COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13655, 25 July 1908, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

I_\XD SALES. Guinness and LeCren, Ltd., report the following additional land Kales m the Uaimate district .—On account of Mr Ramlal MaialLster, 258 acres freehold Hunter, to Mr Frederick Magon. For Mr Ceorge Bobbins 241 acres lease in perpetuity atWaifcakahi, to Mr Robert. Wellwood. For Mr John Wright, 12S acres freehold at Waihao Downs, to Mr Joseph Ford, lor Mr W F. Cheverton 80 acres freehold at Wiliowbridge, to Mr Samuel Cunningham. For Mr John H. Luck, 65 acres freehold at Wiliowbridge, to Mr Joan Foley. For Mr James Hassan, .50 acres lease in perpetuity at Hook, to Mr W. A. Peck. For Mr James Meagher i acre eec-tion situated on Opie street, Waimate, to Mr Philip Hendry.

TIMARU GRAIN'MARKET

A general quietness still characterises the local grain market, some merchants having done no business during tlw week while- others have made only small transactions. Some sales of wheat to southern buyers at 4s Id to 4s 2d on trucks at. country stations have hxn made, and this showsan improvement of at least 3d per bushel since last week, when 3s 10d was all that could be obtained. The improvement is attributed to the hardening of the London market, but in spite of this some merchants do not anticipate that things will liven up mnch before the end of Jie year, for though they admit that at the beginning of this season it was the general opinion that there would be a. shortage in the crop in New Zealand, the heavy importations of Australian flour have upset their calculations. During the week a fanner offered a large line to a local miller at 4s Id, bat the offer was declined. It seems that many farmers do not hold the view that wheat has attained its maximum price for this, season, this being evidenced by the fact -that they are still holding to their stocks, and are not at all anxious to sell. In. oats tlfere is- practically nothing doing, merchants saying that they cannot possibly compete with Southland sellers, who at present are doing all the busm*M». The potato market is also lifeless.

STUDHOLME JUNCTION SALE.

The Bsual fortnightly sale was held at the absve yards yesterday. The yarding comprised 4000 sheep, and 190 cattle. There was a large attendance of buyers drawn from all parts of the surrounding districts. Competition was very animated throughout th<r sale, enabling almost a total clearance. The best enquiry wan for young ewes, and hoggets, while that for wethers was also fairly good. The following are- some- of the. sa!«-s : —Weill ers»: 161 fat at life 6d, 76 do. at 18s Bd, 27 'do. at 17s 3d, 81 forward at 16s sd, 190 stores at 13s 3d, 8L do. at 12s; lambs;: 90 fats at 15s- 6d, 25 do. at 14s, 4 do. at 12s lOd. 12 do. at 16s, 20 s.m. stores at 13* 9d, 51 do. at 12.-) 3* 15 do. at 12s 6d, 94 do. at 13s 4d, 171 do. at 12s 2d, 120 do. at 13s lOd, 120 do. at 13s Id, 130 do. at 12s Bd, 350 do. at 13s Bd, 75 do. at 13s 6d; ewes: 14 fats at lis lOd. 36 do. at 10s Bd, 20 do. at lis 3d. 29 do. at 10s lOd, 33 do. at lis Id, 41 do. at lis, 36 do., at lis, 22 do. at 9s 9d: breeding ewes: 12 purebred li.L. ewes 2-tooths at 245, 15 2-tooth ewes at 20s, 160 6-tooth ewes at 22s 7d, 34 f.ni. ew«s at 14-s Id. 48 do. at 13s, 50 do. at lie 9.1. Cattle of alt descriptions were readily ealeabkat la.te values.

THE CHP.ISTCHUP.CH MARKETS.

Per Pre»s Association. CHRISTCHCP.CH, .T.ily 24. The, firming «f the London, market has encouraged: growers to offer wlieat in the hope that there may now ha huyers. It is understood, however, that- milter* are •well stocked -with flour, and in the face of the continued imports «,f the Australian article they are not disponed t ,-, make any further purchases of -wheat at present. Growers are also asking more than in considered the market prices, ;is much an 4s 3d being mentioned, while millers and merchants say that if they wanted li> buy 4s or 4s Id at the outside is all they could offer. A private cable message has been received from Melbourne quoting £8 12s 6d as the export price of Hour, the previous Jon-ret figure being £7 15s. This may restrict the placing of fiwli orders, but on the other hand it is stated that there are contracts made for supplirs of flour from Australia till the end of the year, and these would not be affected by the recent rise in the price. The Moeyakj brought over 1943 sacks from Mel-

bourne. Ifc is interesting to note that' the Australian Commonwealth yield for 1907-8 amounted to about 56,000,000 bushels, and after providing for local requirements the surplus available for export is about 20,000,000 bushels, of which over 11.000,000 bushels have already been i.hipped. There >s nothing doing in oats heyonil •I small local trade. A very largo portion of the oat crop in North Canterbury was nut into stack, and is now being offered in the form of chaff. The splendid growth of feed during the. autumn and early winter all over New- Zealand has curtailed lhe demand for chaff, and had it not he-en fur the recent orders from Sydney it would have been difficult to find a. market for a. material portion of that avail•ilile except at much lower prices than rhose that have ruled. At present there is practically no outside. enquiry. Potatoes are dull of sale, as few or<leir> for shipment are coming in and during the time that deliverifs were interrupted bv the wet. weather any orders that came* to hand were filled out of store, several local firms having laid in fairly large stocks, but it is reported that these h-ve not been got rid of at a profit. There fe therefore nob likely to be any further speculation buying on the present outOnions have advanced to £7, but local supplies from growers are now pretty well exhausted. There is a good demand setting m from the North Island for grass and clover i seeds, and several large orders havß been i placed.