COMMERCIAL

Southland Times, Issue 18078, 3 May 1919, Page 4

COMMERCIAL

SOUTHLAND STOCK AND PRODUCE MARKET. Times Office, Friday, May 2. The stock market has shown no improvement during the week. Fat stock by last Wallacetowu market show a decided decrease. FAT CATTLE. —Last week’s local sale was one of the biggest of the season for this class. There was no demand, the most of the yarding being handed in. The same applies to other sales. Prices: Prime bullocks £l7 to SIS, medium £l4 10/- to £ls 10/-; prime calves £ll to £l2 10/-, prime heifers £lO to £ll. STORE CATTLE. —The market shows Co improvement, prices being on a par with last week’s. FAT SHEEP.—There have been big yardings but the demand is poor. Prices: Prime fat wethers 37/- to 38/-, medium 32/- to 35/-; prime fat ewes 28/-' to 30/-, medium 25/- to 27/-; prime lambs 25/- to 28/-. STORE SHEEP— This market, also, is almost stagnant. Prices: Good m.s. lambs to 14/-; six and eight-tooth ewes to 22/6; f.m. ewes to 10/-; rams brought from £1 to £1 5/-. OATS.—The market is firmer and there tie now buyers of A grade at 3/6, on trucks, at country sidings. Owing to the wet weather, however, very few farmers have thresheid. The demand is chiefly to cover forward sales.

CHAFF.—The market is very firm and prime old quality would command a good price, but it is not obtainable. For new chaff for forward delivery buyers’ ideas are from £5 to £5 10/-, on trucks, but in the meantime sellers do not appear anxious to offer at under £6.

POTATOES. —Digging is now fairly general, although seriously interfered with by the wet weather. Purchases have been made at £O, on trucks, but some farmers arc holding for higher figures. RYEGRASS.—Except for heavyweight seed there is no enquiry. Sales have been made of 22-251b seed at from 3/6 to 4/3. Some growers with heavy seed are holding for 5/-. There is a complete absence of demand from the south, consequently any local purchases are purely speculative. Light samples are unsaleable.

HEMP.—The London market continues very dull, and it looks a)s if there will be no immediate improvement. The only line that is readily saleable is good-fair, of which very little is produced. Merchants’ present idea is £33, on trucks, for good-fair, £3O for high-fair, and £27 for low-fair. The Westmoreland will load a fair quantity at Bluff in about ten days for Liverpool. TOW. —No shipment has been made from Bluff to England for about four years, but a small quantity of space has been allotted on the Westmoreland. The rate of freight, however (£25 per ton), is so high that many merchants hesitate to ship. WINTON STOCK SALE. The fortnightly sale was held on Thursday. There was a large yarding. There was little change in the values obtained as the following sales will indicate: — National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd.; —TO ewes 20/-, 13 at 26/3, 46 lambs 10/-, 100 two-tooth ewes 16/S, S3 ditto 16/9, ICO ewes 17/-, 30 old ewes 4/-, 100 ewes 16/-, 212 lambs 8/3, 15 wethers 31/-, 165 ewes 7/-, 33 ewes 6/-, 13 ditto 26/3, 70 ewes 20/-, 7 rams,lo/-, 189 wethers 19/10, 268 wethers 6/-, 50 lambs 11/-, 210 ewes 15/-, 95 5/3, 72 3/7, 53 wethers 10/-, 197 ewes 10/1, 120 four-tooth ewes 20/3, 109 wethers 17/10, 112 two-tooth ewes 17/3, 23 two and four-tooth ewes 10/-, 42 ewes 4/-, 81 lambs 10/1, Cattle—Cow £8 5/-, bull £4, cow £8 3/-, 1 cow £lO, 4 cows £3 10/-, 30 steers £3 2/6.

Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd.; 70 ewes 12/9, 23 14/-, 50 21/6, 223 lambs 11/11, 79 wethers 26/11, 89 wethers 15/7, 30 two-tooth ewes 12/9, 34 ewes 11/3, 10 lambs 17/3, 70 lambs 4/3, 51 ewes 25'/-, 10 ewes 20/-, 26 lambs 3/10, 20 ewes 29/9, 64 m.s. lambs 4/-, 76 ewes 8/8, 265 lambs S/2, 43 two-tooth wethers 20/-, 14 ewes 27/9, 150 ewes 15/9, 141 ewes 7/-, 154 wethers 27/11, 229 ewes 17/-, 30 ?/-, 90 5/-. 195 21/-. Cattle—Two bullocks £9 10/-, cow £lO 2/6, 2 bullocks £9 IS/-, 5 cows £6 10/-, 1 steer £5 10/-. Hamilton and Co.—lß ewes 16/7, 120 12/-, 17 wethers 24/3, 20 lambs 9/-, 104 ewes 15/1, 12 two-tooth ewes 7/-, 55 lambs 7/-, 20 lambs 6/4, 55 ewes 5/3. Pigs—s at 5/-. Henderson and Co.:—142 ewes 8/3. Cattle—s celves 8/-. Dalgety and Co. —164 four-tooth ewes 14/4, 36 wethers 28/7. Cattle—3 bullocks £6 17/-, 2 cows £4 11/-, bull £5 10/-. J. G. Ward and Co.—loß ewes 16/-, 100 ewes 11/3, 18 ewes 4/6. CANTERBURY MARKETS. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 2. There is nothing fresh to report in connection with the wheat trade. There is not a large quantity changing hands at the present time. There is a firmer tone in the oats market, as buyers are finding it necessary to advance their limit of price at country stations. The sales during the week show that in order to secure supplies for immediate requirements an increase on late rates has been paid for Gartona, particularly A grade, and they are.now worth 3/5 to 3/6, and B grade 3/3 to 3/4, at country stations. Advice from South Canterbury shows that farmers are holding firmly for at least 4/- at country stations and consequently very few oats have yet changed hands there. The harvest is late and the unfavourable weather may result in a good deal of grain being discoloured. Oat sheaf chaff has advanced in sympathy with oats and is now quoted at £4 15/- to Co for prime at country stations. The chaff generally is of good quality this season, but very little yet has been cut. Potato digging is now more general, and consequently the offerings have been more free. The market has eased a little during the week and the quotation now is £5 10/to £5 15/- at country stations, according to distance. The reeds market is very dull, especially for grass seeds and white clover. VICTORIAN MARKETS. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) MELBOURNE. May 2. Barley, English malting, 5/3 to 5/6; Cape. 4/- to 4/2. Oats, Algerian, milling, 4/7 to 4/8; feed, 4/4 to 4/5. Potatoes, £lO tc- £ll. Onions, £l3 2/- to £l3 10/-. BRITISH WOOL MARKET. LONDON, May 1. Received May 2, 11.30 p.m. At the Liverpool wool sales merinos and fine crossbreds realised five per cent, above the London sales. Low crossbreds unchanged. At the London sheepskins sales prices for crossbred and combing merinos were ter. per cent, above the last allocation sale. Ail the Bradford quotations are higher.