COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 195, 22 December 1876, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Mb. Henry Dbitbb (on behalf oE the New Zealand loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports for the week ending December 20. at follows :— Fat Cattle. — Only a small supply of 50 head -were yarded, graziers, no doubt, anticipating that Christmas requirements would have been supplied by previous purchases and yesterday's sale at the Sat Stock .Exhibition. The small number offered to-day> however, Brought rather bettei than last week's quotations — 3ay up to 32s 6d per 1001 b» The Pat Stock Exhibition proved a great success, as it brought together a large number of both cattle and sheep, which, for breeding quality, and weight, could not easily be beaten in the Colonies. Besides 30 head privately, we sold Mr. Malcolm Oa'-michael's five first prize oxen at £18 to £23 each, and Mr. George Wilion's first prize heifow at £31 each. c Fat Calves.— A fair supply of about 20 head were yarded to-day, «ra brought from 25s to 70s, according to size and quality. Fat Sheep.— 2 800 came forward, of which only one-half were sold JBeßt quality cross-breds realised from 10s to 12s each, with exceeding dull competition. Medium qualify merinos/- 6s eaoh. Some extraordinarily good sheep were shown yesterday at the Fat Cattle Bxhibiturn, the prize pen realising as high as £2 each. These prices, however, were simply fancy rates, the butchers competing with each other who should obtain the prize pens for tlxeir Clnistmas show of meat. We sold Messrs. Blues and Duthie's first prize ewes and lambs at full rates. ' , F at liamb9 -— About 300 were penned, best quality bringing 8s 6d to 10s ; inferior to medium, 5s to 7s 6d. Store Cattle.— We have no alteration to make in quotations for this description of stock, the demand continuing good at £7 10a to £8 10s for bullocks, and £5 to £6 10s for cows. We shall sell at Mosgiel on Friday' 22nd inst., a very superior lot of bullocks and spayed cows. __ Store sheep.— We are not aware of any |important transactions having yet taken place. Enquiries, however> are being made, more particularly for young breeding merino ewes and merino lambPi Cross-breds are also wanted, but prices have not yet been arranged be« tween buyers and sellers. Wool.— Up to the present time no public sales of any importance have been held, owing, no doubt, to the bad weather, which has retarded shearing operations, as yet only a portion of a few dipt has reached town. We have little doubt there will be buyers for all wool offering at a fair margin on late London prices, and there is every prospect of large transactions, unless holders demand prices beyond" whioh buyers will not be justified in going. At our ordinary weekly sale today we offered 30 farmers' lots, all of which sold at — for greasy merino and cross breds, 7|d to 10£ d ; washed do, 12f d to 15£ d. Sheepskins were in small supply. Dry cross-breds sold 5s Id to 5s 3d ; merino, 3s 10 to 4s lOd ; lambskins, 6d, to Is Id. Hides were in good demand at the late advance. Wet salted, 3__ to 4id tor heavy weights; green butchers, 21s 6d. Tallow sella readily at advanced rates : 30s to 31s 6d for medium country rendered. Grain. — There is no alteration in price of wheat or flour ; fowls' wheat scarce at sa. Oats — Few offering ; feed, 2s 3d ; milling, 2s 4d. Barley for feeding purposes much inquired — little offering j malting samples are more firmly held. Me. Skene reports for the week ending December 20, 1876, as follows : — Affairs in the labor market are sound ; mostly all can get work who are willing, although, perhaps, nob in all cases to their liking. Neither masters nor men are inclined to enter into fixed engagements until after the holidays, when, with the certainty of a heavy harvest, employment will be easily found. The demand ior hotel servants, and for females for all departments is very brisk. Couples are more asked for. Day labor at pick and shovel is plentiful ; but working men spoil I their prospects by sticking too closely to town. A few shopmen and clerks aie moving. The building and iron trades are quiet. Wages — Couples, £S5, £70, aud £80 ; ploughmen, .£52, £55, and £60 ; shepherds, £60 to £70 ; day labor, 8s aud 9s ; shearers, 17s 6d to 20s per 100; dairy hands, 15s to 20s ; house girls, 10s to 15a ; hotel girls, 12s, 15s, 20s, and 25a ; cooks, waiters, gardeners, &c , 25s to 50s. Air. A. Mehcee reports as follows for the week ending December 20, 1876, retail prices only : — Fresh butter, in £- and lib prints, la to Is 2d ; fresh butter, in lumps, 10J ; powdered and salt butter la; fresh butter is still very plentiful, and the grocers are salting down large quantities every week, and no demand for salt butter. Cueese, best quality, Is 2d ; new season cheese (fine), Is 2d ; side and rolled bacon, lid to Is ; Colonial hams, Is 2d ; English hams, Is 6d ; eggs are now very scarce and retailing, Is 8d to Is 9<i per dozen. Me. J. Vezei reports for the week ending December 13, 1876 ; — Retail : Boast beef, 6d to 8d per lb. ; boiling do., 4d to 5d per lb ; stewing do., 4d to 6d per lb.; steak, 6d to 9d per lb.; mutton, 3d to 6d per lb.; veal, 4d to 8d per lb.; pork, 9d to lOd per lb.; lamb, 3s and 43 per quarter. Mb. M. C. Fleming reports for the week ending December 20, 1876, as follows : — Oats (feed), per bushel, 2s Id to 2s 2d ; milling, 2s 4d. Wheat, milling, 6s to 6s 3d ; fowls, 3s 6d to 4s. Barley, malting, 4a to 4* 6d ; feed, 2s 3d to 2s 6d. Pollard, £6 10s, bags included. Bran, £5 15s, bags included. Flour, large bags, £16 ; small, £16 10. Oatmeal, £12. .Potatoes, old, 6s to 8s per cwt ; potatoes, new, I.os to 111 per cwt. Hay, J64jperton. Chaff, £4j r ton. Straw, £2 per- ton.

The hearing of spiders is very acute, and it is affirmed that they are attracted by music. Disjouval relates an instance of a spider which used to place itself on the ceiling of a room over the spot wheie a tody played a harp, and which followed her if she removed to an >thei part ; and he also says that the celebrated violinist Benhome, when s> boy, saw a spider habitually approach him as soon as he began to play and which eventually became so familiar that it would fix its<lf on his desk and on his arm. Bettina noticed the same effect with a guitar on a spider which accidentally crJased over ib as she was playing. ,