GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5463, 15 January 1896, Page 3

GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

' A continuance of, fine jyeatheir has pcr r mitted harvesting" operations to be Vigorously, pvished f orvard, an(J though the feed would be benefited/ very much" by rajn, •the general good demands : another *f ortr , nights, fine weather. There is little business transpiring in the' grain and produce 'markets, and it will probably be another; fortnight before offerings may be looked for on a liberal.scale. in wheat the out-; ; look forth© Australian markets, so far p,s New Zealand is concerned, is. being ov^r-: cast "by the increased yield now attributed; to Australian crops, and by purchases frqm Calif ornia. .' These purchases at the date of the last mail leaving San Francisco were estimated at about 30,000 tons, or rather over one-third of the present Australian reported deficiency. Locally stocks are very limited and in few hands, and prices are steady at last quotations.. The damage to the oat crop is reported from several districts to be much more serious than previous estimates, while in other districts the crops are showing signs ;of recovery. The market is firm, and new crop samples are readily placed at quotations. Oatsheaf chaff is inquired for, but prime quality only is required for export. Eyegrass is now coming forward freely, and samples show much variation in quality. For good old pasture seed buyers are prepared to give good prices, but for foul samples competition is dull. The following are current prices : — ■ Wheat. — Pearl, 3s 9d; Hunter's and Tuscan, 3s 7d. Oats. — Prime milling, 2s ; short feed, 2s ; Duns or Danish, Is lid. \ Babley. — Malting (nominal) 3s, second quality 2s 6d, feed 2s 3d, Cape barley 2s. Beans. — Nominal, well-saved 2s 7d. Peas.'*— Nominal, Blue Prussians 2s 7d. Eyecobn. — Nominally Is 9d to 2s. Floub.— Millers quote roller <£10, stone £9 10s, sharps M, bran .£3 10s. Oatmeal.— £ll los. Oatbheaf Chaff.— sos at country stations. Cloveb.— Extra choice machine-dressed 6d to 6id, farmers' lots 4Ad to sad, according to quality. Grass Seed. — Eyegrass, farmers' lots 2s 6d to 3s 3d, machine-dressed to 4s, heavyweight 4s 3d| Cocksfoot 3d to 3sd, town machine-dressed 4d to 4jd, extra to .4sd; Dairy Pbqduce. — Cheese 4d to 4sd, loaf 4£d to sd. Butter— Factory Bd, dairy 6d to 7d, salt 5d to 6d. Bacon and hams efd. ; The above prices are paid to farmers f.o.b. Lyttelton, unless where otherwise stated.