COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16477, 23 February 1918, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

THE LOCAL MARKETS. f. Practically no business has been V ilane in milling wheat this week owing 'to threshing operations having been 'delayed by the rain. Tae extent of the damage thus caused will not be known juntil the first of the next lot of wheat Jeomes an to tha market, but it is ihelieved that most of the Tuscan which was in stook will be mare or less There is a good demand for ,fcwl wheat, but none is offering. * The Wheat Controller was in Timam /Yesterday apd held a meeting or local when a good many points jr about which there was doubt were , cleared up. Oats hare firmed considerably, but 'there are practically none offering, and by all appearances the quantity available will be little more than, if as much as, last season. At all events it is significant that farmers who had: - .thought they would have oats to sell ■are now inquiring for feed lines to buy. Algerians are quoted nominally iit 3s 6d, Duns at & ad to 3s Sd, and Gartens "at 3s 6d to 3s 9d, on trucks, Country stations, sacks extra. 1 Oaisheaf chaff is in strong demand, Ibut .very .little, of suitable quality is '.offering. It is worth about £4 10s on trucks, country stations for good, Jbright samples, sacks found by buyers. '■ Potatoes are not yen inquired for Tor shipment, and it will he some few Veeks before they wifl_ be wanted in ?gny quantity. It remains to be seoa what havoc blight has wrought among ■lhe crops. Iu is assumed that the jtisease wiU have checked the lateKiwn crops vith the result that the •tubers wfll be very small, while the better earlier-sown crops wiL. have suffered"" through unfavourable weiitlier. There is a little more ryegrass offering and the market maintains late values. A line of Italian is reported to have Iwen sold at 4s 6d on trucks, at- a country station, but the general quotations for Italian run from 3s to 4s. Some heavyweight seed is 'changing hands at 4s to 4s 6d on trucks, •ecuntry stations, whilst lighter and discoloured lines are hard to sell at 2s 9d to 3s od. It is early yet for red clover. The indications are that a fair acreage wfll be locked up for seed, but whether it will all rcawire in such ■unsettled weather as is being experienced is doubtful. "White clover in the rough is worth 9d to Is 3d per pound. -CLEARING SALE, AYTXCHESTER.

-J The S.C- Farmers' Agency Coy. •vrtuort having held a -very siie'e.-.-ful oa the premises, "Winchester-

Temuka rc;td, on Thursday, on account; of Ute trustees in the estate of the iate liobert Edgeworth. There was u iarge attendance of buyers from all the surrounding districts, resulting in very keen competition for most, of the. lots offered, The cattle and implements bi ought exceptionally good prices.' and all other lots reached full market value. Dairy cows reached £l(i,- 5s and £l2 ss, heifer calf £3 17s 6d, chestnut gelding (4 years) £ls, other mares and geiding £5 to £lO, gig £23 10s, spring dray £2l 15s, mower £lO 15s, cultivator £8 ss, s.f. plough'£B os. drays £lO, rake £S. Harness, sundries and furniture sold at full market rates. The lease cf property was offered and bidding commenced at £SOO, it being finally knocked down at £6OO to Mr John Twomey.

[. EALING SALE. There waS a large entry and a good attendance at Ealing sale on Thursday last, when the following sales were made:— Fat lambs.—s4 at 31s 7d, 54 at 29s 3d, 73 at 2Ss 3d, 40 at 28s, 38 at 27s lOd, 184 at 27s 4d, 465 at 275, 50 at 26s lOd. 53 and 150 at, 26s 9d, 75 at 26s 7d, 316 at 26s sd, 129 at 26s 2d, 124 at 25s lid, 314 at 25s 65. Pat ewes—3o at 32s 2d, 7at 32s id, 3 at 3Ls 12S at 30s 9d, IS at 30s, 120 at 29s Bd. 140 at 29s 6d, 117 at 28s lid, 37 at 28s 6d, 47 at 27s sd. Fat wethers—3 at 32s 9d, 117 at 30s 9d, 4 at 30s. Rams.—s at 20s. THE RJIALTO. H. Ailchiircli and Co. report for the week ending Saturday, 16th inst.— Poultry.—We had a big entry. Hens lighfc Is 6d to 2s 9d, medium to heavy 3s to 4s 6d, pullets 6s 3d, roosters 2s 6d to ss, cockerels small 2s. 3d to 2s 9d, all at per pair; chicks "3d to 6d each. Pigs.—Weaners brought 28s, 30s, 30s 6d, 31s, 375. Calves brought 215,/255, 275, 375. Produce.—Wheat los to 225, oats 14s Sd to 16s 6d, barley 18s, rye 18s 6d, o.s. chaff 4s 6d, potatoes 5s per j sack, marrows 6s doz., cabbage 2s doz., peas 9d peck. Fruit.—Apricots (about finished) 2d j lb, plums Id to 2d, apples, cookers, lid to 2d, dessert 2d to 2id, tomatoes (local) 5d lb, Nelson 8s case. Household furnituro and effects met ■with a ready sale. CHRISTCHURCH PRODUCE MARKETS. Per Press Association.

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 22. Tho purchase of wheat is going on

steadily, though more would have been offering had it nob been for wet weather delaying threshing. Oats are scarce, as the niflls are devoting most; of their time to threshing wheat. There has beeu a demand for oats to fill orders for delivery next' month, and prices aro firmer. Cartons arc now worth 3s Gd to 3s Sd, and Algerians, Duns and Danish 3s 3d to 3s 6d" at country stations. Oatshcaf chaff is also scarce on account .of chaff-cutter owners being engaged in threshing. From £3 15s to £4os, according to quality, are the ruling prices at country stations. There is more inquiry for grass seed owing to_ a quantity damaged by rain 'shortening the expected supply, tip to 4s 6d lias been paid for extra prime ryegrass. Cocksfoot is very firm in consequence of the crop having been 'damaged by damp ■weather on the Peninsulai • There is not much business being done in potatoes, a few outside orders having yet to be received. The bestprice now offering for present and forward delivery is £3 5s 'at country stations. A fair amount of business is being done in onions at £3 15s, country t£a-tions.