Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 25, 14 October 1887, Page 20

Commercial.

MR. Donald Stronach (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the weekending October 12, as follows :—: — Store Cattle.— There is a steady demand for all lots offering. We do not hear of any transactions of magnitude. Prices should continue firm as the season advances.

Store Sheep. — There is nothing doing meantime. Wcol. — During the week we have received cable advice of the closing of the fourth series of the London sales ; and from the continued adverse reports received during the continuance of the sales, one might almost have feared the final results would have been worse than our London manager records them to be. Long staple scerino, light in grease, has advanced per lb during the eales. For coarse greasy crossbred and crossbred lambs the market is easier ; all other sorts mark a decline ranging £d to 2d per lb., faulty scoured having Buffered the greatest fall. The absence of a strong Contiuen'al demand has evidently induced the drop in prices ; this, no doubt, buing caused, partly at least, by the fear of possible European complications. From our London circular of 26th August, to hand yesterday, we gather that stocks in English manufacturers; hands were small, and, in view of the favourable prognostications of an improved trade in the Home country, we are inclined to take a hopeful view of the position. The coming clip from all the Australian colonies will doubtless be a very heavy one. It is too soon to venture an opinion how far this will affect prices in London ; but we would fain hope that the present moderate scale of prices for wool will be maintained in the near future.

Sheepskins. — We submitted on Monday a varied catalogue of skins to a large number of buyers, when, notwithstanding the falling market for wool, prices of the former week were fairly maintained. Country dry cross-breds realised 1b 3d to 3s 2d ; merinos, fair to good, Is 8d to 28 lid ; butchers' green cross-breds, 3s 6d, 3s 9J, 3s lid ; 4s 2d, 4s 3d, 4s 4d, 4s 6d, 4s 7d, 4s 9d, 4a lOd, 5s ; butchers' merino skins, 3s Bd, 3s 9d, 4s ; lambskins, 6d and 7d. We have Bold eeverals lots of freezing skins during the week at 4s 4d, 4s 6d, 4s 9d, 5s Id, 6s 3d.

Rabbit-skins. — There was a full attendance of the trade at our usual weekly sale on Monday, and a steady inquiry for good winter skins exists, although rates still remain low, prices obtained being much the same as last week.

Hides. — There is no alteration to record in the market. We repeat our last week's quotations. Tallow. — There is an active demand for all lots offering locally, at late rate?. We have inquiry for good mutton tallow for export, but none is offering at the moment.

Grain. — Wheat : There is no improvement in the market, and business is nominal. The English market is firmer, with prices a shade higher than have lately ruled, but no improvement can be looked for locally. For the few parcels of provincial grown still on hand, there is no inquiry at the moment. In Canterbury, however, there are still large quantities to be dealt with, and with no inducement to export and an exceedingly restricted demand from millers. Agents have considerable difficulty in making sales. Our quotations are — for prime milling, 3s 9J to 3s lOd ; medium, 3s 6d to 3a 8d ; inferior, 3<s to 3s 5d (ex store, bags weighed in), with a decided tendency to l'-wer prices. Fowl wheat, of which the market is almost entirely ban\ is readily saleable at relatively high prices. — Oats : A fair amount of business is passing in this cereal, and prices have been, on tie whole, well maintained. There is a fair demand for shipment to Australia, especially for the bright heavy feed, and as the bulk of this description of oats has now changed hands any lots offering are readily competed for, though buyers ac yet show no disposition to give enhanced prices. There are still however, large parcels of medium and inferior oats for sale, giving a generally depressing tone to the market. We quote prime milling, Is B£d to Is 9^d ; short bright feed, Is 8d u> Is B£d (latter being a full price) ; medium, Is 7d to Is 8£ 1 ; inferior, difficult to place at Is s^d to Is 7d (ex storo, bags weighed in). — Barley : The market is quite bare, and any small parcels coming to baud, especially of fair to prime lots malting, find ready sale nt 4s 3d to 4s Sd. Brewers aie, for the present, fairly well supplied ; but in order to provide for their probable early requirements several oideis have been forwarded to California during the pidt week. The samples offered, which were very prime, can be landed here at a price not greatly in excess of our above quotations. Kyegrass seed continues almost unsaleable, with apparently no prospect of early improvement. Our nominal quotations remain as before. Cocksfoot is in slightly better demand at from 4d to od per lb. for medium to best.

Poiatoes. — The maiket continues wretchedly dull, and sales are difficult to make at even the iates recently ruling, disappointing alike to producers and agents. Land.— 'iheie is a fair demand for small farms in good situations at mod"ral e prices. We have considerable inquiry for the few remaining section r of the well-known Merino Downs Estate, and purpose offeiiug some of the land adjacent to Pukerau railway station in small farms early in November upon the usual favourable terms.