COMMERCIAL

Western Star, 13 August 1912, Page 1

COMMERCIAL

Fat Cattle.—The demand continues keen, and prices have not raided a great deal. Prime ox beef, up to 35s per 100 lbs; extra prime, 365; heifer, 30s to 325; coir, 25s to 275. Store Cattle.—The market continues brisk. Two and a-half to three-year-olds, £6 15a to £8; two-year-olds, £4. 15s to £6 6s; yearlings, £2 16a ito £3 10s; calves,' 30s to 355. Fat Sheep.—Last week’s values are being well maintained. Heavy butchers’ wethers, up to 255; lighter, 225; prime owes, 15s to 16s; lighter, 13s to 14s. Buying limits for lambs is about 5Jd all round. Store Sheep.—Northern buyers are operating, and, generally, last week’s prices have, if anything, receded very little. Two-tooth ewes, 20s 6d to 21s 6d; four-tooth do., 21s to 22s Od; sixtooth do., 20s to 21s; eight-tooth do. (good), 18s to 18s 6d; full and failingmouthed in good condition, 14s to 16s; older ewes, 10s to 11s; s.m. hoggets (good), 14s 6d to 16s 6d; ewe hoggets, 16s to 17s; wether hoggets, 14s to 14s 6d; two-tooth wethers, 15s 6d to 16s 6d; four’ and six-tooths, 17s to 17s 6d. Oats, The market is very quiet, and has a distinctly easier tendency. A moderate consignment business has been going on to the Sydney market, but this has now practically ceased, as the best price giving there for A grade Cartons is about 3s Id per bushel. Writing from Sydney on the 31st ult., one firm of grain salesmen reports that tho general rains still falling thei’e have had a depressing effect on values of all seed grains, in addition to which speculators* in that market, who have had to get rid of purchases from New Zealand, have been hawking good A Cartons at from 3s to 3s Id per bushel. The North Island markets generally are also operating from hand to mouth, believing that prices will ease still further. Whether this will eventuate or not remains to be seen. There is no doubt that some forward sales, made at high rates early in the season, have still to be covered, and there is also the fact that the limited quantity of grain left in farmers’ hands is being strongly held. Mei’chants are not at all anxious to purchase from farmers at present, and about Is 9£d, o.t.q.s, sacks extra, is about the maximum price obtainable.

Chaff.—The market is quiet, in sympathy with oats, but pure samples are scarce and command a ready sale. For this quality merchants are offering to farmers £3 ss, 0.t., sacks supplied. Inferior quality is plentiful and not in request. Potatoes.—The potato market lias recovered from the temporary dullness of last week and there is a fair demand from Sydney for both August and September shipments. Prices to farmers mav bo quoted at from £5 to £5 ss, o.t, in now sacks. Hemp.—The hemp market is firm, and offers from London have been received on the basis of 15s for “good-fair/ and £2l os for “ fair,” which would net about £32 and £2O 10s respectively, o.t. c.s. A number of millers have decided to recommend operations this season if suitable arrangements can be made for labour. The shortage of labour is likely to prove a serious hindrance. Ryegrass.—The market is very quiet, and the business being done is chiefly confined to sales of a retail nature.

OTAUTAU STOCK SALK. There were between 7000 and 8000 sheep yarded at Otautau on Friday, consisting principally of ewes and hoggets, and some good stuff was forward, especially in hoggets. Tne attendance of buyers was tairly good, and while prices ruled fairly well, still the tone of tne markets tor hoggets was hardly as ixeaitay as was in evidence at Wmtou last week. One or two lines of good hoggets which on Friday sold at 1-ls Od to ids would have fetched from 15s to 15s Od at Wiutou. Two-tooth owes were in good demand, and sold up ita 22s 9d. A buyer was present from Windsor, and was a fairly keen competitor, purchasing about ICKJU eaves. The National Mortgage and Agency Co. report haying yarded about 4000 sheep, and sold all of them under the hammer, with the exception of about 250. Following were some of (the sales: —Account T. C. Ford©, 160 two-tooth ewes at 21s 4d to E. Cleut; account Wm. Sutton, 80 six and eight-tooth ewes at 19s 3d to Denuiston Bros. ; 250 owes at 19s to T. B. Mclntyre; account M. Markey, 100 s.m. ewes to Wm. Benzie, at 1-ls Id; IGO do. fo H. Mathieson, at 14s Id; account Peter Begg, 250 twotocth ewes to John Reid (Windsor), at 21s Od; account W. D. McCully, 150 hoggets to Jno. Oregon at 13s; account G. A. Scott (Feldwick), 208 lambs to Moir Bros., at 12s 3d; account D. Chamberlain, 200 hoggets to Morgan O’Brien at 15s; account S. J. Harwell, 119 fullmouthed ewes to Geo. Mclntyre at 9s 7d; CO two-tooth ©wos to J, Taylor at 18s Gd; account T. Power, 280 hoggets to A. McNeil at 14s 8d; account F. J. Colley, 250 hoggets to W. G. Beer at 14s Gd; 34 ewes at 11s 7d; account A, H. Beer, 107 four and six-tooth owes to J. Reid (Windsor) at 20s; 250 hoggets to J. Cre.gan at 12s; 200 ewes to J. Ross at 20s; account J. Shaw, 100 hoggets to J. E. Moir at 9s 4d ; account Jas. Well, 150 m.s. hoggets to M. Prendervillo at 13s lid. There was a small yarding of cattle; but the demand was very good, prices were high, and there was good competition. Account W. Walker, cows at £9, three at £9 os, two at £8 15s, four at £B, £7 15s, down to £6 10s; yearlings at £2 10s.