Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3275, 26 March 1885, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald Office, Wednesday Evening. During the month harvest operations have l>een m fnll swing, and very^ little crop now remains uncut. It is gratifying to bo able to state that on the whole the grain this season promises to thresh out m far better condition than for some years past. This m the main is doe to farmers, profiting by past experience, taking extra precautions to get their crops m stack as quickly as possible, and except m a few instances, every advantage has been taken of fine weather. The official agricultural returns for the district are not yet to hand, but there is no doubt that tho total yield will bo considerably below that of last year. So far little has been done m new stooks, as farmers are too busy threshing. Prices, therefore may be considered to a certain degree nominal. Oats are m most demand, and are now quoted at, for milling Is 7d, short feed Is Sd to Is 6d, long feed Is 3d to Is sd. The wheat that has been threshed is coming to hand m fair condition, and is quoted at, for prime milling 2a Bd, and medium 2s 4d to 2s 6d. In barley there is little movement, and we can hear of no transactions of importance. In the course of another fortnight or so we may expect to hoar of the market becoming more settled. There is no noticeable alteration m general business, nor is there likely to be any until what may bo termed " harvest" cheques begin to circulate more freely. People still continue to take a more hopeful view of the future prospects of the district. Tho wool olip may fairly be considered m, and np to tho present time some 22,300 bales having been delivered m town by rail and road. Shipping business has been fairly brisk, but tho only arrival from Home has been the barque Deva, which put m an appearance on Sunday, after a smart passage of 88 days. We understand enquiries are being made for suitable vessels to load grain for Home. The principal imports during the month ■were: — 736 tons of general merchandise, 80,000 feet of timber, 2590 tons of coal, and 546 tons of cement. The principal exports during tho same period were : — 15,960 bushels ■wheat, 28,352 bushels oats, 1154 sacks bran, 1436 sacks sharps. 1487 bales wool, 7 casks tallow, 52 sacks pollard, 108 kegs of butter, 1 case hams, 9 kegs honey, 1 saok wheat meal, SOOO feet of timber, 2G skins, 3 cases ale, 267 hides, 29 gunnies of sugar, 177 reels of barbed wire, 88 sacks grass seed, 1 box seeds, 22 cases cheese, 11 sacks of potatoes, and 6104 sacks flonr. 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, ss ; sharps, .£3 10s— f.o.b. Mr R. Bowie reports as follows :— Flour (wholesale) is fetching £8 10s to .£9 10s per ton; best oatmeal, JEIS; sharps, £l : f.0.b. ; bran, ,£3 10s f.o.b. ; potatoes, 70s por ton. Messr3 Maepherson, Filmer and Co. roporl m building material — Timber : red and white pine from 12s per 100 f t; black pine and totara, from IGa to 18s ; kauri, from 20s ; blue-gum, from 21s ; flooring and rusticated boards, from 163 ; 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 kinds of buildingjand 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 j lining, from 8s Od ; V.D.L. palings (6ft), 25s ; do (sft), 23s ; do timber, 21s ; Gospel Oak galvanised iron, .£25 per ton. Coal (Newcastle), m the yard, screened, 365 ; do, delivered, 40s. Firewood is at from 35s to 40s per cord. Firewood (cut), 40s b.p. Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited), report for the month as follows : — Wheat. — The now crop is coming to hand slowly. Very little has been damaged by the late rains, as the farmers, profiting by theii experiences of past years, were careful to have their crops promptly stacked. Quotations, f.o.b. Timaru, are : — For red chaff, 2s 9d j Tuscan, 2s lOd ; velvet, 2s lid to 3s. Merchants are only operating for actual requirements. Oats. — Very few have reached town yet. The quality is as a whole very good. Business m this cereal is not vory brisk. Quotations, f.o.b. Timaru, are^— Medium good

feed, la 6d to la 8d ; best bright feed, Is 9d tc Is lOd ; heavy bright milling, Is 9d to 2a. Barley. — Nothing doing as yet. Good samples would realize up to 4s. : The Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative Association report aa follows : — Since the date of their last monthly report an average amount of business m general lines has boen transacted. Cornsaoks continue to move off freely at low prices. Harvest operations are well advanced, and deliveries of the new gram are now becoming general. As was anticipated, the grain is m most cases coming forward m first-class condition, although oats which were exposed to the wet weather experienced m the early part of the month, show the effects m loss of color more or less. Wheat. — No transactions m new grain can be reported, buyers continuing to show ex- • treme caution m operating, but the following can bo taken as the present nominal values of new milling:— Red chaff, 2s 7s to 2s 8d; Tuscan, 2s 8d to 2s 9d ; velvet, 2s 9d to 2s lOd. In fowl corn they have placed 350 saoks old ai equal to Is 9d, ex store. Oats. — Are coming forward freely, and firstclass samples find a sale at prices ranging from Is 4d to Is 6d for long feed, and up to Is 8d for prime short milling. The demandj howevor, is limited, and n further decline m value is not improbable. They have to-daj placed a line of about 6000 bushels ahort milling, slightly discolored, at equal to la sd, on trucks at Timaru. Barley. — Very little has reached store, and no sales can bo reported. .