Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 18, 24 August 1888, Page 15

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Stbonaoh (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending August 22, as follows :— * Fat Cattle.— 73 head only were yarded at Burnside for this day's sale. Best bullocks brought £8 2s 6d to £10 ; medium, £6 7a Cd to £7 17s 6d ; others, £4 5d to £5 ; cows from £3 10a to £8 103. Fat sheep.— 2s6B w«e yarded. Prices Bhowed an improvement on last week's. Be?t cross-bred wethera brought 14a to 17s 9d ; ordinary, 12s 6d to 13s 6d ; best do ewes, 13s 6d to 15s 6d ; ordinary, 10s 9d to 12s 6d ; merino wethers, 9s to 11s 6d. Store Cattle.— There is no change to report in the market, which continues inanimate, the business done being on a small scale, but with the advent of more genial weather an improvement in the demand will no doubt be reilised and transactions will become of more importance. Store Bheep. — There are no transactions of any consequence passing, mainly owing to the want of the classes now in most request, which are young crossbred ewes, also crossbred wethers, 2, 4 and 6 tooth, there is very little inquiry for any other sorts. Sheepskins.— Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, which is materially effecting f illmongers' operations, also prejudicial to the sale of green skins, our weekly sale on Monday was attended by all the buyers in the trade, who competed with spirit for all the lots on the catalogue. Dry skins hid the most attention, at the came time butchers' skins were in good demand, and considering quality and condition prices realised were quite on a par with late rates, which are, for country dry crossbreds, low to medium, Is 3d to 3s 9d ; do do merino, Is 2d to 2s lOd ; medium to f all-woolled crossbreds, 3s lid to 5s 6d ; do do merino, 2s lid to 4s 8d ; dry pelts, Is to Is Id. Butchers' green crossbreds, best, ss, 4s lOd, 4s Bd, 4s 4d ; others, 4s 2d, 3s 9d, 3s 6d, 3s 2d ; green merino, 2s lid to 3s 3d. Rabbitskins.— A brisk demand is still existing for these, all sorts being keenly competed for. There is no material change in prices, and although anxious to secure as many as possible, buyers are not inclined to overstep certain limits. Meantime, however, the supply seems to be far short of requirements, there being no limit, apparently, to the purchasing power of those in the trade. On Monday we offered, as usual, a good catalogue, when every buyer in the trade w»a present competing with spirit, each anxious to secure a share. Best winter greys, bucks and does mixed, brought 16 Jd to 16£ d (picked does would bring a shade more) ; medium, 121 to 14id ; inferior, 9Ji to lOd ; black and fawn, lid to ll£d per lb. Hides.— We have no change to report in the state of the market. A moderately fair demand exists, principally for local requirements. The supply being fully equal to requirements, prices are not likely to improve while the markets at Home continues so depressed. We quote heavy weight, 3|d to 3£d ; medium, 3£l to 2?d ; light, 2f i to 2£d ; inferior, 2d to IJd per lb. *»«»-¥ Tallow. — There is no alteration to note in the position of the market. A good demand continues to exist for both rendered and rough fat, local manufacturers absorb all available supplies. Stocks are not considered heavy, and the quantity offering limited, so that with a continuation of the present firm tone of the Londeo market prices here are almost certain to improve. We quote prime rendered mutton 17s 6d to 18s 6d ; medium to good, 15a 6d to 17s ; inferior and mixed, 13d to 14s 6d ; rough fat, inferior, 83 to 9s ; medium to good, 9s 6d to 11s 6d ; best, 12s to 13s per cwt. Grain. — Wheat: The demand has been easier since we last reported. Millers heing'.now fully supplied for a time, are not operating to any extent, and wnen samples are submitted, prices offered are invariably lower than those obtaining last week. Nearly all the wheat in agents' hands considered fit for milling has been taken up, but there is still a quantity of second-class in store, which is unsaleable for milling, and can only be placed for shipment when tonnage is available, and at prices which cannot be otherwise than very nnsatisfactory to grower?. Whole fowls' wheat iB in good demand and easily disposed of in considerable quantities. We quote best milling, 3s Id to 3s 4d ; medium, nominal, 2s 9d to 3s ; inferior and soft, 2s 6d to 2s 8d ; fowls' wheat, 28 to 2a 6d (ex store, sacks weighed in). — Oats : A moderately good demand has been experienced during the past week. Snippers have been operating to some extent, notwithstanding the fact that prices ruling at outside ports are not such as to justify buyers in giving prices now paid in tbe local roarke^. Millers are not buying to any extent, and even decline to give prices lately quoted for milling. There is very little difference in the value of feed sorts, bat there are more offering, which hes caused tbe market to appear somewhat weaker. We quote prime short milling Is lid to Is ll}d ; extra prime, a shade more ; best bright feed, Is lOJd to Is lid ; medium, Is 9d to Is lOd ; Danish and long Tartere, clean and fit for seed, Is lOd to 2s ; in retail lots, 2s 3d to 2s 6d ; black, slow sale, 2i to 2s Id (ex store, sacks weighed in).— Barley : there is no improvement in the demand tor malting Most malsters, bemg supplied for the season, decline to operate. We quote prime malting 4s to 4s 3d ; medium, unsaleable for malting ; milling, 3a to 3s 3d ; feed Is 9d to 28 3d (ex store). — Rye -grass : This market is still comparatively inactive. Small sales are being made of machine-dressed at 2s 6d to 3a 3d (sacks extra). — Cocksfoot is in ample supply but bo far late inquiries have not led to much business. We quote 3f dto 4Jd per lb. Potatoes. — The tone of the market is much weaker and prices rccceding, dealers only bnying for picssing requirements. At auction on Tuesday, for one ton lots, 70s was top price, only two or three tons being placed. Dairy Produce.— Butter : Prime potted is inquired for, but there is hardly any coming forward, interior is in less demand, and only saleable occasionally, at from 3d to 6d, kegs extra.— Cheese : There is a full supply of medium in tbe market, which Bella at 2£i to id according to quality, but prime is Boarce,