Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIV, Issue 35, 24 December 1886, Page 18

Commercial.

Mr. Donald Stronach (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ended December 21, as follows :—: — Store Sheep.— There is a considerable number of all sorts offering, but there are very few inquiries. Beyond an occasional sale now and again the business done is unimportant, the market still continuing quiet. Store Cattle.— Owing to the season being so far very favourable, with an abundance of feed, a good demand still continues to be experienced for grown cattle, all offered being easily placed at rates comparing favourably with those obtained for fat. Sheepskins. — There was the usual attendance of buyers at the regular weekly auctions held on Monday, when good catalogues were offered . Competition was fairly active, but prices obtained show a considerable reduction on those ruling lately. Green pelts and lambskins, however, are in good demand, realising advanced rates. Country dry crossbreds, low to medium, brought 9d to 3s ; do do merino. 8d to 2s 9d ; full-woolled crosbreds, 3s 3d to 4s lid ; do do merino, 3s to 4s 3d ; dry pelts £d to 5d ; green do, 8d to Is ; lambskins, Is 2d to Is 6d. Rabbitskins.— Moderate catalogues were offered on Monday when all the buyers in the trade were in attendance. There are only a few coming forward now, and as some orders are still on hand uncompleted, competition on Monday was brisk, particularly for best skins. Medium were also in better demand, and brought higher prices. Suckers and small brought Id to 3d ; common and low season, 4d to 9d ; fair ordinary to good, lOd to Is Id ; good to prijie winter, Is 2d to Is 3£d. Hides.— There is no alteration to report. The local demand continues sufficiently active to absorb all the supplies at rates giving very little room for shippers to operate. Quotations are as before : Inferior arid bull, l£d to 2d ; light, 2£d to 2fd ; medium, 2|d to 3d ; heavy (in good condition, free from offal and cuts), 3£d to 3£d per lb. Tallow. — The market continues firm, but without any apparent improvement in prices. A good demand exists for local consumption, almost all our supplies being required for manufacturing purposes here. Quotations are — For inferior and mixed, 12s to 15s ; medium, 16s to 18s ; prime mutton, 19s to 20s (prime parcels, fit for shipment, a shade more) ; rough fat— inferior, 6s to 7s ; medium, 8s to 10s ; best mutton, l]s to 12s per cwt. Grain.— Wheat : The market this week has been exceedingly quiet. Very little business has passed, and although holders of best milling samples are still adhering to late prices, a few parcels of medium to *good have been disposed of during the last few days at lower prices than have been obtained (quality considered) a week or two ago. Quotations are— for best milling, 4s lOd to 4s lid ; for extra choice, Id more ; good to prime, 4s 8d to 4s 9d ; medium to good, Is 6d to 4s 8d ; inferior and fowls' wheat (has been in oversupply and prices lower, for best Cd per bushel), 3s to 3s 9d (ex store, sacks in.) — Oats : A considerable business has been done in these during the past week at about last week's quotations. Heavy bright milliug have been in the most demand, and, as the market is almost bare of this quality, there is a slight improvement in price. A little " off colour " are, it stout, easily placed, but dark and musty lots, of which there is a c msiderable supply, can scarcely be moved. Quotations are : For prime heavy milling (bright), Is B£d to Is 9£d ; bright short feed, Is 7£d to Is 8d ; discoloured and long oats, Is 5d to to Is 6d ; musty, Is 2d to Is 3d (ex store, bagß in).— Barley : There is very little demand for malting, the season being now over. Milling is also dull, and owing to large supplies of inferior wheat being put on the market, and the i eduction m the price of oats, feed barley is now only occasionlly asked for, and then in small lots. Quotations are nominally for malting, 2s 9d to 3s : feed and milling, 2s 3d to 2s Bd.— Grass Seeds : A slight demand still continues to exist for small retail lots, and as stocks are light, late quotations are obtained.

Mr. F. Meenan, King street, reports— Wholesale prices, including bags : Oats, medium to prime, 1& 6d to 1b 9d. Wheat : milling, 4s 6d to 5s ; fowls' wheat, 3s 6d to 4s. Barley : malting, 2s 9d to 3s 3d ; prime milling, 2s 9d ; feeding, 2s 3d to 2s 6d. Chaff : straw, £2 to £2 ss; sheaf, £3 10s to £4 ss. Straw, £2 per ton ; hay oaten, £5 10s; ryegrass (scarce), £4 10s. Bran, £4. Pollard, £4 10s Potatoes: Derwents, £1 10s. Butter: fresh, 4d to 9d ; salt best, 6d. Flour : £10 10s to £11 ; roller, £11 10s to £12 ss. Oatmeal, £10 os. Eggs, Bd. New potatoes (Auckland), Id per lb ; local, 10s per cwt.