COMMERCIAL.

Colonist, Volume XL, Issue 8887, 9 June 1897, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

Messrs Bisle-j Bfios. &HD Co. report aa fallows ; —

On Wednesday, 26th May, we held our QEUaI monthly sale of live stook at Biohmood, when considerable entries were made of oattle, some 90 bead beiog yarded, including a consignment of 40 head of soperier fat bullocks from W&nganui, Ihe average weights being about 9001bs. This lot no doubt proved the ohief attraction at the sale and called forth most favorable remarks. The pity is that our own dißtriot cannot now prodcoe suoh cattle ours being as a rule small and seldom exceeding 700lbB in weight. In onr opinion it would pay owners, and prove an advantage (o the diatriot to give more attention to breeding and revert to the short horn, giving more frame and gener ally develop the Bize. Frequent complaints reaoh ds from the Wesb Coast, of the small size and light weight of our stock. The following prices wore realised : — The Wanganui fat bullooks were scoured by Messrs Townsend, Parker, and Fairey Brcs, butchers of Nehon. Prioes however were not satisfatory to the shippers and no doubt would result in a loib. Prioes were £6 to £6 10s.

Entries of young store oattle and oowa were good and in most oaßes found buyers. Fat 2£ years eld heifera and eteers sold £3 15s to £4 ; 18 months mixed sexes reaohed 853 to 45s ; cows old. 40s ; young to 100s, the demand not being so good fcr cows. Sheep.— Tho yarding waa not so heavy as ezpeoted some 250 only being entered, but prices were tirm and showed an advance on last month's prioeß whioh should be tba case for some months to oome. Ftore ewes made to 63 6d ; fat ewes wera passed at 6s 9d to It, while mixed sexes sold to 8s Id.

To oompare market values we supply as under prioes realised for sheep sold at auction at Ohristohurob on Wednesday laBt: Store forward wethers, 9a Id to 10a 9d ; maiden ewes to 10s 8d ; lambs, 7s 9d ; crossbred ewes, 8s 6d.

Fat sheep : Heavy weight wethers made from 14s 8d to 163 ; prime freezers, 13s to 14s 6d ; light weights, 12s to 13s; heavy aroisbred ewes, 11s to 12s 9d ; medium, 9s to lOi 61; others, 7s 6d to 8s 6d.

Our next stock Bale will be held at Riohmond, on Wednesday, the 30th, of present month.

Sale at Riwaka.— On Thursday 27th June we aondaoted on behalf of Mr Belhwaite, of Riwaka, a general clearing sals of implements, dray, traps, sundries, Bnd live stock. We bad a very large attenclanoe and Bpirited bidding, prices realised were most satisfactory.' For the stock especially keen competition was experienced. Many of the dairy cows were prize* takers, as well as the bull " Young Mussulman," and bis stock in ooneequence was Bought af -er ; boyers being present from all parts of the Province. Mr Philip Best of Appleby, and Messrs Palmer Bros, Waimea West, secured some very fine heifers. The fallowing are particulars and prices secured :—

Heifers to P. Best to £5 lOj, Pa'mer Bros to £5 53, others £3 7s 6d to £4. Cows-A. Manoyto£s ss, to £7 ss, J. Oederman tr, £5 10s, others to £4 15 ». Ofllf bu:i by Young Mussulman, J. Satherley £3. Draught mare, £23 10s ; Draught geldings 18 months £14 10s to £16 ; Oolts to £8 10s ; forward s-.ore piga reaohed £1 9s, £1 10 a. £1 163 each The dtnund for Btore sheep was not good lambs made 4°, ewes os.

On aooonnt oi Mr Banfield 3) oattle 18 mixed sexes realized 40 j to i>ss.

On acooant of Mi D. Ca'der 2 supetior yonng draught horses imported from Oaatetbur; sold at £25 to £26 eaob. On account of others, horses 8?U1 BS from £12.

Produoe— We report strong demand for all produce especially for feed purposes and at our weekly Saturday's sale we cleared as follows :— Prime tab 0 po'atoss 5s G5 to 63

per sack: Swedes 3s. Seed potstjes 4a; Breezes seed do 6s to 63 6?, Vem.nt, 63 Cd to 7s in eaoh case sacks inoloded. Prime Oaten obaff at 4s saok ; ptime o* s per bushel to 2j 8d off coloured at 2s 4<l ; Heed barley 3d 4d to 3s 6d ; medium ma'tng 3s 8d honey 4d per lb, bacon 5d to 6d in 1 , no? 4t oheeße 5d to s£, fowls la »o la 3d and la 61 eaob, cookefoot seed 2sd to 3 id, mix^d rye grass and olover 2a 6i to 2s lOd. Properties -We have a most keen demand for all kinds of properties, especially for f*»mo, our supply no* meeting the demand.. We report the followiog sales : — 100 aores freehold proper y,;Tcdd'd Bu j h, to Mr ( hisho'm

Goodwill in 150 acres leasehold property Kiwaka, to Mr John Inglis jar. 200 aores freehold land situate Wai-iti, from Mr Pat on to Mr Griffith?. 26 aores freehold l.nd in the late 0 Fatties estate situated Fort Riwska, to Mr B Bowl ings. 53 aores freehold land in The Bayea estate Stoke, to Mr Norgate. ; Oity property Brook Btreet known aa Lookjei'sio Mr G Bennett.

18$ acres freehold land, The Hayes estate, Stoke, to Mr Bayaor. Ci y property, Waimei s'.reei Mr Livick to Mr J Eatwell. Hops.— We estimate season 1897 crop at 2700 bales, r f wbich 1750 bales are required for brewer d 1 and grocers' use in orr Colony, leaving 1000 bales to export. To da'e abont 1000 bales have been shipped to order in N.Z , and 775 bales have been sold and shipped to Australia, which takes rooat of our sarplue. With oontractg yet ti be oompleted and expected orders in the epring, all available eu-p'us is aEscre?, and rest season we oan a Rain look for a bare market to open witb. In oocseqaenoe the market locally is firmer, but not S3 outside, there bsing plenty of the different colonial growths and imported on the Australian markets to meet all demands. Tenpenoe is n w paid to growers for prime c amp'ea, and little or no alteration oan be l->okeri for until the spring or end of the year. The hop buEiness th%t we have pushed throughout Australia has been moat satisfactory, end we are assured by several of the large ocmpaoiea in Yietoria and New South Wa'es that we can eaoh season look for more ex'eosive business. In our opinion hop oa'tivation in Melsoo should be increased, as the immediate prospects for placing at least 1000 more bales is assured,