COMMERCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 16746, 27 May 1911, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

PBODUCE prices ctobeht. , THURSDAY. MAY 25, 1911. , , WHOLESALE. • Fvesh Farm Butter 9d. Separator Butter lOd. Factory Butter Is l%d Eggs, Is 9 cl. Potatoes £4 per ton. Flour, £9 to £9 15s. Oatmeal. £l3 to £l3 10?. Bran, £5. Pollard, £6 10s. Chart, £4 10s. RETAIL. Fresh Farm Butter lid Separator Butter Is Factory Butter Is 3d Eggs, 2s. Potatoes 5s cwt, ISlbs la. Cbese, 8d per lb. up to 61ba, orer that Quantity, open. Bacon, sliced, 10d per lb. Hams. lOd. Flour: 2001b 20s, 1001b 10s 6d. EOIb • fis 6d, 251b 3s. Pollard, 6/- per sack. Oatmeal; 501b 7s 9d, 251b 4a Bran 5s per bag. Chaff, 5s per cwt Onions, 161bs, Is. Turnips, swedes, 2/- sack. • SOUTHLAND STOCK AND PRODUCE MARKET. Times Office, Friday. FAT CATTLE. —Since last report the market has a slightly easier tendency, •which has been brought about by the fact that prices ruling in Southland are greater than at Burnside. There are plenty of enquiries from Dunedin butchers. but no business is being done at the prices asked for. Values to-day rule ut from 36s to 38s for prime ox beef, but in several Instances purchases have been made which must turn out slightly less. Cow and heifer beef is, relatively, fetching higher prices than ox, and prices rule from 2Ss to 30s per 100 lbs; lower grade 24s to 265. STORE CATTLE. —Good big cattle are In demand, 3 and 4-year-old bullocks being freely enquired for and selling up to £8 10s; 3-year-olds in good condition can be quoted at from £6 10s to £7 10s. Several enquiries have been received from the north for well-bred 18-months-old steers and heifers, and this class cannot be obtained in any number. Values rule from £4 to £5 ss; yearlings up to £3 10s; calves, 35s to £3. DAIRY COWS. —There is a really good enquiry for guaranteed herds at from £7 to £8 per head. FAT LAMBS. —The market is firm, and slightly better than was reported last week. Freezing operators are now reported to be giving 4V&d per lb, which works out at from 13s Od to 14s Od per head. FAT SHEEP. —Butchers’ wethers are selling at from 17s to 18s: for forward delivery up to £l. The market Is firm, and there is a good enquiry locally and from northern butchers. Fat ewes are also selling at from 13s to 14s for best, and lighter weights upon which freezers are operating are selling freely at from 8s 6d to Us. STORE SHEEP.—Forward conditioned vethers have been selling at up to 14s <d; exceptionally good slightly more; 230ths, 13s to 14s; good lambs in fort. ard condition up to 11s 9d; ordinary Btore lambs, 9s 6d to 10s 6d; small wethers, 8s to 10s; good young ewes, 16s 6d to 18s. Holders of good lines of two and four-tooths are asking up to 20s, but at this price there is little business being done. Old ewes in forward condition for fattening are selling at from 7s to Ss 6d; boilers 3s to 4s 6d. DAIRY PRODUCE.—Taranaki dairy factories remain firm at 12d per pound for bulk butter on the trucks, and Auckland prices are proportionately high. It aeems clear now that the local retail price all through New Zealand will be advanced in sympathy. The situation has been considered at several meetings of those interested in the wholesale trade In Wellington, but so far nothing has been done. Several reasons are given for the high prices of butter locally, and among them are the reduced manufacture caused by dry weather, the attention given to cheese-making by factories with dual plants, in view of the recent good prices for cheese In the

United Kingdom, and the shortness of the May make. There is a considerable weekly export butter trade being done with South Africa, but no new business, merely fulfilment of old orders. Locally the cheese market is high, but prices in London continue weak. Wheat—Tlio position is the same as that of last week, and there is no wheat offering locally. Prime velvet is worth 3s Id to 3s 3d, and red from 2s lid to 3s. Oats. —The market is firm, but little business is doing. A gartons are quoted at from 2s Id to 2s IVfcd; A sparrowbills at 2s Id: B Sparrowbills. 2s 0.t.5.c., s.e. There is a good enquiry both in the North Island and in Canterbury; in tlie latter district enquiry being mainly for milling gartons. Chaff —The local market is now plentifully supplied, and it is difficult to make sales in Invercargill. Prices are £3 15s to £l, 0.t., according to the distance from the centre. There has been some enquiry from Auckland, but the quality requires to be extra prime, and prices obtainable will not justify much more titan £3 15s. o.t.

Potatoes. —There is no change in the market. Northern centres have ample supplies, and most of the limited business is being done with Christchurch merchants, who are reported to be selling at from £4 to £4 ss, f.0.b., 5.1.. at Lyttelton for immediate delivery. There have been enquiries for forward delivery at these rates, but Southland merchants are disinclined to quote forward. There seems to be a disposition on the part of Canterbury farmers to hold rather than accept the price at present ruling—£3 13s. o.t. A number of Southland farmers are also pitting their potatoes. Values at present range from £3 5s to £3 10s. 0.t.. s.i., for prime table quality, and it Is difficult In the meantime to make a profit on these prices. Little business is being done. Ryegrass—The market is unchanged. Heavy seed, fairly clean, is quoted at 2s 8d to 2s 9d. There is little business doing. Hemp—The market is again firmer, owing, it is supposed, to speculation in consequence of the reported record harvest in North America. Prices have advanced, and fair is worth £l6 15s, (less commission) f.0.b., Bluff. Good fair is worth about £1 more. Tow—£9 15s is being offered, f.0.b., and scrimmed. by London buyers, but no supplies are available even at this high figure. OTAUTAU HORSE SALE. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company reports having held a very satisfactory sale, in conjunction with Messrs Wright. Stephenson and Co., on Friday at s'Brien’s Horse Bazaar. A number of really good quality mares and geldings were submitted to auction, and a large majority were sold under keen competition. The following is a list of horses which were disposed of at full market values: —On account of Jas. Ritchie, 6 at £43. £3B 10s, £34. £32, £27 10s, and- £ls respectively: account T. Cairns, bay gelding at £36; account C. S. Stevens, mare at £22; account M. McLeod, bay geldings at £32 and £34 ss; account R. C. Lindsay, bay gelding at £37; account P. O'Halloran, chestnut mare at £4O; account A. Lindsay, bay mare at £35; account J. Guise, light

draught at £l4 15s; account H. Smith, bay gelding at £23; account C. S. Stevens, hack at £l3; account A. Henderson, hack at £S. There was a large attendance of buyers, and had there been more good quality horses forward, or If some of the vendors had not assessed the of their horses too highly, more sales would have resulted. EOBTBOSE MONTHLY SALE. Messrs Hunter, Sutherland, and Rice report:— A small yarding of stock came forward on Tuesday last. Any lots forward sold at good values. Sheep.—We sold 64 ewes at 7s 6d to 6s 9d, 43 do 5s 6d, 61 cull lambs 4s 2d. Cattle. —10 calves at £1 7s, 1 cow. £7 ss; 1 bull, £6; 56 2-year steers passed in at £4. WYNDHAM STOCK SALE. Messrs Henderson and Co. report:— Sheep.—A moderate yarding, and the bulk of the lots comprised culls andsomewhat inferior grades. Some excellent lots were, however, penned, and we topped the market for the season in fat lambs with two pons of Shrop cross lambs on behalf of Mr William Dodd, Glenham, at 17s 6d and 16s lOd. On account of Mr H. C. Allan, Malton, we also sold 2 pens of well-bred 2-tooth ewes at 17s, and 2 pens of fat 2-tooth wethers at 17s. Culls and inferior lots met rather a draggy sale. Good quality lots, on the other hand, were keenly competed for at prices above the rates lately ruling. Our sales were:—lßo fat and forward wethers at 17s, 30 fat lambs at 17s sd, 30 do at 16s lOd, 61 fat ewes from 9s to 9s 4d. 51 heavy do at 10s lOd, 327 8-toolh ewes at 9s Id to 11s 10d, 130 2 to S-tooth ewes at 13s. Cattle. —About the average number was penned. All classes were fairly well represented. Good turnip cattle and well-bred young cattle sold satisfactorily at well up to late rates. We penned 292 head, and our sales were—--53 2 1 / £yr. steers £5 17s 6d to £5, 15 2yr. heifers £3 15s, 33 H£yr. steers £3 12s 6d to £3 9s, 45 calves £1 10s, 24 fat cows £8 to £6 17s 6d for best, others £6 to £5 3s 6d, 7 dairy cows £7 2s to £5, 21 store cows £4 15s to £3 Ss. In conjunction with Messrs Hunter, Sutherland and Rice we submitted Mr G. O'Brine’s Mantle Grove Karra of 315 acres freehold land for sale. Xo bid was made for the farm as a whole, and the lots also failed to reach the vendor's idea of value. The lease for ten years of section 27, block 12, Wyndharn township was disposed of to Messrs Traynor Bros, at the upset, £5 per annum. National Mortgage and Agency Company report:— Sheep.—We offered 1044, and cleared the lot at satisfactory prices. Following is a summary:—-82 6 and 8-tooth ewes 13s 7d, 108 failing mouth ewes (good sorts) 9s Bd, 60 s.rn. ewes 9s Id, 160 old ewes from 4s 6d to 6s Gd. 30 fat wethers 17s 6d, 22 fat ewes 10s lOd, 243 small lambs 7s id, 112 wether lambs 10s Gd, ISO forward lambs 12s 7d, 61 lambs 12s 2d. Cattle. —We sold 30 forward bullocks £S, 2 do £7 17s, 6 18-months steers £4 10s, 20 calves (weaners) £3 Gs, 16 dairy cows from £5 to £7 17s 6d, 4 do from £4 Cs to £4 17s, 4 3yr-old heifers (spring cal vers) £4 10s to £5 ss. 6 2yr-old heifers at £4 ss. Also pens of boilers at current rates.

Messrs Hunter, Sutherland and Rice report;—

We held our usual monthly stock sale at tlic.se yards, when moderate entry of sheep came , ward for sale. The greater portion of the entry were aged owes, which sold fairly well, any lots of good wethers and lambs being keenly enquired for and sold at high values. Wo offered 2339, and sold as follows: —162 f.hi. owes 7s Id, 5S do 7s to 6s Gd, 150 do os, SI 5 do 5s :!<! to ss, 49 fat ewes 9s Id. 20 do 10s Id. 513 fat and forward wethers 15s to Its. 66 lambs Its 6d. Cattle. —A full yarding of all classes and prices were on a par with I hose ruling at Inst sale. We sold 13 store cows at £4 12s Od to £4, 12 do £3 15s to £2 6s, 3 Oo £2 to £1 19s, 22 speyed Herefordcross heifers Cl 18s 6d, 37 2yr. steers and heifers £3 Ms, 24 dairy heifers £5 to £3 4s, 20 fat cows at £lO down to £5 for ordinary sorts, 2 3-year steers £5 Bs. 7 dairy cows £6 10s 6d to £o 10s. Pigs.—Weaners 10s to 10s Gd. SALE AT TITZROA, Messrs Henderson v and Company report: —On Wednesday we held a successful sale of farming stock at Tltlroa on behalf of Mr A. C. Mulcock. The weather was threatening, but still a fairly large number turned out to the stile. The chief attraction was the fairly large lot of good cattle, and these were readily quitted at very satisfactory prices—(he younger classes selling particularly well. The lots were well penned and properly drafted, and this fact helped on a quick and good realisation of the lots. Horses, implements and sundry lots all sold well, everything being disposed of in very good time. Those present were treated to a good luncheon and refreshments by the vendor. The chief sales were: —20 fat and forward bullocks at £9 2s, 16 forward bullocks at £7 3s, 25 forward do at £6 12s, 25 good store do at £6, 25 2yr. steers at £4 17s, 30 steers at £5 16s, 28 2yr. do at £4 12s, 23 do at £4 6s. 10 2yr. heifers at £3 3s, 36 weaner calves at £3 6s, 10 calves at £1 19s, 34 do at £1 4s, 4 cows and heifers £3 to £6 2s 6d, 53 ewos 14s 9d to 6s Sd, 6 lambs at 9s, 3 yr. draught gelding £4l 10s, 3yr. filly £3l 10s, 1 do £32, aged mare £2B, oyr. gelding £l9 os, hack £B, aged mare £lO ss, foal £9 10a.