THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 15

THE BREADSTUFFS AND PRODUCE MARKETS.

Friday evening. Reports of the Flench wheat as given by the London Grain, Seed, and Oil Reporter of December 19, are to the effect that persistent rains have restricted field operations, as much, of the land has been too saturated to work. With subsequent milder weather, it was hoped that further seeding would be possible before the frosts set in. ' The prospects for the planted areas were regarded as satisfactory. From Argentine it is stated that the wheat prospects in the northern, zone are excellent, but slightly inferior in the Bahia Blanca area* Satisfactory progress is being made with the ingathering of the crop, and it appears that recent storms caused very little damage. ' The Italian wheat crop has turned out to be greater than expected. There is mention of considerable delay in wheat-sow-ing in some districts. As regards Germany, reports are that the early arrival of winV ter has caused a substantial reduction in the acreage of winter wheat and rye. The Spanish crops continue to be favourable: LOCAL MARKETS. Very little new season's wheat has been thrashed in the Otago district, and in the meantime millers are securing their requirements from Canterbury. Fowl wheat is in good demand, but supplies are very short. Prices 6f millers' lines are as follow: Flour, £l6; bran, £6 10s; pollard, £8 10s; pearl barky, £32 10s; oatmeal,. £3O. The price of pearl barley shows a sharp advance during the week. A slightly better demand has been experienced for oats within the past few dlays, both for prompt' and forward lines. Millers and merchants have purchased a few lines of last season's oats at 4s 8d per bushel, sacks extra, ex store. These are wanted for immediate use. The first lines of new oats, whioh ore expected to be thrash<d next week, will also be wanted for immediate consumption. Up to the present there have been no lines sold by Otago growers for forward delivery. Round about ss, on trucks, is being asked, but millers' ideas of value are in the vicinity of 4s 8d on trucks. In the shipping market forward oats 'imly are attracting attention. Early in the week quotations "were reoeiv«d from Auckland at 5s 3d, spread delivery, but when taken up locally no confirmations were received. Prices have now advanced to 5s 6d, f.0.b., s.i., with very few sellers. PRODUCE REPORT. Consignments of chaff have eased off, but consumers have sufficient on hand for immediate requirements. The market therefore remains steady at £7 10s per ton, sacks extra, ex truck, for the bast quality. The Waitomo lifted a few trucks for Auckland, but as merchants are holding stocks in store this shipment did not affect prices. Owing to the high prices ruling after Carnival Week, growers have been sending in heavy consignments of potatoes, with the result that the market has eased a little.. Ton lots, prime, are worth about £ls, sacks included, ex store. The Board of Trade regulations fixing the maximum price of hams and bacon has been revoked. Bacon rolls are now being offered at Is 8d per lb. Hams are unprocurable. Current wholesale prices «.»j as follow; Fowl wheat, 8s per bushel, sacks extra (very scarce). Chaff: Prime oaten sheaf, £7 Ids; medium and poor quality, £5. to £6 (hard to quit). . Onions, 12s 6<J to 14s per cwt.

1 Eggs: Fresh, 2s Id to Sis 2d; sto.mped, 2s 2Jd to 2s 3d. Butter: Milled bulk, boat, Is 5d to Is s£d; separator pats, to la sd. Margerins, la 3£d per lb. Pigs: Prices nominal; eupplics ehort. FRUIT REPORT. A busy week has been experienced in the fruit marts. Tomatoes fell considerably in price towards the end of the week, in consequence of heavy supplies arriving from Nelson. .-1 Supplies of stono fruit—peaches, apricots, and plums—have slackened off. Peaches have been In particularly good demand, and all lots coming forward have realised high. prices. Piurns have also met a keen inquiry. Heavy shipments of apples have arrived from Nelson and Canterbury, and prices have eased a little. t * Nectarines are in good demand. The raspberry season has finished. Prices of grapes have been irregular during the week. Fairly heavy supplies of cucumbers have arrived from the North Island and Canterbury, but prices are well maintained. Poa3 and French beans are still available in fair quantities. Prices continue firm. Current wholesale prices are a-s follow :t~ ! Dessert apples: Worcester Pearmains, 8s to 9s; Cox's Orange Pippin, 12s to 14s for extra choice; others,- l&d to 2Jd per lb; cookers, l&d to 2d per lb. Oranges: American, 45s to 47s 6d per double case. Hothouse tomatoes: Local, Is to Is 3d per lb; Ghrlstchurch, outside-grown,, .to 6Jd; Nelson-grown, 8s to 10s Cd pea- case, if ripe; green and rough, ss; Otago Central, 6d to'Bd. Lemons: Californiau, 50s per double case. Plums: Cooking, 4a to 6s per cose; dessert, 3d to 5d per lb. Grapes: Is 3d to Is 6d per lb. Peaches: Crates, choice, to 8d; prime, 3d to sd; cases, 4d to 4Jd. Apricots (about the finish): Small, 3d to id per lb; crates, 5d to 6d per lb. Carrots, Is per dozen bunches. Oabbago: Medium size, 2a to 3s per dozen; prime, 4a per dozen; sacks, to Cs for choice; second grade, 2s to 2s 6d per sack; inferior, Is to Is 6d. * Caulifowers: Medium, 23 io 3s per dozen; prirue, 6s to 83 per dozen. Lettuce: Choice, to 2s per dozen heads J medium, Is. • White turnips, Is per dozen bunches. Potatoes: 'New locals—Peninsula 2Jd par lb, Forbury to 2d; Auckland and Weljing--ton, in bags, lis to 14s per cwt; Taieri and ■ Oaniaru, 12s to 16s per cwt. Cucumbers: Hothouse, small, 5s to 6s per dozen; to 8s; outside-grown, balfcases to 6s; cases to IBs. ' . Peas, 3d to 3fd per lb. French beans, 4d to 5Jd per lb. MERCHANDISE MARKET. ' Soma rnoro of Lever's lines huve been, increased in price. A largo shipment of Maizena is. on the Masula, due here from New York and way ports early next month. Granose biscuits havo been increased iu. price. i ■ ; M'Leod's toilet coaps show a slightly increased cost. Lentils are firm in price. A lino of Camp coffee has jußt come to hand. Case lots "are quoted at 2Ss 6d per dozen bottles; less quantity, 295. It seems highly probable that the quantity - of tinned in the dominion, this year will show a big reduction on iho quantity turned out in previous years. Manufacturers have experienced a difficulty in obtaining full supplies of sugar, And have also in seme instances' failed to &ecuro all tbo labour they required. The Colonial Sugar Company advises that in future only half-ton lota of sugar, and over, will be charged ex wharf .prices. Smaller quantities will be charged ex "store. Advice by cablegram from London flJid Japan announces a sharp advance in the price of safety matches. Mennen's shaving crecm is now quoted at 23s 6d per dozen. A shipment ef, saltpetre has arrived es Mahia. It is quoted at lOd per lb, ex wharf. The distributing price in Dunedin to-day of cream of tartar is Ss 6d per lb. Cable advice just received from London announces a sharp advance in the first cost. A parcel of Californian dried fruits is now .. to hand ex the Moana. Owing to the adverse rate of exchange the price shows an increase of approximately 5d per lb, as compared will the first shipment of the new season's .landed at the end of last year. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT WELLINGTON, February 24. The following cablegram, dated February 21, was received from the High Commissioner for New Zealand from London: Butter.—The Government controlled prices hape been increased wholesale by 3a 4d and retail by 3s. Supplies are below the average, but the Danish production is increasing steadily, and larger quantities are expected from there shortly. Butter is selling slowly on account of the high prices. Hemp.—The Manila, market is quiet and unchanged. J grade, October-December shipments, sold at £80; January, March, and Feb-ruary-April shipments are quoted at £79, sellers. The New Zealand market is quiet, bu 4 firm. Business is dull owing to the absence " of offers. Spot high, points sold at £65. Present quotations for January-March shipments are: High points, £62; fair, £59, sel-' lers. Wool. —The- market is firm and active for finer grades. Medium and inferior qualities are irregular. OAMARU MARKETS. (From Our ow2t Corrsspostjest.) OAMARU, February 23. Wet weather from Thursday to mid-day to-day meant another broken week in the « grain market, but several lines of new season's wheat came upon the market during tho week, and met with a ready sale. These in- * eluded 450 sack 3 cf Tuscan, 300 sacks of Velvet, 300 sacks of Red Chaff, and 200 of Httnter's White, all" of very good quality. It is generally conceded that tho season's -wheat is siiperior to that of last. , Notwithstanding a large percentage of stacked crops owing to coal shortage precluding thrashing from tho stook, there is a considerable quantity of grain in the stook, which, with the mild and humid weather experienced after the rain, ia causing anxiety to the growers. The majority of tho season's crops are now cut, and tho mills - will become very busy as- soon as the sheaves have dried. There were several transactions in oats. Two hundred sacks of seed Algerians changed hands at 5s 3d. A line of Algerians mixed with Duns sold at 4s 6dt on trucks, less commisl3ion, and a lino of A Gartens at tho same price and' conditions. A line of last year's A Gartens were sold aft 4s 9d. A sale was reported during the week of Chevalier melting barley -at Bs, and a sale. was made of Cape barley at 7s. There was very little doing In grass «ecd. with the exception of a few small lines or cocksfoot at fro in, Ift 2<J to Is 3d.

SOUTHLAND MARKET. REPORT. (F&oji Our Own Correspondent.) | INVERCARGILL, February 28. Owing . to the protracted spell of, dry weather the oat crops are ripening l very rapidly, and, unfortunately, in many oases rather prematurely. Old oats on this market are practically non-existent, and as it will be some weeks before the first -of the new crop is offering, business meantime is cn-nflnd to an occasional sale of old oats, lield in store by local merchants. "A" grade Gartons are nominally worth 5s 6d f.0.b.5.i.. which is equivalent to about 4a 6d on trucks. sacks extra. Business in chaff is restricted to sales to local consumers. There is very little offering, s.B stocks held ir. the country are small, and it will be some time before the new crop is ready to go into consumption. It is hoped that there will be a good demand from lie north, and that there will be shipping invariable to cope with requirements from that quarter. Prices are being quoted to-day lit from £6.7s 6d to £6 15s, on trucks, for prime quality. The ryegrass market is very brisk, and buyers are competing strongly for the offerings coming on the market, and as much as 7a 3d per bushel on trucks has been paid ior prime heavy-weight seed. The prevailing opinion is, however, that this price is dangerous, and that there must inevitably be a drop in. the market in the course of the next month or two. Much depends on the demand from the north, and as it is reported that settlors in bush country in the North Island have had a satisfactory burn, ni/ doubt their requirements of this seed w'ill "iXs heavy. The quality of what has been on offer so far is very satisfactory, the weights Hanging from 20 to 26 pounds. As hat> ftLready been stated, prime heavy-weight seed, {Bib to 261 b to the bushel, has realised as lsgh m 7s 3d," while 20lb to 221 b seed is itetohieg 5-j to 83. There is a steady flow of QjEfor/.-igs of cocksfoot, ohiefly in small lines. (Sean, heavy-weight seed is being purchased Ihjr seed -merchanta at as high as Is 3d, and !in some cases Is 4d per pound. Chewings .(fattiie has beon attracting,, an unusual iiraount of attention, prices having reached Ilhe high l-irel of Is per pound in the MossItmru district for clean, bright, heavy seed. As there was an absence of frosts during Ikhe ripening season, the quality is unusually (food, and it is confidetly expected that ger-imina-tiori. will be high. The hemp market is steady, prices having recently advanced. The production, however, iis small, as the increase took place too late ifn the season to justify mill-owners setting •their wheels in motion. Good fair is foringibg £4O on trucks, and the majority of the itmtputs are being readily purchased by Ibinder twine manufacturers. Fair is not in iroch keen request, as twine manufacturers ■prefer the higher quality for their purchases. As yet very little digging of potatoes has been done,-and business is restricted to the isale of new potatoes for local consumption. 'The market is not so firm as a week or two ago, prices ranging from £l2 to £l3 on •trucks. The flush of the offerings will not be available till April. TALLOW MARKET. AUCKLAND, February 27. Beef taliow, £Bl per ton; mixed tallow, 476; tinned tallow, £65. Messrs Dalgety and Co. report having re-

ceived the following cable from their head office, dated London, February 18: —"1690 casks of tallow offered, 570 casks sold. Limited demand, holders not free sellers. Prices are somewhat easier, especially for inferior descriptions." RABBITSKIN MARKET REPORT. The . Dunedin Woolbrokers' Association (Messrs Dalgety and Co., National Mortgage and Agency Company, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Otago Farmers' 'Co-operative Association, Donald JXeid and Co., Stronach, Morris, and Co., Wright, Stephenson, and Co., and Todd Bros.) report as follows: —Small catalogues were submitted by the various selling agents yesterday. "At the commencement of the sale prices were considerably easier, owing to the unfavourable reports from America, but as the sale progressed the market improved. On an average summers, racks, and small can bo quoted at from 3d to 6d per lb below last sales' rates, while winters, of which there were very few offered, were back from 15 per cent, to 25 per cent. Quotations: Spring does, 113 d to 120 d; summers, 60d to 76Jd; prime racks, 71a to 88d; light racks, 62d to 78Jd; runners and suckers, 35d to 54d; milky, 40d to 46d; horsehair, 20d to 24|d. RECORD PRICE FOR HIDES. WELLINGTON, February 27. After the Auckland sales of this week it was anticipated that hides, would realise firm prices at the first sale held in Wellington since the lifting of the embargo on export. When the sale was held prices made a record for Wellington, and showed an appreciable advance on those realised at Auckland. Approximately 13,000 hides and calfskins were offered, and prices generally were from 80 to 100 per cent, higher than the Government schedule price. Buyers opero.ted on behalf of English, Canadian, United States, and Australian firms. It will be remembered that the fixed price for ox hides of best quality was 13d per lb. The first firm to sell to-day obtained 22Jd per lb for first quality ox hides, 22d for cow hides, 261 d for kips, 28Jd for yearlings, and 44d for calfskins. The latter price was paid for a shipping line. STUD SHEEP AND CATTLE FOR OTAGO. At the dispersal sale of Mr Leonard White'B Corriedale stud sheep and purebred "Short-horn icattle, held on the 23rd ult. at Langley Estate, Rakaia, Canterbury, the largest individual purchaser of both was Mr J. A. Johnstone, of Wright, Stephenson, and Co., Ltd., Dunedin. Kecentiy Mr Johnstone acquired Bushey Park, near Palmerston, and it is on this property that the stock purchased at Mr White s sale is to find their future home. Mr White's Corriedales have the reputation of being in the forefront of the flocks of that breed of sheep in New Zealand. Nearly all the leading breeders in Canterbury attended the sale, and there were quite a number from Otago as well, one from the North Island, and another operating on behalf of a sheep-breeder in the United States of America. Both sheep and cattle were shown in perfect condition, and the excellence of their breeding was the subject of much favourable comment; in fact, so general was the appreciation that, as far as the sheep were

concerned, prices were obtained at auction such as heretofore have been unknown in the history of the breed in either New Zealand or Australia. A three-shear stud ram, first prize winner in 1918, and first and champion in 1919, realised 200 gs; another fetched 130 gs, and still another, a two shear sheep, 120 gs. For other specially selected stud sheep prices ranged from 30gs to 75gs, and for good flock rams the range was from 7gs to lOgs each. Specially selected stud ewes realised from 20gs to 65gs each, and others from 7gs to 15gs apiece. Out of the "Langley Corriedale flock 150 stud rams and ewes were purchased for Bushey Park, and 24 head of Shorthorn cattle. Mr White's herd of (Shorthorn cattle was founded 30 years ago, and was known as one of the best in Canterbury. Other Otago purchasers of Mr White's sheep were Messrs Wm. Ayson (Waikaka), F. Bay ley (Green Valley), James- Chapman (Dunback), J. A. Murdoch (Toiro), D. J. Ross (Hillgrove), and T. Stringer (Duntroon). "CHARTLEA" LAND SALE. The Gore Town Hall was crowded on Saturday 21st ult., fully 500 farmers being present when Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. offered the Chartlea Estate' for sale. This is situated near Balfour, and is the property cf the late Mr W. M. Hailes. The estate was subdivided into 16 farms, ranging from 220 to 1572 acres. Mr P. C. Gray read the conditions of sale, and briefly described the special features of each lot, and the estate as a whole. Mr R. W. Mitchell was auctioneer, and the following sales were effected: Price

PROPERTY SALE. On Saturday afternoon two Dunedin City Corporation building leases -were submitted to auction by Messrs James Samson and Co. There was a large attendance and keen competition for both properties, especially the second one offered. The first was a section in Stuart street, at present held by the executors of the late James Mann, the upset rental for a. new term of 21 years being £l5B 8s per annum, with a valuation for improvements of £7OOO. This section was bought at the upset rental by Messrs ■ Moore, Moore, and Niohol on behalf of Mrs Jessie Mann. The other lease offered! was that at the corner of Gaol <uid Stwart streets, at present held by "W. G-. Robertson, at an upset rental on a new term of 21 yeora at £B2 per annum,

and with a valuation for improvements of £2700. Bidding commenced at £B2, and rose to £146, at which figure the* lease was sold.

per acre. £ a. d. Lot 1.—243a lr 26p, Cody Bros. .. 14 5 0 Lot 2.—236a Or 37p, Mx Varcoe 13 10 0 Lot 8. —393a 2r 12p, Jos. Brown .. 11 0 0 Lot 4. —365a 2r 9p, Hailes Bros. .. 11 0 0 Lot 5.—532a 2r 24p, Hailes Bros. 14 5 0 Lot 6.—321a lr 5p, Mr M'Taggart 16 2 6 Lot 7.—447a 2r 28p, passed in Lot 8.—225a 2r 4p, Mr Muir .. .. 11 12 6 Lot 9. —219a 2r 27p, Mr Muir .. 11 12 6 Lot 10.—219a Sr 36p, Mr M'Lean .. 11 15 0 Lot 11.—507a 8r 27p, passed in Lot 12. —907a 2r 20p, James Thom- * 5 5 0 Lot 13.—636a 2r 14p, passed in, but subsequently sold to James 5 15 0 Lot 14. —507a Or 37p, passed in. Lot 15.—1221a Or 17p, passed in, but subsequently sold to James 7 1 0 Lot 16.—Homestead block, 1571a 3r 18p, passed in.