COMMERCIAL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2759, 20 March 1890, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

♦ The lFaikalo Times Office, Wednesday. AUCKLAND PKODUCE MARKETS. Mb iVi.HX. Ait ken's Maukkt Rkfoht for the week ending March 15th.— Business f lirly brisk. Supplies all round have been large and demand good f° r kinds. Potatoes of vary prime quality arc somewhat firmer at to £3 s*; poor and infurior, £2 'It to .«2 9s; cow potatoes 111 active demand at 30.< to 40s. Onions are short of demand at £7 to £9 10s, and id tc Id per lb; pieklers Id to l}d. Kumaraa, 4s to ss, I'ran, £-1; sharps, L i 10s; wheat, fair demand at 3s. Carrots, 2s to 2s (id : pumpkins, 3s 3d to -is; piemelons, 2s: watermelons, 6s per doz. Maize is scarce at 2s 3d : crushed maize, 3s ; oats, Is 9d ti: 2s: garlic, fair demand at 2£d ; cabbages, 3s to 53 (id per sack ; inferior, is lid ; good, ;}s to -Is per doz. ; rhubarb, Is to 2s 3d pet doz. ; peas, lOd to Is 10:1 per peck. Bacon and hams continue veiy scarce ; prime local "Woo, 7d ; poor, 5d to Gd ; hams, Sd to !)d, '• Ctioese : Fanner'* lots pientitul, fair de iiutnd at 3.W to 4d ; factory loaves, sd, Honey: Bulk, -2.U ; small tins, 3d to 3Ad : section, BJd. Fresh butter has been verj plentiful and hard to push off at 7d to 9d for prime quality, and 2d to od for inferior kog butter, demand only for oxtra prime quality at 6d. Eggs have been in verj abort supply at Is 3a to Is 3Ad per doz. It the poultry department there has been £ foil supply of all kinds. Good table fowls Is 3d to 2s 3d each ; poor, old and small, li to Is 3d ; roosters, young in condition, li 8d to 2b 3d each; others, lid to Is 3d ducks, la 3d to Is lOd ; young, lOd to li 2d ; geese, moderate supply at 2s 3d to 3s turkeys, enteiod in fair numbers—hens, 3; Od to 4s; gobblers, 4s to 10s according t) weight. Pigs £vro coming forward ic large numbers, and owing to scarcity o] food they met with poor demand. Best lot 3 realised from 7s to lis Od, fairly Rood lota, -!s to 6s !>d ; others, small, 2s to 3s 61. In tho fruit department there has been a large quantity of all kinds excepting pears, which are in good demand, andhave realised high prices. Louis Bonno, 3d tr 4}d; other dessert sorts, 2-Jd to SM; cooking kinds, 2d to 2,{d ; inferior, lid; apples, good cooking sorts, Jd to ljd others, gd ; inferior, '.d ; dessert sorts, Id to 2d ; extra choice, 2.{d to 3d ; very small, 5d to B|d; quinces, Id to ; lemons, good, Is 2d to Is Od ; very small, od to passion fruit, to 3d per dozen ; figs, Id to 2Ad per dozen ; grapes, outdoor, l ; ',d to o|d j hot-house, Od to B,fd ; peaches, good, 2s 7d to 2s lOd per dozen; small, peaches, 3d to 3d per 1b.,; plums, Golden Drop, . r id ; Takapuna Drop, 5d ; others, 4.{d to 4id ; oranges, IOAd to Is per dozen: Capo gooseberries, 4Ad to 6d; tomatoes, lgd to 2d ; damaged, 2id to 3:fd ; bullaces, lid to 2,id. . MARKET REPORTS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report:— CHHi.S'rciiunon, February 28.—Wheat: Transactions during the week have been on a limited scale, both as regards old and new crop. Stocks of tho former are now within reasonable compass. Growers of the new crop seem more disposed to hold than accept ruling values, while buyers have no inducement to offer more than present prices, consequently a considerable quantity is going into stote on owners' accouqt. We quote Tuscan 2s lOd to 3s, Pearl and Hunter's, 2s 7d to 2s Sd pet bushel, f.0.b., sacks extra. Oats: Buyers and sellers have still diverse ideas as to the value of this grain. Prices offering are from Is 3d to Is Gd per bushel, sacks extra, but no material quantity is changing hands. Dunemn', February 27. —Wheat: There is a considerable quantity being now put on the market, very little of which is considered prime quality; but trade requirements not being very pressing, millers are operating with reserve. There are buyers for shipment in the market, but being unable to go beyond certain limit*, very little business is wilting. Small lots of fowls' wheat aro being deposed of at about last week's rates. There aro samples of the new crop now ottering, and we hear of an odd sale or two being made, but transactions as yet are not extensive. We quote: Best Tuscan, 2s Sd to 2s 9d ; best white velvet, 2s Od to 2s 7d ; medium to good, 2s 'Id to 2s 3d; inferior to good fowls' wheat, Is Od to 2s 3d (ex store). Medium - sized parcels could not be placed at tho above figures.—Oats : A moderately fair demand still continues to be experienced, and any good lots offering tit for shipment are saleable at about equal to last week's rates. There.does not seem to be any desire on the p.irt of buyers to operate to any extent at over last week's quotations. Small retail liits would probably fetch a little more. The range at auction this week was for medium to prime bright oats, Is 2d to Is s£d (ex store, sacks extra). —Barley : Moderate demand. Prime, 3s to 3.i oil ; medium, nominal.—Potatoes: Dalii'eries lately tiavo been more on a level with requirements, and, in consequence, the market shows a firmer tone, although but little difference can bo reported in values. Quotations: For best, 00s to 05s; medium to good, 45s to 55s per ton. —Dairy produce : The marked still continues quiet for both cheese and butter, but there are indications of an improvement in the demand in the near future, and an advance iu prices anticipated, especially for butter. Quotations : For factory cheese—large 4)d to 4Ad, small 4Jd to sd; dairy •mtvdo, 31 to Id : best potted butter, Od to 7d per lb. Aoklaidg, February 28.—Wheat: The market continues quiet and steady, at about 3s O.UI to 3s 7d for fair average qualitj whoa'. Inferior samples are slow of salt at from 2s to 3s according to quality,— Flour: Quotations show a littie change, best patent roller being quoted at from ,£! to £9 5s ; country superfine, £8 to £8 10s.— Oats: A small business is passing at 2s Id to 2s 2d in bond. —Cheese: Owing to the heavy supply of local make prices aro weak, and imported cheese is quoted 3d to 4d pei lb, in bond. —Butter: The market it slightly easier since our last quotation : prime butter being quoted at about 8d pei lb, iu bond. MeIBOUHNU, March s.—Grain : The past month has been, so far as wheat is con corned, a most unsatisfactory one as regards shipments, local prices being above the margin which would enable business foi export to the United Kingdom being done, Two reasons have to some extent influenced this result—first, the large proportion ol inferior and shrivelled wheat this season, militates against even parcels being secured; and, second, the rather slow progress niadt in threshing out. In previous seasons stripping was largely resorted to, and this sup plied tho earlier wants; but this year farmers have had to wait their turn with the travelling steam threshing machines, and considerable delay has occurred. Again; contractors and brokers have, in consequence of these drawbacks, shown great disinclination to sell for forward delivery within specific dates, and this has prevented shippers from making freight arrangements. If, however, the pre-harvest estimates ot the Victorian wheat crap are correct, wo must have a fair surplus suitable for export, even allowing for a large percentage of the gross yield being unfit tor shipment. So far, the bull: of the offerings of wheat at the public sales have consisted of inferior wheats and rejects, of which the proportion is largo. The weather has been dry and hot during this month, and farmers are nowloolcing for a break, with a good rainfall, to enable them to commence ploughing. Wheat: Prices have tluctuatcd during the month, according to the demand, from 3s OAd to 3s 8d for prime new ; the latter f.0.'0. parcels. Old sold freely at 3s 9rJ, milleis taking tho largest proportion. We quota : Prime new, 3s 7d to 3s 7-Vi tor shipping lots, and old at 3s 9d.— Flour : One or two rather targe export lines sold. Prices range from £7 15s upwards for stono made, and from £8 5s for roller dressed. —Oats: A quiet market earlier in the month, but an improved demand for seed samples at its close. Hay sorts most wanted, and good lines of Algerian aold up to 2s Od for prime, whilst seed tartarian have been quoted at 3s 2d. We quota : Calcutta feed, inferior to good ls.lOd to 2s 2d; prime, 2s 4d; Algerian, 2a to 2s Gd ; Tartarian feed. 2s 7d to 2s 8d; Danish, to 2< 9d ; stouts, L's 101 to 3.s Id, tho latter for sweet, sound New Zealand. The market closes with a .somewhat easier tone. LONDON MARKETS. (BY ELKCTKTC TRI7K«TtU'H. COl'YllIIJllT.) Lovpon, M re i IS. G.ii.'n: i-.f'i iron, orb t, i-i t £.9 0:.l-ni .I s <'cks ;.ie depressed, aijJ it >a oxyeowd tout Queouu-

land will underwrite t!ie quantity of tho forthcoming loan, or else it will not bo floated.