MARKET REPORTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10680, 29 January 1913, Page 2

MARKET REPORTS.

gratn and produce. CHRfSTCinJRCn, January 23. Tho latest leaflet issued by tlie Department of Agriculture shows that tho exports of wheat and oats from the dominion linvo alrnost renched tho vanishing point. During tho first half of the current "month the total amount or wheat sent to places beyond the dominion was 169 bushels, valued at £3o, hut small as this amount was, it was ' much greater than the shipments foi tho corresponding period of last year, when the shipments rimoiarted to eight bushels, valued at £2. In the case of oats, too, the shipments compared favourably with these of 1911, the total being 14,854, valued at £1798. In tho case' of potatoes the amount sent out of tho dominion during the first half of tho month was forty-threo tons, valued at £393. Locally, as might Ira expected, the amount of business that is passing is within very narrow limits, being confined to a few parcels, mostly of moderato dimansions. Tho work of harvesting is now in full sjving in all parts of the province, but the present week will see a very considerable area in the stook, although it will yet bo a fortnight before tjae majority of farmers will have any respite from the nnxieties inseparable from harvest operations. Although tho crops vary very much in different localities, the great majority are turning out satisfactorily, and it is now generally admitted that t]:e period of warm weather experienced during the present year has not had nearly such a serious effect on the cereal crops as was anticipated. Crops in most grain in most cases have filled well, and given favourable weather conditions till it is in the sta'ck, there 'does not apjfoar to be any sound grounds for anticipating that the sample will not be above the average, as regards quality. skins brought 6s 6d, merinoes 6s, pelts 3s, lamb-skins 3s 3d, wool 9-£ d lb, pieces s?td, hides 6d, fat l£d. Poultry— Roosters 4s 9d a couple, hens 2s 3d, pullets ss, ducks 6s 3d. Chickwheat 3s 9d A bushel, oats 2s 4d, Cape barley 2s 6d, grass-seed 23, peas 3s 3d, beans 3s 3d, bran 5s 6d a sack, sharps 8s 9d, pigmeal 9s 6d, oat-sheaf chaff 3s, straw do. Is 6d, potatoes 14 lb, onions Id, apples Id, plums 2d. , ' ' - , A&HBURTON. Owing to the boisterous weather and tlie anticipated' stopping of killing at the. freezing works, there was only a small entry at the weekly stock sale held! at the' Tinv.ald yards yesterday, and the attendance also suffered. Tlie yarding of sheep numbered Bi9, as against 1041 last week at Ashburton, and was made, up of 142 fat ewes, 131 fat wethers, 76 fat lambs and 500 stores. Although freezing buyers were present, they tooic ho part in the sale, and butchers took the whole of the yarding of fat sheep at. market rates. Prices obtained were as follows: Prime butchers' ewes 15s to 17s_ 3d, prime wethers 17s to 19s Id,-merino wethers 14s 9d, fat lambs 18s 6d. The principal sales wer.oEwes—lß at 15s Id, 15 at 15s lOd, 18 at 17s 3d, 62 at 16s 5d y wethers—ll at'lßs Bd, 13 at 19s, 10 at 18s 6d, .90 at 19s Id; 'lambs—l6 at 18s 6d. There were only four small lines of sheep sold in the store pens, while a line of- 372 three-quarter-bred lambs, mixed sexes, was passed at 12s 9d. Sales werelß woolly merino ewes Bs, 23 forward ewes 10s lOd; 49 broken-mouth merino ewes and 39 lambs (all counted) 6s, 38 four, six and eight-tooth crossbred ewes 17s. ' The' yarding of cattle was a small one, fats being the only lines in demand. Fat heifers made £5, fat steers £6 ss, fat cowm £7.