Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3251, 26 February 1885, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald Office, Wednesday Evening. Harvest operations are now m full swing, and m the summary sheet issued with this morning's paper will be found a full report of the state of the crops m South Canterbury by our special reporter. It will be observed that the area sown is considerably less than last year, but at the same time, with careful harvesting, the quality of the grain gives fair promise of being oxcellent. In a few cases the crops have been laid, owing to the excessive length of the straw, but even m most of these there are hopes o£ saving part of them. Farmers are taking more trouble this year to get their crops from stook to stack as speedily as possible, instead, as too many of them have done m past yoars, of trusting to luck to enable them to thresh directly from the stook. The collectors of agricultural statistics are now making thoir annual tour of the district, and their reports should shortly bo available for public information. As regards the market, some very good samples of hard milling oats have come to hand, but we cannot hear of any actual purchases of any importance having taken place, and morchants seem shyof giving even an inkling of what the opening prices aro likely to be. In one instance la (id to Is 9d was mentioned as a nominal quotation for milling, but beyond this no fnrtnor information could be obtained. If the woather contiunes fine tho now crop should como m m good coudition, aud wo aro inclined to beliovo first-class samples of barley and outs will bo sought for. Shearing operations aro now all but completed, and tho result, so far as wo can learn, has been highly satisfactory, both as regards quantity and quality. Up to tho present date something over 21,000 bales havo been delivoredin town by rail and road, and the total clip of South Canterbury, including small lots . still to come m, besidoa what has been sent direct to fellmongeries and to Christchurch or Dunedin without passing through Thnaru, should not bo less than 23,000 bales. The Aikshaw finished loading wool hero for London on Friday last, and is expectod to sail for London to-day. General business still continues to show signs of developing a more hopeful turn, and townsfolk are certainly pot m the same despondent state they were m fire or sis months ago. The labor market appears to be man active state, and we hear of very few men being out of employment. Indeed, m more instances than one, farmoM havo complained to us that they had experienced a difficulty m securing good harvost hands at a reasonable rate of wage. Judging by enquiries made, we think that thero ia no occasion for any man who is not ashamed to tackle farm work to be idling about tho towns juat now. Tho principal imports during the month were — 710 tons of general merchandise, 77,000 feet of timber and 260 balea of cornsacks. Tho principal exports|during the[same period were — 10,6-18 bushels wheat, 10,396 bushels oats, 15J8 sacks bran, 732 sacks sharps, 304 sacks barley, 860 sacks boana, 3654 sacks flour, 600 saoks pollard, 66 eaoka grass seed, 3 sack*! Trhe&t meal, 4?4Q bales wool, 29i tales hides, '

16 bales skins, 101 bales twine, 22 balos New Zealand flax, 51 casks tallow, 3 kegs butter, 24 casca cheese, 1 case hams and bacon, 86 reels barbed wire, 3 kegs strainers. The Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative Association report as follows :— Business during tho past month has beon brisk, and salos of all lines have been above the average, canged by farmers laying m their supplies of harvest stores. The demand for cornsacks has commenced, and sales are effected readily, farmers being able to obtain their requirements at much lower prices than have prevailed during past seasons. Harvest operations are now m full swing, and up to the prosent farmers have been favored with exceptionally fine ripening weather, of which they are taking full advantage, tho grain m a good many cases boinpr already m stack, and from samples to hand the quality leaves nothing to be desired m that respect. If the present favorable weather continues, tho next few weeks will Bee tho bulk of the grain saved. Threshing operations are as yet confined to oats, a fair quantity of which have arrived m store. Transactions have been confined to a few lots of old grain now remaining on hand. During tho month they have placed about 2200 sacks milling wheat at prices ranging from 2s lOd for red chaff to 3s for velvet and Tuscan, but m view of now supplies coming i forward these cannot, however, be quoted as ! present values. Oats havo beon selling freely for feed at from la lOd to 2s Id for small lots, but now season's now boing m the market, values have suffered a decline. In barley there is nothing doing. No transactions to speak of have taken place m new grain, and values cannot, therefore, be said to be fixed, bnt Is 6d to Is 9d ia talked of for oats, which is the only cereal as yet m the market. Milling wheat will probably open at from 2s 7d to 2s lOd. Advices from the London market continue of a discouraging nature, making buyers extremely cautious m their operations. Ryegrass— Farmers' parcels are selling at from la 9d to 2s 3d, according to quality. The Royal Flouring Mills Company report as follows : — Flour m sacks, L 8 10s per ton ; m 1001 b bags, L 8 15s ; m 501 b bags, L 9. Bran, L 3 10s ; sharps, L4 — f.o.b. Mr R. Bowie reports as follows : — Flour (wholesale) is fetohing £8 10s to .£9 10s per ton; best oatmeal, .£ls ; sharps, £i, f.0.b.; bran, £3 10s f.o.b. ; potatoes, 70s per ton. Messrs Macphorson, Filiner and Co. roport m building material — Timber : red and white pine from 12s per 100 f t; black pine and totara, from 16s to 18s ; kauri, from 20s ; blue-gum, from 21s; flooring and rusticated boards, from 16s ; and T. and G. lining, from 13s. Firewood, long, at 26s to 36s per cord. Firewood, cut „ 28s „ 42s „ Split posts, from 80s per 100. All kmda of building and fencing material are m good supply. In building material, Mr John Jackson reports as follows: — Timber — New Zealand white and red pine, 12s per 100 ft; totara and black pine, 16s to 18s per 100 f t; flooring and rusticated boards, from 16s ; lining, from 8s 6d ; V.D.L. palings (6ft), 25s ; do (sft), 235 ; do timber, 21s ; Gospel Oak galvanised iron, .£25 per ton. Coal (Newcastle), m the yard, scroonod, 365 ; do, delivered, 40s. Firewood is at from 35s to 40s por cord. Firewood (cnt), 40s b.p.