COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 3989, 21 July 1887, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

ENGLISH MARKETS. Messrs Miles Brothers and Co.'s colonial produce report for mail vid Plymouth, 3rd June, 1887, is as follows : — ivoot. The maximum quality (351,000) as arranged by tbo wool committee for the ensuing sales, to open on the 7th inst., having been reached on the 2Hth ult., the list of arrivals was closed at 4 p.m on that day with a total of 371,630 bales," viz. :— Bales. Victoria 77,6*0 New South Wales 91.804 Queensland 12,950 Sourh Australia 34,420 Western Au=tra ia ... 7557 Tasmania 12,650 New Zealand 118.599 Cape and Natal 36,000 Total 371,fi30 Of this quantity 35,500 bales hiwo been forwarded tli-ect from ship to Yorkshire and the Continent, and adding the 23,001 bales carried over from last, sales, the nett total available will be 359,130 b les. There hive been verv few private enqui ies for wool during the past fortnight, anl alto gether the general tone nf the trade, both here and on the Continent, is rather quieter. The opinion is thit good merino wools wilt maintain their value fairly well, hut as the Knsjlish clips will shortly be coming on the mar!<et and the value of home gr wn " ools ha3 declined latelv lid p>r lb, it is feared that crossbreds will be somewhat weaker. VCIIEAT, FLOrB, ETC. Since the <l?ite of our ast report the wheat market here has ivsumed a firmer tone, and owing to improved ra»e3 in America pric-s here are quite 13 per qr. dearer. The "visible supply " in the United States, whieh in January last »tond at 62,000,000 bushels, is decreasing rapidly, the lajf returns beine 43,^00,000 hushels, and we therefce hore that rates will to snm extent gi»in strength in con«equeneo. Several cargoes have lately been taken for the Continent, and there h«9 been a good demand on French account, but alth ugh prices are firmer here, trade is not over active On pa«sage to this country from all parts the quantity is now stated at 1,712,000 qrs. or pom- 700,000 qr« less than in the eirly pirt of Jun», 7887. Several shipments of Australian wheats have arrived during the past tlvea week", the quantity amounting to some 37 O'X) saekn. For parcel-, ex ship, tho priee is 36s Od to 37*, and foro'd wheit, ex store. 37s t.i 38s per 4961b5. Off coast the O'oeron and Cichin have been Bold at 373 7Jd and 37s *9rJ respectively, n.i.f, Dunkirk and on passage, the Broderfclkel, at 37s 7Jd c i.f , ' ontinent. There huve been no fresh supplies of New Ze-ilnnd ar d stocks are now extremely low. lons berried is worth 37s to 38s and average 35s to 3R3 fid per 49' ; lbs, ex st"re. Hour ia in rather better deraind, and prices have improved to some extent. Australian superfine is quoted at 26s to 27s for ordinary superfine, anl 27s to 28s for patents. New Zealand ordinary snperfine 21s 6d to 22s Kd and pa'enta 23s to 24s per 2801bs, ex store j New Zealand barley is quiet : fine samples make 30s to 35s per 4181bs ; New Zealand oi's are still dull of sale at 17s to 21s per 3201b9, but fi'ie heavy lots have miHe 2fis to 2*9 per 3R4lbs, ex granarv ; beans are easier nnd New Zealand's make 33s to 3 1* per SOllbs ex store ; New Ze .land pe s, 33< to 36* ner 5041b5. T At tOW. HID'B, ETO. incs the dit« of imr la*t report 'he tallow market has been firmer wth more doing in all descriptions at miner better prices At the auctions to-day there wa* a good demand, and 990 casks of Australian were sold out of 1026 casks offered, at an advance of 3d to 9d ner cwt We now qnotego >d to finest New Zealand mutton 22s fid a> 24a 6d, and fair to finest heef tallow 203 6d t > 22s fid rer cwt ; low qualities wore in good demand nnrl realised very hiyh comparative prices. The i ports during the past month have been 28^ * ciska, of which > 1 85 were f-om New Z-aland, and tho Btoek amounts to about 10,700 casks. Hides— We have little or nothing to report in this article. The recent sales passed off quietly without alteration in values. Rabbit Skins — The public sites wero held on the 20th ult., when the quantity offered was small. There was an active demand, and prices advanced Id to 2d per lb. 308 bales were offered and sold as follows :— New Zealand fnir to grjod 2s Jd to 2s 6}d, medium to f:iir 1» sid. Is l'Jd, common to mHd ing Is 21d at If s}, inferior a' d suckers 8d to Is 1 id, black ami fawn fair to good Is 5Jd to Is 6}d, comm n to middling 7Jd at Is 3d. FKOZBJI MEAT. The trado for homn killed beef and mutton and also for American beof is much better ; supplies have bn."n shorter and prices have risen considerably. Owing, however, to the lareo stock of froz»n mutton and lamb on hand, and the general anxiety to nell, there is no advance in prices, althou h the, demand is Mdmewlmt: better. Many of tbo xbeep and larnb« lately arrived are nf very poor qualitv. and as tho weath<-r in mild nnd muggy, thnv look ver» bnri when t awed. Thero in at pronent rery lttle improvement in tho demand for la-nbs. Prieen to day : — •Scotch sheep. 4s 6d to 4s lOd • English do, 4s 4d to 4s 8U ; forei.n, 4* t-o 4« 4il ("Canterbury, N Z., 2s Gd to 3b ; Wellington. 2s 6d to 2s lOd j Napier, 2s 5d to 2s lOd ; Molhourno, 2s 5d to 2s 6d ; Falkland Islands, 2» 4d to 2s 6d ; River Plate, 2s 3d ; frozen lambs, 2» 8d to 4s.