Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 24, 7 October 1887, Page 15

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Stkonach (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending October 5, as follows :—

Store Cattle. — A moderate demand continues to exist. Grown cattle in good condition are inquired for. Young and mixed lots are also in request, but the number offering is still limited. Store Sheep. — There are no sales of any consequence passing. This being the off season transactions are limited. No doubt a few weeks hence the demand will become more pronounced, Wool. — Laiest cable advices from the Home market are not by any means of a reassuring nature. Prices for the better sorts are ■nchanged but poor selections are neglected. The foreign demand is small, which explains the cause of the inactivity that haa been displayed since the opening. Sheepskins. — At our regular weekly sale, which was held as usual on Monday, a moderate catalogue was offered, representing a considerable number of country dry, also town butchers' green skins. All the buyers in the town were piesent, and competed fairly actively, but feeling somewhat doubtful as to the future of the wool market, prices realised all round, with the exception of a few lots of specially good green crossbreds which brought up to last weeks', were slightly lower. The sloppy condition of soaie of the green skins did not enhance their value. Country dry crossbreds, low to medium, brought Is to 3s ; good to best, 3s 3d to 5s 5d ; do do merino, low to medium, lOd to 2b 2d ; good to best, 2s 3d to 4s 2d ; dry pelts, 3d to 7d ; butchers' green crossbreds, 3s lOd, 4s, 4s 3d, 4s sd, 4s Bd, 4a lid 5s 2d ; dodo merino, 3s 6d, 3s 7d, 3s Bd, 3s 9d, 3s lOd ; lambskins sd, 6d, and 7d.

Rabbitskins. — An active demand exists at the reduced rates, and all coming to hand are spiritedly competed for at the auctions. On Monday we offered a good catalogue which met with brisk competition at the hands of buyers, all the trade being present. The following are marks with prices: ZZ, 5 bags good winter greys. 16£ d ; do, 3 do do, lOd ; C, 1 do do, 15d ; A, 1 do do, 15d ; C, 1 do medium do, 14d ; FBA, 3 bales do do, lOd ; do, 4 do, black, 6d ; ZZ, 5 bundles do, 9£d ; JE conjoined, 1 bag black and fawn, 9Jd ; do, 1 do medium grey, 9d : do, 1 do black, 7*d ; ZZ, 1 do inferior greys, 4d ; A, 5 do do, I£d ; do. 2do suckers, £i ; and passed in 5 bales inferior to best Winter greys at 2d to Is 5d per lb. Hides. — We have no alteration to note in the tone of the market. The demand is moderately active at prices comparing favourably with those ruling outside of the Colony, but, at the same time, are slightly easier than they have been lately, and are hardly likely to improve while the price for leather continues so low at" Home. We quote inferior and bulls', lsd to 2d ; light, 2£d to 2jd ; medium, 2|d to 3±d ; heavy, 3fd to 3£d per lb. ¥ * Tallow.-A steady demand exists for local consumption and stocks are comparatively bare. Local requirements are quite equal to the absorbing of all produced at about equal to late rates, which may be taken as follows : — For inferior aDd mixed, 10s to 12s ; medium to good, 13s to 15s ; best mutton, 17b to 18s ; of the latter quality the market is quite bare ; rough fat — inferior, 5s to 7s ; medium to good, 8s to 9s ; caul fat, 10s to 11s per cwt. Grain. — Wheat : This market is almost at a standstill. Business aH through the past week has been on a very limited scale. There being no outlet for flour to any extent, millerß* deliveries are almost confined to the supplying of the local trade ; and now that the price iB reduced there is but little hope for any improvement in the price for wheat. In the meantime old stocks are being brought down, so that sales are difficult to effect at any price. We give the following quotations, which are only nominal :— Best milling, 3s 9d to 3s 10b ; medium, 3s 6d to 3s 8d , inferior, 3s to 3s 6d (ex store, bags weighed in). — Oats : The demand has not been quite so active during the past week. A moderate business, although not quite up to the previons week's in extent, has been done on the basis of last reports, quotations extra choice milling realising a shade extra. First-class plump short bright oats are gettingexceedingly scarce and slightly firmer.but while stocks of medium continue so heavy the chances are against any very material improvement in any kind for some time to come. We quote prime milling, Is B£d to Is 9d ; short bright feed Is 8d to Is 81d • medium Is 7£d to Is 8d ; inferior Is 5d to Is 7d ; Danish and long Tartarians are slow of sale especially the former at Is 6£d to Is 7d ; the latter if fit for seed, sell in small lots at Is 9d to 2s ; (ex store, bags weighed in.— Barley : There is still some inquiry for choice malting, but there is none in the market. Medium is not much wanted, except for willing and only very little required for this purpose, feed is occasionally asked for, but not to any extent. Quotations are for best malting, 4s 3d to 4s 6d ; milling, 3s 8d to 4s ; feed 3s to 3s 6s (ex store.) Rye-grass Seed. — The market continues exceedingly quiet, and nnless we have a very considerable improvement in the demand for Bowing there is every probabilityof a large quantity being carried over to next year. We quote old pasture machine dressed, 3s to 3s 6d ; undressed, Is 6d to 2s 3s (sacks extra), but no buyers. — Cooksfoot is in ample supply with only a moderate demand at from 4d to 4Ad for medium, and 4|d to 5d per lb for best. Potatoes. — The supply is still far beyond the requirements of the trade and prices easier.