COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1437, 5 December 1885, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

TIMARU MARKETS. From the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. Limited, report on the produce markets of New Zealand, dated 3rd December, 1885, we extract the following • Wool —The first sale of the season will be held on Tuesday, Bth December. Tinstaple is well grown and sound, but the condition of that from turnip-fed flocks is heavy. * The latest advices by cablegram from London are favorable, which will doubtless induce buyers to operate more freely. Sheepskins—The market has been fairly supplied during the past month. The demand has not been brisk, and prices in consequence have ruled a shade lower. Quotations are For best butchers’ crossbreds, 3s 6d to 4s ; merinos, 2s 6d to 3s 4d ; second quality crossbreds, 2s 6d to 3s 3d ; merinos, Is 6d to 2s ; country skins, Is to 3s 6d. Tallow and Fat—Last quotations have scarcely been maintained. Rough fat lias declined, and is now only worth Id to l£d per lb. Wheat-Business in milling wheat has been slack during the past fortnight, the mills buying only in small quantities, A good demand has been experienced for whole fowl wheat, and we have made sales at 2s 5d and 2s 6d, f.o.b. Milling sorts may bo quoted at, for prime Velvet, up ta 3a 3d ; do Tuscan, 3s 3d ; do Red Chaff, 2s lOd, all ex store, sacks extra ; medium and inferior, 2a to 2s 9d. Shipments during the month have amounted to 2583 sacks. Oats—A considerable quantity are now being offered for sale, but the demand is at present small, very little export business

! beii'g done. Present values are :—Can a, dians, 2a; bright Dinish and Tatars, Is lOd, t.o.b. ; discolored feed, Is 8d to Is lOd. 3935 sacks have been shipped during tl'e past four weeks. Barley- Stocks, though not large, are very difficult to quit. Quotations are nominal. CHRISTCHUROH CORN EXCHANGE. The Corn Exchange reports for the week ending Friday evening, the 4th in st. : The markets have been slow for the past week. The quantities coming forward are limited, and prices remain at values as quoted last week. From the country districts we have encouraging accounts of the growing crops, although in some districts the rain of yesterday will be a welcome addition, not so much for cereals as grass and root crops. Haymaking is now replacing the shearing operations on farms, and indications show that the harvest will not be so late as was anticipated. We quote : Prime milling pearl at 3s 4d ; Hunter's 3s 3d ; Tuscan, 3s 2d. The enquiry perhaps has not been quite po strong, but quantities offering are limited. Second quality milling wheat is in plentiful supyly at 9s 8d to 3s; chickwl.eat is wanted at 2s Gd to 2s 7d, and prices are firm, but we are not inclined to think that this class of wheat will improve.

Oats are quiet; few lines are offering, and the demand is slack. Values are—for bright milling, 2s lid ; short feed, slightly discolored, Is 9d to Is lOd ; long and inferior, Is 7d to Is Bd. Barley—Prices remain nominal; occasional lines of feed are quitted at Is 9d to 2s. Beans have a fair demand at 2s Bd, but peas are not often enquired for. We do not anticipate further business in grass seeds until the new crops come into the market.

Potatoes have been fairly well cleared out, and buyers for small lots have some difficulty in getting supplies at 35s to 37s 6d.

Dairy produce remains at last week's quotations. The above prices are those paid to farmers for parceia delivered f.0.b., Lyttelton. ________ DTJNEDIN PRODUCE MARKETS. Wheat- The market has been exceeding quiet during the week, but firm, without any alteration in prices, which we quote as follows :—Prime milling, 3s 3d to 3s 4d ; medium, 2s lid to 3s 2d ; inferior and fowl's wheat, which is scarce, 2s 6d to 2s lOd (ex store). Oats-Although nor, possible on arrival at all times to place these at market quotations, yet there is a moderate deniaud, chiefly for shipment, at —for best stout milling, 1m 10d ; bright short feed, Is 9d ; medium, Is 8d to Is B£d ; inferior and rusty, is 3d to Is 7d, ex store (bags weighed in). Barley—Feeding and milling is saleable in small lots at from 2s to 2s 6d ; but malting is dull, and prices only nominal, Chaff—£2 15s to £3 for inferior to medium ; choice would fetch £3 2s 6d to £3 ss. Potatoes--Derwents, £2 ss, but demand very limited. New kidneys (locally grown) have been selling this week at £l4 per ton. Butter—Fresh, 7d for prime, and 5d to 6d for medium ; salt, 8d to B|d for prime (kegs extra). Cheese— for best qaality. Eggs—lOd per dozen. Sheepskins—Monday being a holiday the sales were held on Tuesday, when good catalogues were offered. Dry crossbreds (low to medium) brought Is 2d to 2a lid ; do merino, 9d to 3s 6d; dry pelts, 3d to 4d ; green crossbrsds, 3s 9d to 4s 6d ; do merino, 3s 7d to 4s 2d; do pelts, 4d to 4|d ; lambskins, 7d to 9d. Hides—These continue in good request at from 2d to 4d per lb, according to condition and weight. Tallow is in fair demand at the following quotations :—For inferior and mixed, 12s to 14s; medium, from 15s to 18s; good to prime, 19s to 20s ; rough fat, 7s to lis per cwt. DTJNEDIN STOCK MARKETS. At the Burnside Yards on Wednesday the following business was transacted : Fat Cattle.—l7B head were yarded at Burnside to-day, chiefly good to prime quality. Competition was fairly active. Best bullocks brought £9 to £ll 10s; ordinary, £5 5s to £8 15s ; best cows, £7 5s to £lO ss—one very prime heavy ' weight.to £ls 15s ; ordinary, £4 2s 6d io £6 15s. L. Maclean sold for tlie N.Z. and A. Land Company (Pareora Estate), 8 bullocks from £8 to £8 7s 6d. Wright Stephenson, and Co., sold on account of Mr John Grigs:, (Longbeach estate), 23 bullocks from £8 12s 6d to £ll 10s, and 2 heifers at £7 12s 6d ; for Mr Andrew Grant (Temuka), 14 bullocks from £7 17s 6d to £8 10s. F_t Calves. —There were only four fm-vard, which were sold at from 14s to j 22-; r-iich. I F:.c Sheep.—2l27 were penned, all shorn crossbreds, except one pen in the woo), mid of good to prime quality, for nhioh there was but moderate competition All were cleared at a reduction of Is to Is fid per bead. Best crossbred wethers brought 12s G.l to 14s ; two pens selected heavy weights. 15s to 16s ; ordinary, 9b to 12s. Wright, Stephenson and Co. sold for the N.Z. and A. Land Company (oevels Estate), 192 crossbred ewes at from IGs 6d to lis ; for Mr John Grigg (Longbeach Estate) 319 crossbred ewes at 10s 9d ; Mr E. J. Pardew (Waimate), 15 crossbred ewes at 10s 3d. Donald Reid and Co. sold for the N.Z. and A. Land Company (Pareora), 132 crossbred ewes at lis to 12s Gd. Fat Lambs This was the largest market of the season, 1000 being penned, representing all qualities. Good quaiity brought fair prices, whiltt inferior were difficult to place, some of the pens being withdrawn from the Side. Prices realised were from 4s 6d to Us 9d. Pigs—lßs were pened. Prices very low. Wright, Stephenson, and Co., sold suckera at 7* to 12s 6d, porkers 183 to 21s, bacon pigs 22s to 3'Ja. Store Cattle—Donald Reid and Co. held a sale at Mosgiol on Tuesday, when they sold 173 head—bullocks at up to £5 17s 6d, and cows from £2 12s 6d to £4 12s 6d. Horses.—Messrs Wright, Stephenson, iiud Co., report as follows :—Last Saturday being a race day, our weekly sale was held on the Ist inst. The entries consisted almost exclusively of light

'.horses, a largo number of which changed hands at quotations. A few medium draughts bn-.-'it from £l7 to £22. At present thui\, i* a brisk demand for both heavy and medium draughts (young), and an unlimited number could he p'uced far immediate shipment to Australia. We quote first class draughts, at from £24 to £3O ; medium, £l6 to £22 ; first-class bucks and light-harness horses, £]B to £25 ; medium, £lO to £ls ; inferior, £3 to £7. A USTR ALI A N M 115 KETS. Melbourne, Dec. 2. The Melbourne Manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, Limited, reports on the produce market as follows : Shipping wheal, 3s lid to 4s, fair demand ; barley, malting, 3s 6d to 4s,' dull ; New Zealand t'ped oats, 2s 9d to 2s lid, no improvement; New Zealand do milling, 2s lid to 3-4, moderate enquiry ; New Zealand oats under bond, 2s id to 2s 2d.