COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13916, 29 May 1909, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

STTDIIOLME jrNXTTOX SALE. The usual fortnightly sale was held at Studholme yards yesterday. ' The entry comprised 3000 sheep and !•">'> head of cattle. Fat sheep were well competed for. r.ud satisfactory prices were obtained : on store sheep competition w-as anything but brisk, but for all that the bulk of the yarding changed hands. Cattle were in good demand, acid every lot offered »"jis cleared. Prices ruled as follows—Fat lambs. 12s. Lis, 13s Id. 13« fid. 13s 7d. 13s lid to lis 2d: fat wethers. 14s -VI. 15s hi to I"»s sd: fat ewes. 8s 3d. ,S- ; »«'. !'.. f|> 3d. 0s 5d to 5k 7d: fa' ::i> I > m.\ :-d lambs, 10s 3d. 10s 4d. 11-. IK :.'■:. lis 3d to Us 4<l : store iambs, lid. 7s •Id. Ms 3d to 0s 3d: store met hers. 0s 4d to lis 4d: fnll-ntouth ewes.* &s lid to lis Id; four and six-tooth ewes. IGs fid. Cattle.—Fat heifers to £0 10s. do. cows £'o 2s fid, forward steers £'s 16s to £6. do. heifers £4 10s to £5 12s. do. cows £4 to £"4 10,5.

CLEARING SALES. The Canterbury Farmers' Co-opera-tive Association report holding" a clearing sale of live stock ami farm implements on Wednesday, on account <" Mr W*. -Tarrant. Temnka. The attendance of bnyors was largo, and :i splendid sale resulted. Korty-fiv ■ dairy cows sold at prices ranging fror.i £4 17s Gd 4o £8 7s (jd. spriiigin;: heifers £4 13s to £6 10s. Yearling steer; and heifers £1 12s to £2 14s. draugbo horses £26 10s to £42. light horses £ > to £ll, sows in pig £3 7s Gd to £ 1 10s. Implements and sundries wer • all cleared at full market values. Messrs Guinness ami LcCreu report that in conjunction with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agencv Company they hold a most snccessfi I sale on Thursday, on account < i Messrs Campbell Bros., who hare di - posed of their Raukapuka estate. The attendance was very largo, probably not less than GOO being present, maiy being tempted out no doubt by the fine weather, and by the wish to see the country. Buyers were present from far and near, with the result th::t every lot was cleared at satisfactory prices. Sheep sold as follows —1-'-3 two-shear ewes 16s. 491 three-she:r ewes 16s 3d T G9G full-month ewes lfi<. 64 aged ewes os. 70 drv ewes Bs. 074 fat- lambs 12s lid. 568 store lambs 10s Gd. 830 store lambs 9s Bd, 18S four and six-tooth wethers 13s Sd, 223 two. four and six-tooth wethers 12s Id. 99-j twotooth wethers 9s 3d. 133 six-tooth wethers 12s 9d, 180 cull lambs Bs. floras were a medium class, and ijjade:— 'Gelding 4yrs £3O, hay gelding £3-"> 10s. bav marj £'2s. bav gelding £24 10s, bav gelding £25 10s. draught gelding 2vrs>~£W 10s, draught tilly 2yrs Cl 4, bay "elding £l4. bay mare £l3 10>. light draught mare £l3. two-year-old gelding by Te Kooti £ll 10s. Grand Cross tillv rising 2yrs £lO. Cattle s-ld as follows:—Steers £3 7s <id to £•> Is. young sorts £l. dairy cows (springers) up to £B. cows in profit £<>. £o. £4 -"is. empty cows £:* l"">s to £<? ;">s. A large quantity of implements, sundries., and furniture math- fully up to usual sale ; rates.

THE GRAIN MAJiKKTS. - Not a great deal <>f bushies? ha=hern done in the W;il wheat market during the past week. ii"t so much on account of there being any lack of buyers, lint for the reason that. owing to the pre,»ent holders of parrels anticipating a further me, a priee higher than buyers are preparer! to give is asked. Nevertheless a lew lines have changed hands at prices averaging about Is or -Is 111 delivered in Titnaru. A great many farmers are holding on hard, being convinced that they n ill eventually reeeive -Is 3d or 4s (id, while the mure sanguine have j*»t their mark :is high as -"is. hut the latter price is generally considered to he absurdly beyond probabilities. Miller- in Dunedin arc buying largely, chiefly for export, and tt is feared that over exportation will be a situation that will have to he fared unless this kind of trade stops. Une drawback t<; buyers operating more freeiy. : is the great lack of freight

bottoms; nearly 3I the available accommodation in wheat .ships is taken up and merchants perforce have to relinquish any idea of {jetting cargoes away out of the country. Though farmers arc holding, yefc tliey are u«>l doing so in store; and most of the grain is still on the farms. The oat market is very quiet, shipping operations being stopped for the same cause as mentioned above. The average price offeriug for best qitality lots is Is o'd delivered in Tiinaru and at that price a good deal of business could be done if conditions allowed. The prophecy that appeared in this paper, that good samples of potatoes were going to prove valuable property to holders has been fulfilled up to the hilt, and it is stated that a nice, clean, blight-free sample lias changed hands at ill per ton f.o.b. s.i. It is certain that a good sample would sell readily now at at least !)0s per ton f.0.b.5.i., but it has got to be a good sample. Merchants have been " had " too often lately with the blight in samples to take anything on trust. One exporter states that so great is the risk that whereas he usually handles from 100 to 200 tons of jwtatoes in the season, this year lie, has only touched ten., which is a big fall.

THE CHEISTCHURCH MARKETS. Per Press Association. CHHISTCHUKCH, May 28. The past week Las locally been the busiest in shipping of grain since the days when wheat-growing was a much more important business than it is at present. There has been a rush to fill May charters, and there has been a large turnover of merchants' stocks to till the requirements of shippers. Very little wheat or oats lias been purchased from farmers, as the latter are holding wheat firmly for higher prices than exporters would give, and immediate delivery was, of course, required. "Wheat has also been offered more cheaply by holders in Tiniaru than could be purchased locally by Christchurch shippers, and consequently there lias been 110 disposition to make any advance upon the ruling price of 4s at country stations. For a specially good line 4s Id was offered, but was lefused. For oats there has been an active enquiry during the week for shipping purposes, but no advance in prices is reported, and as in wheat the turnover has been between merchant*. Threshing having been resumed upon supplies of sacks having come to hand, it is expected that offerings from the conntrv will be shortly made. Potatoes ars rather easier, as growers have been offering more freely and accepting 60s at stations. The onion market is now dull, as North Island supplies, which have been held hack are now coming forward. Onions are not keeping well this year. .V large shipment that went to Sydney a short time ago had to go into store. and huvers having lost by them local merchants are. therefore, not adding to their stocks.