COMMERCIAL NEWS.

Western Star, 21 December 1915, Page 3

COMMERCIAL NEWS.

Eat Cattle.—The yarding at Wallace town on Monday last was considerably leaa than on the previous sale day. Goou quality stuff was forward, including a unmber off pens of tip-top bullocks and heifers of good quality. Notwithstanding the fact that- freezing operators are at present silent,, the demand was very good, and competition was exceptionally keen. Uow, -and heifer beef sold proportionately better than’ bullock beef. Current -prices are as, follows: 425; bow, 99s to 40s. Store Cattle.—At the WaUacetown sale the yarding was considerably smaller than at the previous sale. Prices were, if anytl' jg, easier, and vendors (before the sate had long commenced L seemed inclined to accept buyers’ valu-Three-year-oldi bullocks are worth from £1 to £l2 10s; medium' sorts, £lO . to £lO 10s; two-and-a half year olds, £8 10s to £9 ; two-year olds £7 to £7 5 . 18-months old £& 5s to £5 10s; year-1 ’ lings £2 15s. to £4. There is a parti- ( eularly good enquiry for dairy cows at ( from £lO to £l3, ordinary sorts, down to £B. ' Fat Sheep.—There was the smallest yarding at WaUacetown that has been j noted for some time -past, and it was ( divided between woolly and unclothed si eep. Prices advanced fuUy Is per head ( alt sound compared with the previous sale. Extra prime wethers in the wool, 38s to 40s; prime, 36s to 375; extra heavy shorn wethers, 26s to 295.; prime nfei, to 2os; prime ewes in the wool, 35fs to 365; medium, 28s to3os; heavy ewes ((shorn), 24 to 25s 9d; medium, 21s to 225. I Store Sheep.— I There is very little doing in this class of stuff, and no doubt this state of things will continue until after the holidays. Farmers at present' are very busy, especially with shearing, and everything else is at present being alowed to slide. Mixed sexes (in the ’ -are worth- from 22s to 235; ewe C;gota (in the wool), up to 25s 6d; wet ■ hoggets, 21s to 225; shorn twoths, 17s 6d to 18s 6d; shorn wether hoggets, 16a 6d to 16s 6d, shorn ewe hoggets, ~ 18a 6d to 19s 6d. j Oats.—The market is firm, ma inly because of the shortness of stocks, and growers are inclined to hold for higher price. Whether they are wise in doing so is open to question, because, though it is fairly certain that the Canterbury and North Otago crops will be light, yet there is every indication of heavy yields ia Australia. Advices have been received from Melbourne dated Decern- 1 f * ber 8 regarding the position there which are as follows;. “jßegatdiag oats, there are more buyers than sellers at present The new crop is coming on the market sufficient to meet local requirements. Prime Algerians aro quoted from 2s 4d to 2a sd, with good from 2a 2d to 2s 3d For specially dressed and clipped seed Alegriana, 2a 9d, f.0.b., in new corn-' sacks for March-April shipment, is quo ted. - There have 'been fair sales made to the North Island of New Zealand.” From the above it will be seen that Aus tralian oats axe a factor that will have to be taken into account. At present oats are worth about 2s Bd, o.t. for A grade Gartons, but merchants are not anxious to stock up. Several farmers who would have been willing to take | this price about a fortnight back are now asking 3s. j Chaff.—The market is rather firmer ( in sympathy with oats, and there has been some demand from the North Is-j land, but prices have been kept down: «ew. quotations for new chaff from’ 'Marlborough district. Merchants Dot anxious to stock up, and about £4, 0.t., ia the best price obtainable for I prime quality. Potatoes.—There is very little doing, 1 the seaeon for old potatoes being quite over. New potatoes are now more plentiful, and supplies are being drawn mainly frm the North Island, very few of the new local potatoes being yet available.. Ryegrass.—There ia more enquiry from the North Island and: general sales Have Seen made of machine-dressed seed Rut prices offered are in many cases bj>low merchants’ costs. The outlook *vjg r next (season’s seed crop seems fairly good, but it is understood that there will not be a great deal available in ■Canterbury, and in Southland the area saved for seed is not very large. . N Hemp.—The market is very firm, and good-fair touched £4O in London last wook. This price, however, was only for delivery on spot. For forward de lively tho Vendor market is £36, equi- ® valent to about £2B, 0.t., tor good fair. There seems to bo every likelihood of <■ hemp keeping firm* for some time; as, owing to tho war, the demand for all fibre ia greater than supplies from some of the belligerent countries which are very much less than usual. ■Wheat and Flour.—The demand for both milling and fowl wheat is verj strong, but there seems to bo very little of either about. Sales of fowl wheal have beeni made up to 5s 3d f.0.b., s.i Ipc- brokerage, or equal to 4s 6d, o.t. During the week tho wholesale price ol {lour advanced 10s per ton, and is nov £l4 wholesale in saoks, small rises extrj