COMMERCIAL NEWS

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15314, 15 August 1923, Page 2

COMMERCIAL NEWS

HAMILTON MARKCra

GRAIN, SEEDS. ETC

Taking the market, in general an improvement in business has been apparent right throughout the _wecK. With the great, activity now going on in matters agricultural orders are coming in apace for grass seed and seed oats, while the demand for fertilisers continues heavy. Grass-seed prices are commencing to ■ show an increase over autumn quotations, due to the bad harvesting conditions experienced last season. The °~*"*»ot market has shown a.nrmvng tendency but prices are being kept down hi recent importations. The price of fertilisers' continues unchanged. _CM n and oats are now in steady demand, and are likely to continue so for some .time., Prices for chaff are £l2 per ton for Blenheim and Eio »r Rangitikei, while feed oats are selling at 7s fid per bushel. Fowl-wheat is still in steady demand. Southern quotations remain firm, but the local price is unchanged, viz., 7t M;i»w bushel ex store Hamilton. Maize is still beds bought freely for poultry-feeding purposes, and prices are on a par with late rates. | ; , Fruit and Vegetables. "*The fruit market remains unchanged. SuppUes are coming to hand very freely. Prices are showing an easier /tendency and temporary reductions ' may be expected in the course of a few days. Delicious apples are quoted at from 14s to 16s per case, Sturjnors from 7s *0 9s, and other yanebes of apples at-late rates. Eating' pears are practically finished, the ing to hand selling readily at Ins per -case. Cooking pears: are selling at from 5s to 7s. Oranges have risen m ■ price owing to the shorta.se of supplies, ,and art now .quoted at about 22s per case. Lemons .are selling at . 'about 235, mandarine at 21s, and passion fruit at from 14s to 17s. .Pineapples are' -in short, supply, and are ' realising from 12s to 15s per dozen Island tomatoes, are selling slowly at about 9s. :;"■ '"'.. '' *""•' fl . Potatoes.—The market has a flue--i tuating tendency. Only small consigmnents are coming forward from the South, but- they- are equatoJ-he demand. Prices are, 14s 6d for reds and -15 s for whites: '•■ Poultry, Eggs arid Butter. There was a fair penning of poultry during the week, ani_ last week s values were eSslly maintained. < Prime table birds made from 4s to ss ; others from 3s to 3s lOd, young Hens from 3s 3d to 4s, old hens from 2s to 3s ia, ducks from 3S 3d to 3s Bd. Chickens brought from; <sd. to Is each. There was a good-demand for cockerels, which are becoming soarce. , Eggs.—The egg market is glutted at the present time, the supplies coming forward being far in excess of the demand. Retail prices yesterday were Is §d, but'further reductions are Im- , minent at any time. ' Butter. —As already announced the •price of butter has dropped since last. report, quotations now being Is 7d for Anchor and Is 5d for Daffodil. Farmers' butter, which owing to the operations of the factories is now scarce, is quoted at Is wholesale and i is 3d retail.

LONDON MARKETS.

. .; WELLINGTON, Tuesday. ' -The Department of Agriculture has received the following /cablegram, dated lith instant, from the High Gommisskcner for New Zealand, Lon--5 don: — Meat. —Meat supplies are well maintained though continuance of ; dockerage strike is still preventing discharge. Available supplies of mutton and prime lightweight lamb are running short. Trade is - slow and prices are unchanged except for North Island medium weight mutton and ewes. Good supply of chilled beef. . New Zealand frozen beef nominal N.Z. mutton —Canterbury, 49-561 b,

BJd, 57-641 b Bd, 65-721 b 7Jd; N. Island 49-5611) 7Jd, 57-644 b 73d, 65-72 lb 7Jd; ewes 5Jd. N.Z. lamb, Canterbury 29-3612) Hid, 37-4211) Hid 43-501 b 10Jd to lOgd; second class, IOJd, N. Island best IOJd, second- • N.Z.Beef —Pores 23d, hinds 4Jd; Chilled beef, fores 2id to 2Jd, hinds i 4id to s}d. Butter —Market steady and ten- ■: dency firmer towards close of week. ; Official quotations are—New Zealand, '• salted, finest, 170 s to 176 s per cwt : (Is 6}d to /s 6|d per lb); unsalted 176 s per cwt (Is 6Jd per lb); other qualities, salted 166 s to 168 s per cwt (Is 53d to is 6d per lb). Argentine, 146 s to 160 s per cwt (is 31d to Is sld per lb), exceptional , 164 s per cwt (ls'sJd per lb). Australian, salted, finest 164 s to 166 s per cwt (Is 5Jd per lb); unsalted, 164 s to 166 s per cwt (is 5Jd per lb); other qualities,. salted 146 s to 160 s per cwt (is 3Jd to 4-s s|d per lb); .unsalted 144 sto 156 s per cwt. (Is 3Jd to Is 4jd per lb.). Danish, 172 s to 174 s per cwt (Is 6jd to. is 6Jd per lb). . Cheese-r-Condition of market un-

changed and quotations**nominal. English,'finest farmers'; 114 s to 116 s per cwt (Is OJd to-is OJd per lb). Canadian, coloured and white 106 s to 110 s per cwt (Hid to 11 Jd per lb). New Zealand, coloured 108 s to 110 s per cwt (Hid to Hid per lb), white 110 s to 112 s per cwt (iifd to Is per Jb) A -shipment of New Zealand produce arrived this week per s.s. lonic.

Hemp.—Manila market quiet. "C" grade values, August-October shipments £35 10s; "J" grade quoted at "£3l sellers. New Zealand market unchanged. Wool. —Bradford market ' quiet at last quotations. .. ~ . Eggs.—Trade slow and demand is chiefly for best. English, Irish, Danish, Dutch, French 15s to 19s per long 100; Russian, Chinese, Polish, Lithuanian, Brlttanys 8s to 14s per long 100. ,;

WAIKATO MARKET REPORT,

The Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Co. Ltd., report:— Beef. —Supplies are fast diminishing' and some difficulty may be experienced shortly in filling requirements. Naturally prices arc advancing rapidly. Mutton. —The same conditions prevail in the mutton market. Good wethers are particularly scarce. Store Cattle. —The store cattle mar-j fcet seems to have brightened a little, though not to ttie extent that the improvement in beef might justify. We are now approaching that stage, however, which the wholesale slaughter of calves forecasted, and if seems likely that a frantic demand for male cattle will shortly be witnessed without being satisfied. A pen of good steers is becoming rather a rare sight in Waikato yards, and it looks as if a lot of back country that lias been brought into pasture at a heavy cost must fall into a sorry slate of decay, a: : indeed is happening at the present lime. . •

Store Sheep.—Store sheep would lie saleable hut quotations arc di Moult l -1 obtain, few farmers having any surplus above their own requirements. According to Southern and King Country reports, hoggets have made a sharp advance. Dairy Cattle. —There is practically no alteration to record in dairy cattle. High testing herds are still saleable at good prices, but. dairymen seem at last, to have realised that the reject or even average cow does not, pay to feed, and consequently the sale for this class is extremely dull.

• Pigs continue to sell well. Fat pigs have eased slightly, but the demand for stores remains strong and unaltered.

j Horses.—Good enquiry exists for draught horses, and the approaching' spring fairs offer prospect of good competition.

We quote as follows: —Bullocks, heavy prime £lO to £l2 10s, medium £8 10s to £9 15s; cows, heavy young £6 to £B, medium £4 10s to £5 10s, forward £3 5s 'to £4; steers, 3J to 4A years forward £4 15s to £5 15s, stores £4 to £4 10s; cows, stores 30s to £2; steers, 3-year best £3 10s to £3 15s; heifers, risdng 2-year r.w.b. Jqrsoy £lO to £ls, 3-year r.w.b. Shorthorn £6 to £7 ss, 3-year r.w.b. llolsteln £7 10s to £9; empty heifers, l«-mths best Shorthorn £2 to £2 15s, medium do. 35s to £2; steers, 18-mth best Shorthorn £3 2s 6d to £3 12s 6d, medium do. £2 10s to £3; calves, heifers, best Shorthorn 25s to 30s, Holstein £2 to £2 10s, Jersey cross £3 5s to £5, steers best 30s to 42s Gd, medium 25s to 30s, weedy 15s to £1; wethers, prime heavy 35s 6d to £2, medium 32s to 34s 6d; ewes, prime heavy 30s to 345; breeding ewes, best 5 and 6-ycar 31s to 355, medium 25s to 28s' 1 ; store hoggets, good 21s to 245, medium 18s 6d to 20s; pigs, heavy baconers £3 15s to £5, light baconers £3 2s 8d to £3 10s, heavy porkers £2 7s 6d to £3, good slips 27s 6d to 355, small do: 20s to 255, weaners 10s to 15s; horses, heavy draughts £4O to £45, medium do. £3O to £3B 10s, light do. £2O to £23, harness horses £lO to £l7, hacks £5 to £10;

ADDINGTON MARKET,

JUMP IN MUTTON VALUES.

The- "double" market attracted eri4ries from a very "wide area, and the dismay'of beef was-one-of tire largest and best in the matter of quality for a'.number >of years. ' Sheep got back to prices: that have "been' unknown- for a long time. . .The entry;of sheep was little more than..- a* ;.average week's supply, and as National'week is singular from''other .-holidays in that, whilst a large number of visitors come to the town few residents go out. The requrements of butchers, therefore, are unusually heavy. Over the: early part of the sale average to prime sheep showed an advance of up: to is per head, and at the end the improvement reached another 2s tg 2s 6d. Beef also sold at improved rates on last week, tlie market strengthening as it proceeded, notwithstanding the-very H<*vy entry. The display of beef all round was a notable one. Store Sheep.—The' entry in this department was confined;, to the first three races and they were very largely made up of aged ewes in lamb with a fair proportion of hoggets. There was a good attendance of buyers and competition for any good lines of ewes was 'very spirited, but this class was somewhat scarce. Both hoggets and wethers made prices that were well up-to the rates paid at the previous sale for similar sheep. ' Values: 6 and 8-tooth halfbred ewes in lamb 41s sound-mouthed three-quarter-bred ewes 365, %,' 4, 6 and 8-tooth crossbred ewes 32s 6d to 365, sound and failing-mouthed three-quarter-bred ewes 35s 3d, aged crossbred ewes 24s 5d to 27s 3d, forward 4 and 6-tooth fhree-quarterbred wethers 35s tv 36s 9d ordinary 4 and 6-tooth wethers 30s 6d M 32s 7d, backward 4 and 6-tooth wethers '2Bs, good three-quarlerbred ewe hoggets 26s 2d to 30s 6d, good crossbred wether' hoggets 23s 6d 'to 26s 6d, mixed sex three-quarterbred hoggets 25s 6d, inferior halfbred wether hoggets 21s 2d. Spring "Lambs,—Four spring lambs, the first of the season, were forwarded. In addition some late lambs of last season-were also offered. 'The spring lambs met with keen competition, and two of them made 40s 6d and'two 40s. Fat Sheep.—A yarding of eleven races—a small entry for a fortnight's requirements. The entry was for the most part composed of wethers. Apart from the special entries there was a creditable showing of mutton, and with the shorter entries a booming sale resulted. The advance was most marked for medium wethers and all classes of ewes. Over the earlier stages the improvement on butchers' average sheep was from 3s to 4s per head, but as the market progressed values steadily advanced. It was easily the best sale for a very long time. Best wether mutton made from 81d to BJd, prime 7Jd to Bd, 'medium to 7id and light to 7d. Best ewe mutton made up to lid, prime 7id to 7*d, medium 6Jd and light to GAd Values: Show wethers £3 5s to" £5 10s, extra prime wethers 52s 6d to 60s, prime wethers 475-Gd to 525, medium wethers 41s to 46s 6d, light wethers 35s to 41s, show ewes 46s to 60s, extra prime ewes 42s Od to 4;>s Gd prime owes 39s 6'd to 'its, medium ewes 36s to 395, light ewes 31s to 3os Gd. extra prime hoggets 39s to 46s |4d, prime hoggets 35s to 38s Gd, ordinary hoggeLs 29s to. 345. Fat Cattle. —The yarding comprised T)95 head. The quality was exceedingly good, there being an excellent showing' of good quality commercial beef. The market opened somewhat weaker than last week, but speedily improved and a keen sale eventuated, closing prices being the best. The bulk of prime beef averaged from 38s to 40s per 1001 b, medium to prime from 35s to 37s Gd, lighter to medium Gd to 34s 6d, inferior 28s to 31s, and rough cow beef from 23s down. Values: Extra prime steers to £22, prime steers £ls 15s to £lB 10s, medium steers £l2 to ,£.15 10s, light steers £8 to £ll 15s, extra prime heifers £l2 10 to £ls, prime, heifers £lO to £l2 ss, medium heifers £6 to £9 10s extra prime cows to £l2 12s Gd prime cows £9 5s to £ll 10s, ordinary cows £7 to £9, old cows £3 15s to £0 10s. Vcalcrs. ; —The yarding of vcalers was a small one and the number forward was not sufficient to meet the requirements or butchers lor a week. \s butchers wanted two weeks' supply the demand was naturally keen, and prices showed a sharp advance on those ruling last week. Values: Runners to £7, good vcalers to £5, medium calves £2 5s to £4, small £1 to £1 15s.

Store Cattle. —The yarding of store cattle was a small one. 11 consisted o," nondescript sorts, no decent lines being offered. There were no heifers forward. Values: 3-ycar steers £G to £0 7s Oil, 2-year steers £3 iOs to £4 as, yearling steers ITis, go.od cows 30s to* lOs, other rows 15s to 255, bulls .'IOs lo 40s. Dairy Cattle. —The yarding of dairy cattle 'totalled 84 head. The quality

on the whole was only moderate, few really good cattle being offered. The demand was fairly good, and prices were slightly better than those of last week. Values: Good second and third carvers £6 to £9, extra lots to £l2, good springing heifers £5 to £B, extra lots to £lO, inferior and aged sorts 2.0 s to 30s.

Pigs.—A large entry or fat pigs met with a keen demand, and prices were about the same as those ruling last week. A medium entry of store pigs met with a keen demand, and prices were considerably better than those ruling last week. Values: Weancrs 20s to 265, slips 21s to 26a, small stores 28s to 335, medium stores 34s to 395, large stores to 48s, sows in pig £4 10s to £5 10s.

FEILDING SALE.

Messrs Abriiam and Williams, Ltd., report on Fcilding sale held on 10th i ns t.:—A small yarding of sheep and a heavy yarding of cattle came forward. Fat sheep again met with a good market, but hoggets were slightly duller than last week. A large yarding of good beef sold well. Young cattle also showed improved prlo.es. Dairy stock was dull and hard to quit. We quote: Fat lambs heavy 3'6s 6d, fat wethers 26s 4d to 38s Bd, extra heavy £2 ss, fat ewes 27s 5d to 33s Id, 2 and 4-tooth wethers 32s id, mixed hoggets 17s 8d to 24s 7d, black face hoggets 17s Bd, empty ewes to 25s 2d; fat bullocks £8 4s to £8 16s, fat cows £4 10s to £0 16s, fat heifers good £S, yearling P.A. steers £2 15s to £3 10s 6d, yearling P.A. heifers £3 Bs, yearling Hereford steers £2 10s to £2 14s, yearling "Hereford heifers £2 16s, small 20s, 3-year steers £3 19s 6d, store cows 20s to 355, springing heifers £4 5s to £9 15s, dairy cows £3 5s to £5 ss.

SANDON HOGGET SALE.

Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Palmerston Xorth, report having held their lith annual Sandon hogget fair on,Thursday 9th instant, when the offering comprised 8091 sheep, and considering the severe and wet winter experienced these came forward in good order and cendition. There were some particularly nice pons submitted, and these and all lines of-ewe hoggets elicited the keenest competition. Bidding throughout the day was highly satisfactory, and taking into consideration the shortage of grass pasture the fixture was very successful, only a few, pens being passed at auction. Tha highest price of the day was paid for a pen of ewe hoggets sold on account,, of Mr T. Lowery, which realised 30s. I

TALLOW MARKET.

' The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., Hamilton, have received the following cablegram from their London house under date 9th instant: —, Tallow: —We quote present spot values for the following descriptions: Fine mutton 42s per cwt, good-beef 40s 3d, mixed 36s 3d. Market quiet.

CANTERBURY PRODUCE MARKETS,

The following are the quotations to be paid to farmers at country stations, Canterbury, sacks extra, unless otherwiso . stated :---Wheat, Tuscan 5s 2id, Hunter's 5s 4Jd Pearl 5s 6id; oats, A and B grades, 2s 8d to 2s 7d; chaff, bright oatsheaf, £4 10s, f.a.q., £4 to £4 ss; white clover, Is to Is 2d; Italian ryegrass (nominal) 5s to 5s 6d per bushel; Perennial ryegrass (nominal), 5s 9d per bushel; cowgrass, 9d to lOd; potatoes, £8 to £8 5s for whites, £7 10s for Dakotas ; £7 5s for reds; cocksfoot, 5d to 5Jd; linseed £l6; peas, 7s 3d; flour, £ls 10s per ton; pollard, £7 per ton, f.0.b., 'main ports 10s extra for smaller packing; bran, £5 per ton, f.0.b., main ports, 10s extra for smaller packing.

The above prices are at country stations, Canterbury, sacks and bags extra, and to them must be added handling charges. Railage, store charges, freight and wharfage on grain (about 2s per bushel), and the cost of cleaning in the case of seeds, which is approximately: Cocksfoot and clovers 4d to 6d per lb, ryegrass Is 6d to 2s per bushel.