,000; public deposits, £22,455,000; other deposits, £89,158,000; Government securities, £21,390,000; other securities, £81,223,000. Short loans are discounted at 3i per cent, and three months' bills at 3| per cent. War loans are quoted at £B6 15s and -£94 7s 6d; Consols, at £52; commonwealth war loans, at £9B 10s and £99 15s.

Peninsular snares, £565. The wheat market is quiet and there is little offering. i Flour: Unchanged. Oats, -peas, * and beans are steady and priees are unchanged. • Sugar is unchanged. At the wool sales thero was keener competition for all sorts, and prices were distinctly fifmer. Americans were operating for sjood crossbreds. "Awarua" made up to 34£d, and averaged 30£d; "Gore," 55d and 47d. The Bradford market is very . qiiiet owing to the difficulties of combing large quantities. * The Australian army stores and equipment are being auctioned next fortnight. Sales in England have already yielded ,£IO,OOO i'.;?T NEW YORK, August 17. Petrol prices are unchanged.- ____: » v:. ■• ' DUNEDIN MARKETS. Mr B. J. M'Arthur, George street, report* paying fox produce during the week ending the 19th inst., as follows: — Stamped f reah Eggs | Hoaay (J lb pat), 4/9 ■ 1/6 do* Honty (bulk), 7d lb Salt Butter, 1/5 lb | Honajr (section). 7/6 doa 8«I>. Butter, 1/5 lb I Honey (Cartoaa). Üb,6/Prime Sep* Butter I 21b, 15/. dos wanted, 1/5 lb" | Btoswax, 2/6 Bacon Pigs, id lb | Com pressed yeast, 9d packet. Beetle'* Rennet, la 3d. THE HEMP MARKET. WELLINGTON, August 12. The Department of. Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce has received the following cablegram, dated London; August 10, from the High' Commissioner: — Hemp.—The Manila market is steady and quiet. The output - from January till ,the end of July was 622,000 bales. J Grade: Shipment to be in August, September, or October, £6l; shipment to be in September, October, ox November, £6O 10s. The New Zealand market continues dull. For AugustOctober shipment the current spot, quotations are:—High point fair, £sl; fair, £59 10s. OAMARU MARKETS. (From Ottb Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, August 16. The condition that wheat will only be carried by the railway when intended for immediate gristing prevents *any business being done. Millers are so well supplied that they cannot,, give the necessary certificate. There has baen little movement in oats, but ' the market . cannot be described as active. Sales have been reported of A grade Gartons at 3s lid to 4s net, country stations, and 4-s 6d net, delivered at Oamaru; seed Algerians, 3s 9d to 3s lOd net, country stations; Ruakurae, 3s 6d net. on trucks. , A few sales of oowgress seed have been made at country stations at Is 6£d and Is 7d net. Some business is reported in oaten sheaf chaff at £6 10s net, on trucks, and also delivered in Oamaru. Potatoes advanced considerably during the week Early in the week purchases were made at £8 10s net, on trucks; but later £9 to £9.10s was paid, at country stations, and up to £9 15s net, delivery in Oamaru. The stock market has not been .particularly active during the week, though a number of sales are reported of sheep and cattle. Quality in both classes of stock being looked for to some extent, anything good commands a ready sale at a substantial price. At the Duntroon fortnightly sale two-tooth ewes realised 365, while soundmouth ewes ran up to as high as 345. Sales by private treaty -4xavo been limited owing to the paucity of offerings of the right class of sheep; but' transactions are reported at the following rates :—Two-tooth ewes, 32s 6d to 35s 6d; mixed four, six, and eight-tooth ewes, 455; failing-mouth ewes, from 15s to .20s; ewe hoggets, 27s 9d to 28s; mixed-sex hoggets, 253 to 26s 6d; two-tooth wethers, 83s. . .\- SOUTHLAND MARKETS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, August 16. The oat market is quiet, and little business |a doing. Farmers are not offering, but this ia doubtless to some extent because their holdings are reduced to small compass. The oat stocks in Southland are decidedly low. Ihiring the week a northern offer was made

for a small line of B ■ grade Gartons for prompt delivery at 4s 5d per bushel, f.0.b.5.i., but met with no response from merchants, whoso stocks also are at a fairly low ebb. In view of the difficulties in getting oats from the country to the port merchants are unwilling to dispose.of stocks unless showing a fair margin of profit, Tho price on trucks may be taken to be 3s 7d for B grade, and 3s 8d for A grade Gartons. There is still a fair demand for chaff for looal requirements, at from £5 10s to £5 15a on trucks for prime quality, the price varying according to the distance from the town. Low-grade and inferior are worth from £4 10s to £5. ' j There is still a considerable inquiry from the north for heavy machine-dressed ryegrass, but merchants are unwilling to quote, "the small quantity of heavy-weight seed held locally being required! for the demand for local sowing. In the absence of railway facilities little is being offered by farmers; undressed seed from the country, depending on weight and condition, is worth from 3s 6d to 4a 3d; though there is a considerable quantity of lighter seed for which no offer at all is being made. " With a firmer tone in the London market prices for hemp have hardened scmewhat locally, and it is anticipated that new season's fibre will bo worth between £2B to £3O per ton on trucks for low fair. Neither merchants nor millers are inclined to do any forward business at these figures. The stock market during the past week has remained unchanged, very little offering, and prices ruling at Wallacetown and for sheep sold privately remain on about a par wieh last week's quotations. Good starting wethers are in strong demand, also tip-top hoggets, but there is very little inquiry for inferior stuff. It is, however, anticipated that the market will harden as soon as the grass appears. GRAIN AND PRODUCE SALES. Messrs Dalgety and Co. report:—Oats: With the restricted railway service business is confined practically to oats in store, which are firmly held, by growers. Very few lines are changing hands, .as shippers are not prepared to. give the prices asked, and local feeders' requirements are not extensive. Seed varieties have been in stronger demand. Prime milling, 4s 3d; good to best feed, 4s to 4s 2d; medium to good, 3s 9d to 4s; light and inferior, from 3s 3d per bushel, (sacks extra). Wheat: Very little wheat has been coming forward of late. Millers having stocks on hand are unable to comply with the restrictions placed on the carriage of them by the Railway Department. Fowl wheat is in shorter supply and meets ready sale at up to 6s 3d per bushel, sacks extra. Potatoes: The market continues firm. -Practically the whole of the supplies are being drawn from Canterbury of late, the southern crop being apparently exhausted. freshly-picked lines are in most request, but medium quality and faulty are not so readily quitted on arrival. Well graded lines of seed are not plentiful, and in good demand. Choice lines of tables, to £11; good, £lO to £lO 10s; medium to good, £9 to £10; faulty lines, from £7 per ton, sacks in. Chaff: The market has been steadily supplied of late. As most feeders have immediate requirements filled the demand is not so strong, and sales can be effected only f at a reduction in late rates. A fair proporiiorl of the chafe coming forward of late has been of medium quality, the demand for this class of chaff is very slack. Choice lines, to £7 ss; good oaten sheaf, £6 .15s to £7; medium to good, £5 10s to £6 10s; light and inferior, from £4 per ton, sacks extra. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report:* Oats: Very little has been done during the week except in seed lines, for which there is a fair demand. Owing to railway restrictions no cats are arriving from the country, but millers are holding sufficient stocks for immediate requirements. To-day's values are 4s 8d for milling, A grade Gartons 4s 2d, best feed 4s to 4s Id, good feed Ss 9d to 8s lid, inferior 3s 6d to 3s 7d per bushel, sacks extra. Wheat: A fair demand exists fowl wheat, at up to 6s 3d per bushel, ex''store. Potatoes: Pew are arriving, and stocks in store are . getting low. Choice tablesj £11; good, £lO to £lO 10s per ton, bags included. Chaff: Deliveries during the week have been up to requirements, and prices are: For prime, £7 ss; good, £7; light medium, £5 10s to £6 per ton, sacks extra. THE TALLOW MARKET. Dalgety and Company (Limited) reports having received the following cable from its head office, dated August 13: —"Tallow auction. Offered 2000, - sold 313 casks tallow, rqostly gut. Nominal quotation: Beef, 112 s per cwt; mutton, 110 s per cwt; mixed tallow, good colour, 102 s per gut, 84s per cwt; buyers very reserved." MELBOURNE HIDE MARKET. MELBOURNE, August 15. The hide market is very firm. Super stouts advanced Jd per lb, kips £d per lb. PROPERTY SALE. Messrs Park, Reynolds, Ltd., submitted for sale by auction on Friday part of sections 17, 32, and 33, Balmacewen township, containing 32 poles, .with a five-roomed modern dwelling. There was a good attendance, and' after spirited competition Mr J. B. Wilson became the purchaser at £525.

Aug. 7. Aug. 14 Ocmmonwealth 5J's ... 09 99 Commonwealth 6J's ... ... ... 1013 101| Victorian 4's ... 384 98J Victorian 3J's * ... 62| 62J Victorian 34's ... 714 714 Victorian 3'a ... 73» 733 New South Wales 4's ... 844 834 New South "Wales 34's f — ... 733 684 New South Wales 3's ... 69 73 Queensland 4's t ... 914 91 Queensland 34's ' ... 90 901 Queensland '3'b » ... 63 684. New Zealand 4's ... 87 86J New Zealand 34'e •» ••• ... 73J 72J New Zealatid 3'a ... - 65 643 South Australian 34's ... 74j 74 South Australian 3's ... 74 683 Tasmanian 34's ... 742 73 Tasmanian 3's ... 70 70 West Australian 34's ... 79J 791 West Australian 3's ... ... ... 74 70 * 1921-26 currency./ 11920-30 currency.