Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 5, 22 May 1885, Page 17

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Steosao^ (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company; Limited) reports for the week ended May 20, as follows : — Fat Cattle.— 23s head were yarded for this day's market, representing all qualities. Prime quality was in moderate request, but ordinary and medium scarcely realised store prices, and a large number of those were turned out unsold. Prices for all sorts were lower to-day by 2s 6d per 1001 b. Best bullocks brougnt £7 to £8 10s. One draft of eight prime heavy bullocks from North Canterbury realised £9 5s to £10 ; ordinary and medium, £4 {to £6 10s. We sold on account of F. Simmons and others bullocks at up to £7 ; and quote prime beef 17s 6d, ordinary 12s 6d to 15s per 1001 b. Fat Calves.— Twenty-seven were penned. All sold under the hammer at from 8s 6d to 25s each. Fat Sheep.— 3,o46 were penned. Of these 500 were merino wethers, the balance cross-breds, the quality ranging from good to prime. This number was again far in excess of trade requirements, and although a few pens of really prime heavy weights realised up to last week's rates, medium suffered a further decline, besides having to turn a great many out. Best crossbreds brought (wethers) 16s to 16s ; ewes, 13s 6d to 14s 6d ; others, 9s 6d to 12s 6d ; merino wethers, 8s to 9s 6d. We quote prime mutton ljd ; ordinary, l*d per lb. Fat Lambs.— There were only 15 penned, which sold at 11s 9d. Fat Pigs.— 2lo were penned. The market was dull, all sorts suffering a heavy decline on late rates. Store Cattle.— There is inquiry for large-framed well-bred cattle in forward condition, bnt in the meantime we have no transactions to report. Sheepskins.— At our weekly auction on Monday we offered a good catalogue. The attendance of buyers was good, and prices realised under good competition were rather over those*of last week. Country dry cross-breds brought, for low and medium, Is 6d to 2s9d ; full-wool. 3s to 4s 9d ; merino, low to medium, Is 6d to 8s Id ; fullwool, 3s 3d to 4s lOd ; dry pelts, ljd to 9d ; butchers' green crossbreds, 2s 5d to 2s lOd ; do, do, jaerino, 2s to 2s Bd. Babbit-skins. — There is a fair market for all coming to hand, but in sympathy with rates now ruling in London market, prices here are lower by 3d to 4d per lb as compared with those ruling here this time last year. Hides.— We have no alteration to report in the disposal of these. We cleared out all to hand at the prices ruling here for some considerable time, viz., light, 3d ; medium, 3£d to 3|d ; heavy, 4£d to 4£d, in good condition and free from offal. Tallow.— The demand is somewhat weaker ; large and medium lots are slow of sale, and only country rendered, which arrive in small lots, are all being disposed of for local use, at, for inferior and mixed, 18s to 20s ; medium, 21s to 23s ; good to prime, 24s to 255 ; and rough fat, 14s to 16s per cwt. Grain.— Wheat : During the past week there has been little or no alteration to report in this market. All coming forward in good hard condition met with buyers at late rates. Unfortunately a large portion of that coming to hand is unfit for milling, owing, no doubt, to the wet weather experienced during the last few weeks ; but even this class of wheat is easily disposed of, the market being quite bare of this description for a considerable time. We quote choice milling velvet and Tuscan, 3s 3d to 3s 4d; medium do., 3s 2d to 3s 3d; other good milling sorts, 3s to 3s 2d ; medium, 2s 9d to 3s ; inferior and damp, 2s 3d to 2s 8d (ex store), bags weighed in.— Oats : There has been no material change to note in this market during the past week. Supplies continue to come forward very freely, but as growers are to a large extent holding, also the demand for space .in the Melbourne steamers being beyond their carrying capacity, business has consequently beeu considerably contracted. We quote prime milling, Is 9d ; short, bright feed, Is 8d to Is B£d ; medinm and discolored, Is 6d to Is 7£d ; and but little demand for the latter.— Barley : There is fair demand for suitable samples for malting, but the market is scarcely so firm. We quote prime malting, 3s 3d to 3s 6d : milling and feed are seldom inquired for.