Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 5, 23 May 1884, Page 18

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Stronaoh (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending 21st May, as follows: — ° Fat Cattle.— 22o were yarded for the week's supply. About a third were good o to prime, and the balance light and of medium quality. For prime competition was fair, and prices were about equal to last week's ; but for low qaality bidding was dull, and sales difficult to effect. Best bullocks brought £8 10s to £9 585 8 : others £4 10s to £7 10s : and cows in proportion. We sold on account of Mr. Smith Bryce (Oamaru), 12 bullocks at from £8 10b to £9 5s • Mr. D. Dunn (Deborah), 11 do at £6 2s 6d to £8; other vendors, 4 bullocks at £5 10s, and 4 cows at£ 3 ; and quote prime beef 20sinferior and medium, 15s to 17s 6d. ' Fat Calves. — Twenty-one were penned, and sold readily at eood prices. 6 Fat Sheep.— 334s were penned, of which about 200 were merinos, the balance being cross-breds— all sorts being represented. This number would have been far in excess of trade requirements, and would have had a tendency to further reduce prices, but several graziers being in attendance cleared off a large proportion of the lower qualities, thereby enhancing the values of prime, which ruled Is to Is 6d higher than last week, but mediam was scarcely so high. Best cross-breds brought 16s 6d to 17s 9d ; others, 10s 6d to 15s ; merinos, 9s 9d to 10« 3d. We sold on account of Mr. C. H. Jessep (Ngapara), 67 cross-bred ewes at lls 9d to 13s 6d ; Mr. G. £. Williamon (Mataura), 10 do do at 108 6d to 12s 9d ; Mr. J. C.TJuckhnd, 93 do do at 12s to 13s 6d; Mr. D. Hughan (Waihola), 38 dodo at 13s 6d ; Kuriwao Estate, 179 do do at 12s 3d ; Mr. R. Livingston (Waitahuna), 30 do wethers at 13s ; other vendors, 110 do do at 10s 6d to 13s 3d : and quote prime mutton 2£ti per lb : medium, 2£d. Fat Lambs. — 209 were penned, .which were sold under fair competition at from 10s to lls. Fat Pigs. — Seventy-four penned, and under good competition were all sold at up to 68s Store Cattle. — There is but little demand for these, excepting for large-framed quiet bullocks in forward condition. We sold to-day at Burnside 65 head mixed cattle, three to four years old. Steers brought £3 10s to £4 15s two-year-olds, others in proportion. Store Sheep.— There are no sales of any moment being now effected. Wool. — We are glad to observe a continuance of the' favourable movement previously recorded in the London auctions, the telegrams from day to day leadi g to the belief that the trade shows a steady improvement. Our latest telegram from our London office, dated the 17th inst., reports :— " The sales progress firmly. Competition by both Home and foreign buyers is active. Up to date 156,000 bales have been sold," Sheepskins. — We disposed of a very large catalogue, consisting chiefly of green skins, at our weekly auction on Monday, and with good competition from a large attendance of buyers, prices ruled fully up to last week's quotations. Dry cross-breds brought 3s to 4s 3d ; do. merinos, Is9d to 4s 5d ; do; pelts, 7d to lid ; green crossbreds, 2s to 3s 2d ; do. merinos, Is 9d to 3a id ; lain asking, Is 3d Babbitskinß. — On Monday we submitted several lots, which were competed for keenly. The following were sold :— O, I bag mixed brought 2£d ;AS over 1, 2 do. Is 3£d ; AP, 1 fadge, Is 3M ;A 2 bales, Is 2£d ; 1 bae. Is 2£d ; 2 do suckers, 3£d. Hides. — We have no alteration to note in the disposal of these. We cleared out all to hand at the prices ruling here for some time back— viz., 2d to 2£d for cut and slippy, 3d to 3£d for light, 3£d to 4£d for medium to heavy, and 4£d for 651 b hides and over in good condition, free from cheeks and o*ffal. Tallow. — There is a good market for all comiDg forward, but prices are scarcely so firm. We quote inferior 18s to 22s 6cl ; medium, 25s to 28s ; good to prime, 30s to 32s ; and rough fat, 20s to 25s per cwt. Grain.— Wheat : The downward tendency of the London market continues to have a depressing influence on ours, shippers being well aware that until good hard wheat, in shipping condition, can be purchased at about 3s it would be a losing business for them. Millers, also, abstain from purchasing, or even offering for any, except when they run short of particular kinds, consequently there is but little business being done. Prime milling velvet and Tuscan, when required realise 3s 5d to 3s 6d respectively ; red straw, ice., 3s 2d to 3s 4d. Parcels in the least out of condition are unsaleable, except occasionally at prices about equal to good fowl's feed, the quotations for this being, Is 9d to 28 Bd. Oats : There has been a large business done in these since our last report ; but the difficulty experienced in getting suitable freights, the large supplies coming forward, and a slight fall reported from Sydney, combine to ease the demand here, and slightly reduce prices. We quote stout bright milling, 2s Id ; short bright feed, 2s to 2sO£d; discoloured, Is lOd to Is lid ; delivered at Port Chalmers, Id per bushel extra. Barley : The market is steady, maltsters being able to supply their wants without outbidding one another. Prices remain at about equal to late quotations — viz., prime malting, 3a 9d to 4s ; medium, 3s 6d to 3s 8d ; milling, 2s 6d to 3s 3d. All the above quotations are subject to the bags being weighed in.