COMMERCIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 8777, 12 March 1897, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright Per Press Association. London, March 10. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom i 52,280,000 quarters, and for the Continent 560,000 quarters. Shares—National Bank of New Zealand, £2; Bank of New Zealand 4 per cent, guaranteed stock, 104; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s 4 per cent, prior lien debentures, 91i. Tallow, mutton, line, 20s; medium, 18s 9d; beef, fine, 18s 3d; medium, 17s 3d. Wool sales—Balme and Co. and Buxton and Co. offered a catalogue aggregating 13,744 bales, comprising a good selection. There was a large attendance of buyers, and prices were about on a par with February closing rates. Competition on the part of Home buyers was quiet, that of representatives of Continental firms fair, while American buyers operated briskly, especially for best crossbreds, which showed a slight upward tendency.

Mr Samuel Lowe, representative of Weddell and Company, read a paper at the Colonial Institute on dairying in the colonies. He said that if the cows in the colonies yielded milk equal to those of British herds, Australia would be able to export 46j [sic] tons of butter yearly. It was imperative that improvement should be effected i he herds,

and winter feeding be adopted. Butter making should be confined entirely to the factory system, and the subject of bacteria and pasteurisation should be carefully studied. He advised the establishment of a school and experimental stations in connection with the dairying industry. Mr W. P. Reeves advocated the exercise of economy in distribution and transit. Hir Saul Samuel said he feared that the cost of winter feeding would exceed the gain which might be expected to result therefrom.