Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 275, 9 August 1878, Page 15

Commercial.

Mr. Henby Driver (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company) reports for the week ending August 7th, as follows : — The following fat stock were yarded at the sales to-day :—IOO: — 100 head cattle, 12 calves, and 2116 sheep. Fat Cattle. — Those forward were chiefly good to prime, and. prices realised showed an advance on our late quotations of 2s 6d per 100 3b. Boft pens of bullocks brought from £13 to £19 10s ; medium, £10 to £13 10s ; cows from £8 to £15— or equal to 40s per 100 lbfor prime beof ; medium to jj-ood, 37s to 37s 6d. We sold 20 heads as above. Fat Calves. — Those penned were only of indifferent quality, and reahYed from 18s to 40s, according to weight and quality. Fat Sheep. — The number penned, considering the market has been so well supplied of late, was far in excess of the demand, and had it not been for the presence of two or three stoTe buyers there would have been difficulty in clearing the market. Prices, however, receded on our last week's rate from Is to Is 6d per head. Best cross-breds brought from 12s to 16s to 16s 6d ; merinos, of which there were 500 forward, from 9s 6d to lls 6d — or 3d per lb for prime mutton. We sold 200 at the yards as above. Store Stock. — No change of importance has occurred since our last report. Wool. — Latest London advices wool was quiet, pending the sales, which commences on the 20th instant. Sheepskins. — We catalogued 1200 at our weekly auction on Monday, for which there was very brisk competition, notwithstanding the unfavourable weather for fcllmongering operations. Country slaughtered cross-breds sold up to 4s 7d each ; merinos, 4s 4d each ; green town-slaughtered cross-breds are saleable at 5s each. Hides. — A small supply, which we placed at full rates, from 4d to 4£d per lb. Tallow. — For country rendered there is not much demand, and lower prices are offered. We sold a few lots of prime mixed at 26s 27s ; rough fat sells readily at 21s to 21s 6d. Grain. — Wheat : Market is very* weak, to make sales lower prices have to bo accepted. 3s 9s to 4s, good to prime milling ; some extra choice for seed at 4s 3d to 4s 6d ; inferior and secondary qualities unsaleable. Oats, since the severe weather has set in, have become very .scarce. Prices are firmer ; 3s 9d to 3s lOd for feed, to 4s milling. Good seed much inquired for. Barley : Very little offering. Prices are firm. Good malting samples are saleable from 5s 6d to 6s ; medium, 5s to 5s 3d. Mb. Skene reports for the week ending August 7, as follows :— Labour is plentiful, but very much retarded by the extremly severe winter. It is to be hoped that the seasons will now revert to the time laid down in the almanacs, so that we can again count on summer in summer time, etc. The demand never ceases for farm people in all directions. Shepherds are quiet. Of course the building trade is at a stand still, as frost does not agree with lime and cement. Couples — hotel servants, blacksmiths, shearers, milkers, and gardeners, are all short of the demand ; station cooks and bakers "are in request ; shopmen and clerks are very quiet — commercial affairs being dull. Wages : couples, £65 to £85 ; ehepherds, £65 to £70 ; day labour, 7s, Bs, and 9s ; cooks, boots, Avaiters, grooms, gardeners, 20s to 455 ; station cooks, 25s to 80s ; ploughmen, £52 to £65 ; dairy hands, milkers, boys and men, 10s, los, 203, and 25s ; female servants, 10s, 12s, 15s, 20s, and up to 30?. Me. Mercer reports for the week ending Aug. 7, as follows :—: — Retail prices only — Fresh butter, in ilb and lib prints, 2s : fresh butter in lumps, none ; powdered and" salt butter, Is 2d to Is 4d ; fresh butter is very scarce and there is barely enough coming in to supply the inaiket ; salt butter in keg is prelty plentiful at present, and selling at 10£ dto lid per lb. Cheese, best quality, lOd ; side and rolled bacon, 10d"; Colonial hams, Is ; English hams, Is 2d to Is 4d (no demand; English cheese, Is 4d per lb., no demand. Eggs are more plentiful, and retailing at 2s to 2s 3d per doz. Mr. J. Fleming reports (wholesale prices) for the week ending Aug. 7, 1878, asfollows :— Oats (feed), 3s lOd to 4s per bushel. Wheat — malting, 4s ; chicks, 3s[to 3s 4d. Barley, malting, 5s to 5s 6d ; feed 3s to 3s 6d. Pollard, £5 10s per ton. Bran, £5 10s. Flour, large bags, £11 ; small, £11 10s. Oatnual, £20. Potatoes, £4 5s to £4 10s per ton. Hay, £3 to £5 10s per ton. Chaff, £4 10s per ton. Straw, £2 per ton. Mu. J. Yezy reports for the week ending Aug. 7th, 1878, retail Roasting beef, 6d to 9d per lb ; boiling do., 3d to 6d per lb ; stewing do., 4d to 6d per lb : steak, 6d to 9d per lb ; mutton, 3d to s£d per lb ; veal, 4d to Sd per lb ; pork, 6d to 8d per lb ; lamb, 2s 6d to 4s per quarter.