COMMERCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 17963, 14 December 1918, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

SOUTHLAND STOCK AND PRODUCE MARKET. Times Office, Friday, December 13. OATS.—The market is quiet and very few are offering from the country. Merchants are asking 6/-, f.0.b.5.i., for A Cartons, equal to 5/3, on trucks, but buyers are not responding. freely. 'There has been some enquiry for forward delivery, April-July, but the margin between buyers’ and sellers’ ideas is considerable. CHAFF.—Owing to shortage of storage aud shipping space the market is quieter, and, with only a local demand to depend on, merchants are not disposed to offer more than £0 10/-, on trucks, to farmers. POTATOES.—The market is barer of supplies than it has been for years. New potatoes are now beginning to come on the market, but prices are very high. HEMP.—The market is, if anything, a little firmer, although northern merchants report that they are still able to buy low-fair at £35, f.o.b. The shipping outlook to London is a little more promising, but it is reasonable to expect that, when more space is available, the price will correspondingly decline, especially as production will probably increase both here and elsewhere under peace conditions. Already London buyers ore offering much below the maximum prices fixed by the Imperial Government. TOW.—The market is very dull, and as Fluff rates of storage are very high, this Lac has ceased to be of interest to buyers. RYEGRASS.—There has been considerable enquiry both for perennial and Italian, bat prices are still low, and buyers’ offers will, in many cases, not return cost to sellers. It seems fairly certain that the quantity of seed to be harvested in January will be considerably less than last season’s crop. The stock market has experienced, because of the epidemic and the scarcity of feed, a quiet week. In all classes the market is slack, especially in stores. FAT CATTLE.—Some very prime stuff has been offering. Although vendors, in most cases, met the market, prices were considerably easier. Prices may be quoted: Extra prime bullocks to £24, prime £l9 10/- to £2l, medium sorts from £l7 to £l9; prime heifers up to £l6; prime cow beef from £l2 10/- to £ls; lighter sorts from £9 10/- to £l2. FAT SHEEP.—This market also is a trifle easier.' Woolly wethers still sell fairly well, but the few lines of shorn wethers offering have met with but little demand. 1 rime woolly wethers brought from 47/6 to £O/-; medium sorts, 44/- to 46/-; lighter from 32/- to 43/6; prime shorn wethers, 34/- to 35/6; medium from 32/- to 33/6. STORE CATTLE.—There is very little demand for younger cattle, but good forward three-year-old steers sell fairly well. Bulls are in good demand, and good wellbred young cattle fetch high prices. Prices may be quoted: Good forward conditioned two to three-year-old steers, £l2 to £l4; 18-months to two years, £9 10/- to £11; well-bred yearling steers and heifers up to £7; medium stuff from £4 10/- to £5 10/-; empty cows and heifers, £7 to £8 10/-. DAIRY COWS.—Good animals, in profit, are bringing from £l4 to £l6; medium sorts, £lO to £l2. STORE SHEEP.—The market has been very quiet, little stuff changing bands either at stock sales or privately. Good forward conditioned woolly wethers brought from 38/- to 40/-; good shorn wethers, 30/6 to 33/-; good woolly maiden ewes up to 38/-; good woolly ewes and lambs from 20/6 to 23/- (all counted) ; good woolly m.a. hoggets, 34/5 to 36/-; medium sorts, 30/- to 32/6; good shorn ewe hoggets, 28/- to 30/-. WINTON STOCK SALE. Boisterous weather prevailed for Thursday’s sale, and the attendance was small. There was a big yarding of cattle, but few sheep. Hamilton and Co.—Dairy cows £l4 15/-, £lB, £l4 15/-, £l3 5/-, £8 5/-, fat heifers £ll 15/-; 5 bullocks £l2; 10 ewes 35/5, 90 «wes and Igmba 21/6.

National Mortgage.—Cow and calf £7, bull £6, 10 yearlings £5 10/-, 1 £4 10/-, 5 £8 10/-, 7 £7 10/-, 3 bulla £l2 5/-, 2 £ll 12/6, 10 yearling heifers £3 4/-, steer £3 4/-, bullocks. £2O, £l3 5/-, £ll 12/-. Wright, Stephenson and Co!—l3 steers £7 1/-, heifer £4, bulls £l9, £l2, £lO, £l3, £4 10/-, £5 17/6, £5 7/6; dairy cows £B, £9, £lO, £ls, £l4 2/6, £9 10/-, £5 7/6, £lB 15/-, £9 2/6; empty cows £lO 7/6, £9, £l2 10/-; 20 steers £6 8/-, 9 at £7, 7 at £4, 2 at £ll 19/-, 3 cows and calves £B, 3 at £lO 17/6; 107 m.s. hoggets 31/5, 200 maiden ewes 37/10, 60 ewe hoggets 34/9,' ewes and lambs 19/2. CANTERBURY GRAIN MARKET. VERY LITTLE BUSINESS. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 13. In the grain and produce markets business is now very restricted and is not expected to improve until after the New Year. Practically nothing is offering from the country in the way of grain and the chaff that is still unsold is of inferior quality. Shipping to the North is restricted to heavy cargo and of this there is very little available. Some produce is being sent to the West Coast by colliers. Rain during the week further improved the crop prospects in Canterbury. This season’s cocksfoot crop promises to be a considerable improvement over last year’s and it is reported that white clover on the plains is showing up much stronger than usual. AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) MELBOURNE, December 13. Barley, Chevalier, 5/6 to 6/-; Cape, 4/2 to 4/4. Oats, Algerian nulling, 4/3J to 4/4 4; feed, 4/1 to 4/2. Potatoes, £3 10/to £5. Onions, £ll to £ll 10/-.