COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14393, 7 January 1911, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

THE • LOCAL MAR.K~F.TS. Business on the local grain markets practically stopped with -fete advent of the holidays", and except for the sola of a few.odd lines of fowl wheat it;lins not since begun again. Local millers are fairly well supplied with wheat, and -they are not therefore showing I any anxiety to buy, especially m view of the fact that the now season s grant will soon he on tho market. week the. harvesting of wheat and oats will ba general in South Canterbury* and contrary to early anticipations it is now believed that the yield tvill be up to tlie average in South Canterbury, the crops having come on wonderfully sine© the ia:n. There are no new samples of wheat yet oil -the market, but the first of -the new oats will be offered to-day, the inp mill being at work in the Rangitata district. It is anticipated that the market for new wheat will open at 3s to 3s 3d delivered Timaru, according to kind-and quality, and it is expected that tlie samples this year will be porticularly good, tlis shortage of T*t n contributing to bring this about. .New oats are .expected to 00211 at Is 9d to Is : lOd nt country stations. J? or a good line of new Duns, ls~9d has offered and refused. There-is a moderate demand for fowl wheat, for merchants are prepared to give 3s per bushel, if whole. _ _ Potatoes are now coming to hand freely, and the price has dropped, from"" 2d-to 3d per lb. Some of the new tubers are very badly blighted. This docs not. apply so much to those locally grown as to others which are being sent to Timaru from other centres. This is a matter for surprise; as potato blight is not usually looked for .in a dry . season. A big area has been sown in potatoes tins year, and they promise to be plentiful, the recent rain having given a great stimulus "to the crops; Pollard is selling at £5 10s, bran at £4 os. flour £8 10s, oatmeal at £l2 10s, per ton in each case.

, ... LAND SALES. The Canterbury Farmers' Co-opera | tive Association. Limited, report the sale v>r "the undermentioned properties at satisfactory prices:—On account Mr D. Cunningham, farm at Waitohi, comprising ITI acres, together >ntJi stock and plant, as a going concern, to Mr G. J. Hogg, cf Berwickshire, Scotland. On account of Mr H. Brosnahan, Seadown, 150 acres,.with homestead, to Sir E. Woffinden. On account of Mr M. Driscoll. Levels, 200 acres, with homestead, to Mr Crossman, of Fairview. On account of Mr F. H. Barker, farm at Ornri, of 207 acr.s, with homestead, to Mr W. R. Clarke,, of Seadown On account of Sir G. Dav'es, liis "Blair Atbol" property, comprising 1030 acres and first class buildings, to -Mr James Thompson of Oainaro. ' On account of Mr John Kelland.- - goodwill of Educational Reserve, 1129 acres, at Hilton, to Mr John Davey of Waitoli*. On account of Mr Al3x* Allan. 2193 acres "Stnney Creek," to N.Z. Government. On account of Mr C. Stevens. 439 acres, Walhno Forks, to Mr E. R. Kingsbury. Abo the- following properties at Waimato:— i acre and houso, Holmes

street, to Mrs C. .T. Menzies, \ acre. Mill Road. to Mr AV V. Purchase?, J aero, Mill Road. to .Mr O'Shpa, » am' r Opio street, to Mr W. A. 1/oe, \ aero, do., lo Mr (-. I'riro. \ acre. do.. in Mr H. V. Barford, 4 acre, do., to Mr Coulbeck. -On- account of .ZVIr H. J. J)ash —I acre and house, Opie street, to Mrs Stevens, \ acre. IBelt street, to Mr'MiUer> i acre, do,, to Mr Barford, i acre, do., to Mr Healy. Messrs Guinness and LeCren, Ltd.. report having sold on account of Mr H v A, Jones. h ; s well-known "Kingsbury'' farm, containing 850J acres of rich agricultural and sh*°p fattening laixl, together w-ifiU- -ftno .situated Tic,nr Cricklewuod railway station, to -Mr James .Corb:-tt, who is to bo congratulated on securing this desirable projrerty. j LONDON MARKETS. t TheNNetw t Zealand Loan and Mercan- | tile Agency Company, Limited, have reoervod the following cable from their i London office, under date 4tli jai.u- ---| ary:—"Wheat.—An Australian cargo of wheat has been sold at 36s 3d cif. The market is but demand entirely speculative owing to fnvoirnblo crop reports and heavy stocks, fbe :r----dia outlook is uncertain. Oats—Girtnn oats IBs,_ sparrowhills 37s Gd, market firm-; fair .demand. New Zealand, wheat.—Long berried 3ls 9d, short berried 31s'* 3d. Tallow.—Spot market has declined 6d. M -Dnlgety niid Co. hare received : the following, d:tted London, sth"Suice our last cable Ihe prices of New Zealand froze?! mutton are higher br 1-3J p6r lb, owing t-o small supplies, 'whilst Australian is unchanged. The prices of Australian lamb aro lower by id to id per lb, owing to hoary supplies. Tlio demand for lamb continues good, but we expect- that if any change in price's takes ninee it- will be in favour of buyers. ; Frozen beef prices are unchanged, quotations are nominal." TARANAKI PETROLEUM. Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH,. Jan. P. Hie directors of the Taranaki Petroleum Company to-night resolved to notify the Government that it's ihe'r itontion to jput in a claim under the terms of,the'amended offer of a'bouis for the production of crude petroleum, for £2500, the first instalment *'f the "bonus, in respect of 250,000 gallons from the bores at Moturoa. CH3USTCHURCH GRAIN MARKET. . Per Press Association. -' : '• CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 6. The grain and produce markets have hardly settled down'since the holidays, and no business of any importance-has yet passed.. - It'is reported that more old wheat is now. ottering, especially from- Ashburton -district holders, who have been, .waiting to.see how the new. crop was-likely to turn outr. The prospects for the latter are now excellent, and fine weather is now needed' for. harvest. In view of the greatly improved conditions of growing wheat buyers are not anxious to do business in last reason's gram. will aepend upau the condition ia which the now crop is harvested, as to whether nnicli old grain will bo required for mixing purposes. A few samples of new Algerian oats have been submitted, but no price has yet been.agreed upon. Some progress lias been made with, thfc harvesting of oats, and tfiaoks are nofr -to be ssen - in several districts. for any "new barley that "has been on the market the prices asked are above what merchants deem it advisable to give, with a view to a turnover. Some business is reported to have been done by brewers direct with growers, and it ,is reported that a lino of prime malting has been purchased at 5s 3d. . * ■ The rains havfe made a marked difference to the potato crop, and it is now giving promise of a good yield.