Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 13, 20 July 1888, Page 19

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Stronach (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week endina July 18, as follows :— &

Fu CMtle.— 236 were yarded. Best bullocks brought £8 15s to £10 17s 6d ; medium, £6 2- «d to £8 2s Cd ; ot iers. £4 to £5 os ; cows in proportion. We sold drafts on account of Mr Wiilum Quinn, Makikihi, Mr Andrew M Laren, Milton, and others, at quotation. Store Cattle.— Vety few are nnv offering, be-ides the demand is comparatively inactive, most buyers are in the meantime supplied. Odd lots are occasionally iffeied at the Burnside market, which are invariably fairly well competed for, and realise pricjs comparing favourably witn th >c obtain. n^ for fat. & Stor.- tShif p. — LitMe or no Imsin ss has been done lately, owir.g, no doubt, to tin; I act :hai the st as n fur the transaction of business of tliisclabb of htt.ck may now be c >n»iiiercd over.

Wo -I.— Latest a ivices rega.ding the progress of the sales now being held in Lonuoa are not, ou the whole, so favourable. Cios.ibreda are reported \o have declined i> per cent., wnile the market for merinos ia weaker. Up to the ~>U\ iust. 177,000 bales had been sold and the Bales would probably close on the 18th. The Antwerp sales will open ou the 24th.

Sheepskins.— This week a fair demand has been met with. On Monday, our regular weikly Kile day, wo offered a full catalogue, both station dry and town butchers' green skins, when there wls a good attendance of buyers, and competition fairly active ; but, doubtless owing to ihe contiuu d downpour of rain last wjek, wuich caused some damage i.o fellmongers, ana also retarded the drying of skins for export, combined with the unfavourable reports of the progress of tue wool sales at llooi", prices lor crossbrods, both dry and green, Buffered a decline, except m the case of a few small lots, particularly buiteil for mat-making, which brought up to lasc week's rate«. Mt rmos tad mwe. attention aad re Ha. d lull paces. Country dry crossbnds, low to medium, brought Is 3i to 3s 3 1 ; do do merino, l s 4d to 2s yd; uicdiu.xi io full-w .■>]!' d eressureds, 3.s I) 1:o4s S 1 ;' Co merino, 3s to 4, 2d ; dry p. -its. 41to1- Id ; butchers'^roen dossbr'eds 3b Id, 3d o I, 3s :> 1, 3s lid, Is. 4s hi, i-, 8 i : do do merino, 2s 2 3 '2d 2 6d, 2s 8i,2510 J. 3-i ; lambskins, 2s Id to 4s. ' ' '"

BabbitskiiiH.— The market coinnuis firm, and an acivc demand experienced. The auction rooms are w.:li attended, and com petition spirited, paiticjlarly for latest secured an 1 well bayed, thin u-ied greys ; indeed, all sorts are briskly inquired for, and the supply, although coming forward more lreely, is not by any mea;is equ 1 to requirements. Exceptionally g.jod lots are realising advanced rates We quote suckeis, 1| 1 to 3d ; inferior and mixed, 4d to 6i ; summerj 5d to 8d ; autumn, yd to Is ; black and fawn, 8J to Is ; ea.ly winter grtys, Is to Is 2£ t ; best winter t, r reys, Is 3ii to Is 41 1 ; picked doe bbius, up to Is ou per lb. We rial a full attendance of buyers at our sale on Aionday, wnen we offered a gooi catalogue or' meiium quality, every lot of which realised full prices. Hides.— The market contiLues steady, aud all coming to hand are freely taken up, but in the abs nee of a demand for export prices show no improvement, if any the tone is weaker, more especially with

respect to indiff r-ntly flayed and light hides. We quote— Heavy free from wars, in faultless condition, 3£d to 3£d ; mediums, 2Jd bo 3£d ; l^ht. 2£ 1 to 2|d ; inferior and bulls, 1£ t to 2d per lb. 1 allow.— We have no improvement to report in yalnes, the demand continves fairly active for local requirements, and stocks limited, but while prices coutinae on so low a scale in the London market we can hardly look for any advance tn this, at the same time we are pleased to note that the market continues firm, lata late quotations being almost unchanged. We quote prime rendered muttoa 1 8a to 19s ; medium to good, 15s 6d to 17s 6d ; inferior, Ids to Us 61 ; rough Ui, inferior, 8s to 9s ; medium to good, 9a 6a to 11s 6d ; mutton caul, clean and fresh, 124 to 133 per cwt; Grain. -Weat the past week has been marked by dullness, and even now, with the exception of extra good samples of Tuscan, prices show a ien lency t . fur her ease. Comp ired with the last two seasons the stocks of medium md inferior storda in town are unusually large, and so far, there hardly seems to be much apparent prospect of their b-iia* placed i.i holders' advantage. So long as millers are able to replenish iheir stocks with Northern wheat, in suitable condition, at from 2, 10 i to 3s, they decliae to use second-rate quality at any price, and is only saleable for feeding purposes. We quote prime milling, white velvet and red straw, 2s lOi to 3s ; extra choice samples of Tuscan in moderate quantities fetch 3a 3d ; medium about 2a 6J ; inferior whole, 2. 3d to 2a 41 ; broken, Is 9d to 2s : (ex store sacks weighed in.) Oats : Tbere has been a moderate amount of inquiry for these daring the week and several lines have been disposed of chiefly for local requirements. A fair demandis also experienced for both intercolonial and coatswise orders but holders are now indisposed to accapt prices ruling lately, and buyers for shipment not beine fully prepared to meet sellers demands, less business has been done in the meantime, however, the market shows more firmness, and in some instances last week's quotations have been topped. We quote prime milling, Is lOd to Is lOii ; short bright feed, Is 9d to Is Md • medium, Is B£d to Is 9d ; Danish, Is 8d to Is B£d ; long tartars, Is 9d to 2s ; black do, Is 9d to Is lOd ; small lots, 2s ; (ex store sacks weighed in). Barley : While good malting, bright mellow and full could be plac d at late rates, discoloured or in anyway second rate has no attention, whatever, from malsters are only saleable for milling at a considerably reduced price, feed is not much enquired for. We quote prime malting, 4s to 4s 5d ; medium nominal, 3s Sd to 3s 9d ; feed and milling 2s to 3a 3d (ex store).— Hyegrass and Cocksfoot Seeedg : Tnere is some little inqoiry springing up now for these, but there is not much business passing, but no doubt, as the season advances the demond will become more pronounced, in the meantime, quotations would only be nominal. •

Potatoes.— A fairly good demand exists, and supplies continue on a limited scale, prices are in consequence hardening, best Northern are worjh 57s 6d to 60s ; Southerns, 50a to 55a ; according to quality. Dairy Produce.— ihe market for butter is assuming a firmer tone quotations for prime samples 9£d to lOd. Factory made cheese is also firmer and advancing.

GRAIN AND SEED REPORT. Messes. Samuel Our and Co., Stafford street, report for the week ending Julylß, asfollow*: — Wheat.— Wehave nothing whatever to add to what, we reported last week with regard to this cereal, the market still being without any animation, and only prime quality being saleable. Fowt feed, which was in good demand, is now a little easier. and of this quality stacks are haavy as a large quantity of fair' wheat can oniy be sold under this heading on the face of prime being po low. Wejquote prime.milling, redstraw, Tuscan, or velvet, up b>3s2d; medium, nominal, 2s 6d to 2s 9d ; fowlfeed, Is lOd to 2s 4d.Oats : A decided change has come over the markets duriDg the week, an I it may now be assumed that oats have seen their lowest, at least tor a season, for during the week some were placed at 2s per bushel— a tip-top sample— while for a fairly bright sample offered we got 1b 10J on account of J. H., Waikoikoi. As pointed out by us last week however, our market could be ruled by those speculators who hold h avy stocks and short deliveries, and those who have parcels in agents' hands holding back, their position will be backed up and better prices may still be looked for. The market on the other side have not responded to the full advance here, but we have often seen this the case, and time alone will brin * this about. We quote, for prime bright sample of Canadians, 2s ; milling, Is lid ; bright feed la <JJ to Is 10 1 ; medium, Is 8d to Is 9J ; black oats unsaleable. Chaff —The arrivals recently have exceeded the demand, and aa a result, several good lines had to be quitted at under value, but no-v that the woat ier has broken, a much better spirit will be iutrod.iced, and prices will improve. Potatoes. — It is now being recognised, as we pointed out some tirm-i ago, that the crop would be a short one, and what with this and tie fro-,! — which see, us to have been general both North and South, an i cut them up te ribly— supplies will be scant, and barely sufficient foe all requ.rements, as some of the markets on the other side are als ) bare. Pries luring the week have improved, and Northerns may be quoted at £3 5s ; Southerns from £2 10s to £2 17 6d— according to quality.

See ts . — Ryegrass : We sold several lots of Poverty Bay from old pasture, but local grown is without sale. — Cocksfoot : Prices are without change, and during the wek we sold several large lines, at lite quotation*.— Clovers : Our supplies for the season are now to hand, and we will be pleased to forward samples and quotations to any wishing to purchase.

Mr. F. Mkenan, King street, reports :— Wholesale prices, bags included : Oats, mudium to prime, Is 6d to Is lOd. Wheat : milling as to 3s 3d ; fowls', Is 9d to 2s 6d. Barley : malting, 4s to 4s 6d ; milling, 3s 6d ; feed, 3a. Chaff : best, £2 15s ; medium, £2 Eg Hav ■ : oai, £3 ; rye-grass, £3. Bran, £3 ss. Pollard, £3 10s. Potatoep," Northern, £3 log,; (Southern, £2 3a. Butter : fresh, lOd to Is 2d ; salt t4oo 1 demand, prime, B|d. Cheese, 3d to 4d. Eggs, Is 2d. Flour' rolle-, £8 10s to £9 ; in 501 b ttone, £7 15s to £8 ss. Oatmeal, £8 Us to £8 sb. Roll bacon, 7d ; sides, 7£d ; hams, 9d, both scarce,