Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 38, 11 January 1889, Page 15

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Sibonach (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for tbe week ending January 9, as follows : —

Fat Cattle. — There were only 136 head yarded to-day — about one-third prime, the balance only medium, chiefly cows. Best bullocks brought £8 los to £10 10a , ordinary, £i loi to £7 17s 6d ; cowe, £4 os to £7 12s 6d.

Fat Sheep. — Only 842 penned, all crossbreds. Prices realised showed an advance of Is 61 to I's per head on last week'e prices. Best crossbred wethers brought 12s 6d to 14s ; ordinary, lls to 12s ; best crossbred ewes, 13s to 14s 9d ; ordinary, 10s to 12s 6d. Fat Lambs. — 366 were penned representing all qualities Pigs. — 313 were penned. Suckers brought 7s to 17 ; stores 14s to 23s 6d ; porkers, 27s 6d to 32s 6d ; baconere, 35s to 565, each.

Store Cattle. — There is no improvement to note in tbe tone of the market, either with respect to demand or price?. A few are changing hands, but graziers are operatu g with cau;ion, and except for well-bred quiet bullocks, ab^ut half fat, there ii/very lit tie demand. Store Sbeep. — Up to the present httle or no busineas has been doDe in this line, and any quotations, meanwhile, would be merely speculation. At present lhere seems to be a considerable difference between values of buyers and sellers, and until the latter definitely know what they may have for dispcsil and prices, fixed transactions will be limiteJ.

Sheepskins. — These continue in good demand at recent rates. We had the usual attendance of buyers at our wetkly sale on Monday, when we offered a \ery full catalogue, comprising a number of country dry skins, a so a fair 6hare of town butchers' botb wo>lly, green skins and bare pelip. Competition was fairly active, and all were disposed of at the following r«tes —For country dry crossbrels, low to medium, Is 2d to 3s lOd : do do merino, Is 3d to 3s 5d ; full-*oolled croasbnds, 43 to .Is 4d ; do do merino, 3s Gd to 4s 7d ; dry pelts, 3 i to lid ; butchers' woolly green cro-sbreds, 5s 9J, 5s 6d, 5s 3d. us, 4s 9d ; do do pelts, 17d, 16d, 15J, 14d. 13d, 12d ; lambskins, la 10J, Is 9d, Is Bd, Is 4d, Is 3d, Is 2i each.

Rabbitskios.— Owing to the limited supply there is very little business being done in these now. Quotations are nominal.

Hides. — A steady demand continues to etia* , but th« market is u n chaneed so far as prices are concerned. We qn >te — inferior and bulls', l£-i to 2<l ; light, 2Jd to 24 i ; medium 2sd to 3d ; heavy and in satisf tctory condition, 3£d to 3£d per lb. Tallow. — We have no improvement to note in value, and quote — prime mutton, 24s 6d to 26a fid ; good to prim", 22s 6>l t> 23i 6d ; medium, 19s 6 1 to 21s 6d ; inferior and mixed, 16s 6d to 18s 6d ; roueh fat has good attention, inferior to medium fetching 13s 6>i to 15i 6d ; best caul, 17h 6.1 per cwt.

Grain.— Wheat : The past week has been a quiet one. Requirements are not pressing. Millers are therefore put chasing only when actually necessary, and in small parcel*). The tune of the market meantime is extremely quiet. Stocks of flour have been accnmula* tin; lately, and in the absence of a sufficient demand necessary to absorb the supply there is a tendency to reduce tbe price, which if carried oat would have a material effect on the value of milling wheat. Fowls' wheat has very little attention, shippers are not disposed to operate while holders adhere to prices lately ruling. We quote nominally — prime milling, velvet and Tuscan, 4s 6d to 4s 8d ; good to prime, 4« to 4s 3d; inferior to medium, 2s 9d to 3s, ex store.— Oats : These have no attentioi of any consequemce, the demand for export being exceedingly quiet, %nZ sales at anything like satisfactory prices difficult to make, buyers only offering 3s to 3s Sd, Holders however are still hopeful that the small stocks held will ere long meet with a better demand. Meantime there is nothing doing, nnd quotations nominally, say for prime milling, 3s 7d to 3sßd ; belt feed, Si 5d to 3s 7d ; medium, 3s 3d to 3s 4d ; inferior, 3s to 3« 2d, ex store. — Barley : The market is clean swept, and consequently there is little or no business doing. Quotations nominal.

Grass Seed. — Ryegrass : Most of the stock now on hand is held by only a few sellers, who demand higher prices. The business done however, is limited. We quote local grown, undressed. 2s 3d to 2s 9d ; dressed, 3s 6d to 4s. Cocksfoot * Slow sale at 3d to 3f d per lb.

Potatoes. — The supply is exceeding the demand, and the result it a receding market, only newly dug, fresh potatoes are saleable at quotations. Derwents are almost out of the market. Newly dag kidneys are worth £7 to £8 ; any others are almost unsaleable.

Dairy Produce. — Factory cheese remains at 6d to6M ; separator butter at previous quotations. Farmers is much easier, at present 9d to lOd being price for prime. We anticipata an improved demand for both butter and cheese during the present month.

Messrs Arthur M'Donald and Co. report &s follows for the week ending Wednesday, 9th January :—: —

Sheepskins. — Full woolled sold at equal to s£d to 6£d per 1b ; pelts (.green), Is Gi to 2s 2d, the latter for the primest. Dry pelt* up to Is 2d ; lambs, Is 4d to 2a 61. according to quality. Tallow — Bough fat sold at 17s 6d to 18s for good ordinary lots, and 16s to 17s for poor and heated. No shipping lines of tallow were forward : there is excel'ent enquiry for them, and £25 10b per ton il obtainable for best lines, Tallow in bags and tins sells at for good, 21s to 23? per cwt ; medium and inferior, 17s to 19s 6d.

Rabbitskine. — Consignment?, consist, for the most part, of summer* and poor springs, which «ell at 5j to Bd, according to quality No winters or gcoi springs are offering.

Grain. — The business transacted during the last three weeks has been very slight, and confined, for the most part, to immediate requirements.

Potatoes. — We have sold several lines of new at £7 to £8 5s per

Salt Bu'ter.-— There is good inquiry, but 9d is now top price for good farmers lot?. Chaff continues in over supply, and anything but prime bright is difficult of sale. There is no demand for straw chaff.

Mr. F. Mkenan, King street, reports :— Wholesale prices, b«gs included : Oats hove undergone a considerable reduction in valne, owing principally to the break-up of the drought in Australia, and the fact that they went much beyond their value ; medium, 3s ; prime, 3s GJ, market dull. Wheat : milling, 4s to 4s 6d ; fowls', fowls', 3s to 3-1 6d. Barley : malting, 4s 6d ; milling, 3s to 3s 6d ; feeding, 2s 'Jd to 3s. Chaff, good oat sheaf. £5 ; medium, £4 ; straw, £2, very slow of sale. Hay, oa'en, £4 ; rye-grass, £3 10s, both scarce. Bran. £4. Pollard, £4 10*. Flour, stone, £11 ; in 501 b. sacks. £11 15s; roller, £12 to £13. Potatoes, old, £3; new, £9. Oatmeal, £17. Butter, easier, fresh, 9d ; for good salt, 9d kegs extra.