Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 42, 8 February 1889, Page 19

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Stbonach Con behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending February 6 as follows :—

Fat Cattle. — Only 169 head were yarded, chiefly medium quality, yery few prim?. Best bullocks brought £7 10s to £9 ; ordinary, £4 2s Cd to £6 17s 6d. Cows in proportion. Fat Bhetp.— 2oß3 were penned, and with the exception of a oouple of pen a merinos, all the rest were croßsbreds. Best crossbred wethers brought 10s to 11« 9d, one small pen extra prime to 12s 3d ; ordinary, 6s 9d to 9a 6d ; best do ewes, 8s 3d to 10s 3d ; ordinary, 6a 3d to 8s ; a few merino wethers to 8s 3d ; do ewi, to 6s 3d.

Fat Lambs. — 1,605 we~e penned to-day, nearly nil good to prime. The range to-day was 3s to 7s 9d.

Pigs.— l4s were penned, comprising all Borta. Suckers brought ?■ 9d to 14s ; light stores, 14s 6d to 16s ; porkers, 25s to 31s ; baconen, 34i 6d to 40s. Store Cattle. — There is n moderate amount of business passing in these, and a market for all offt ring, although still adversely affected bj the very low prices ruling for fat stock. Store Sheep — There is considerable inquiry for both crossbred and merino ewes and wethers, two, four, and six* tooth, and in these K>tre business is being done. Several good lines have changed hands lately. Very few young sheep are offering. Intending buyer* would do well to consider the situation. Aged merinos are occasionally asked for, bnt buyers in the meantime demur to give prices demanded. Wool. — Shortly after our report went to Press last week we received from our London office telegraphic advices of the opening of the first series of colonial wool sales there, which are as follows :—: — " The wool sales opened this day (29th ult.) at about the level of last ■ales, except medium and inferior greasy, and inferior scoured merino, for which the market ia slightly weaker. The attendance of both Home and foreign buyers is good. The sales comprised about 245,000 bales. One hundred and nine thousand bales have been sent to the manufacturing districts direct.' 1 Later advice* report pi ices of good woo:b are t>te*dy. Inferior wools are irregular, and crossbredsare very firm, pr me aud medium showing a rise of $i to £d per lb. The third series of local sa.es was held on Friday, ist iost , when about 5,500 bales were catalogued, of which about 4,500 were sod. Oar contribution to these figures was 1,045 bales offered and 806 sold. With the exception < f one or two the whole of the buyers in attendance at the previous sales were present ; also, a large number of growers and others intens'ed ia the proceedings. Competition was spirited for all light, bealthr, fine-n'bred, greasy crossbred?, which realised prices ful y tqual to those obtaining at the former sales, one or two lots extra fine topping previous rater. All grades of crossbred and half bred had good attention, while greasy merino, although in good demand, suffered a decline, owing to advices to band reporting prices per lb. lower at the opening cf th<s first series of wool •ales in London. Pit ces and locks of all sorts baa less attention on Friday, prices realised showing a considerable reduction on those previously obtaining. Greasy fine h*l -bred and cronsbred ranged from 9£d to 10J I ; two small lots extra fine fetched lljd ; ordinary 7J to 3d ; greasy combing moriuo, lipht, lOd to 1 l^-<i ; medium, 84 to 9sd ; hea.vy in grease ami earthy, 7£ 1 to 8d ; piece , from 4^l "i. Bid.

Sheepskins.— At our res^u ar weekly sale held by auction on Monday we had a gooi attendance of buyers, who com pe led witb •pint, and. the catalogue, whicb consisted 01 a large number ol batcher*' green pelts, ia addition to a numerous collect oa of country dry ■kini, was all cleareJ, there being a good demand for all sort* at pricet, in fcorae instances, iq advance of those obtaining lately Country dry croesbreds, low to medium, brought la 2d to 3s 9d ; uo do. merino, Is Id to 3b 9d ; full-woollea crosabredg. 4i to 5e 8d ; de

do. merino, 3s 8d to 5s 3d ; dry pelts, 3d to Is ; green do., 19d, ltd, 17d, 13d, 12d, 9d ; lambskins, 2s 3d, 2s 2d, 2s, Is 9d, Is 7d, Is 4d, Is 3d.

Rabbitskint. — In the absence of any quantities coming to town there is nothing of any consequence to report. Hides.— All coming forward art sold readily, there i« no change in price. Buyers constantly complain of hides being badly packed and out in flaying , a want of care in this respect seriously affecting prices. We quota inferior and balls, l}d to 2d ; light, 3si to 2fd ; medium, Sjdto 3d ; over 60 in satisfactory condition, 3sd totyi per lb. Tallow.— All available supplies are sold without difficulty to the local manufacturers, prises meantime being unchanged from late quotations. The Home market appears fairly steady and with suitable supplies available there ought to be a margio for shipment. We quote prime mutton, 25s 6d to 26s 61 ; good to prime, 2is to 26* ; medium, 22s 6d to 23s 6d ; inferior, 20s to 21s 6d ; rough fat, inferior, 10s to 15s ; medium, 15s 6d to 17s 6d ; prime, 18s to 19s per cwt. Grain.— Wheat : The market continues exceedingly flat, there are no buyers of milling for either gristing or export, and late quotations unobtainable. There is some slight .demand for whole fowls' wheat in skipping condition, at from 2s 9d to 3» ; broken and musty* 2s to 2s 6d (ex store.)— Oats * there is no improvement in the demand, which still continues sluggish. Snippers are not inclined to operate, except at prices considerably below last week's quotations, and agents considering the small stock* on hand, are indisposed in the meantime, to give way, nnder the impression that the few in store will not be sufficient for requirements . In the present state of the market quotations would only be misleading. Barley. — There is nothing doing locally, but it is evident from the numerous enquiries from Australia that parcels of prime malting will rule high immediately the new orop is forth coming. Ryegrass £38d . — The market in the meantime is quiet. We quote local grown, andreseed, 2s 9d to 3a 3d ; machine dressed, 3s 6d to 3i 9d per bushel.— Cocksfoot : Slow of sale at 3d to 4d per lb. Potatoes. — Deliveries this week have been on a more moderate scale, just about sufficient for requirements. Prices have slightly hardened, and are now worth £6 to £7 per ton. The quality up to the present has not at all been satisfactory, the greater proportlo a being too green and small. Dairy Produce. — Factory cheese firm at 6d to tyd, cases included ; farmers', 6£d per lb. for prime. — Butter : 8d for farmer's lots, with aa upward tendency. We have enquiries for separator butter.

GRAIN AND WOOL BEPORT.

Messbs. Samuel Obb and Co., Stafford street, report for the week ending February 6, as follows :—: —

Wheat. — There has really been nothing doing is this cereal dnring the past week, millers still being fully supplied with it and also with flour. No inducement in the shape of lowering values is of any avail, so that for tke present we must hold on to stocks iv store, in the hope of things soon turning.

Oats. — The market for thete continues inanimate, and it it almost impossible to effect Bales unless at a reduction on late rates. We quote 2s 4d to 2s 6d for prime milling ; bright feed, 2s 2i to 2s 4d ; medium and discoloured, 1b 9d to 2s Id.

Barley. — Prime Cape has been sold at 33,3 3, delivered here. Chaff.— Market still swamped and present supply will hold out for some weeks yet.

Potatoes. — Tae market has been fairly supplied daring the week and from £7 to £8 is now obtainable.

Wool.— The third sale of tha Beason wai held on Friday, Ist ins\ b fore a fall attendance of buyers. Competition was keenest for light half-breds and merinos, which in many cases made a slight advance on the previous series.

Messrs Arthub M 'Donald and Co. report as folLws for tin week ending Wednesday, 6th February :—: —

Sheepskins.— All coming forward find ready sale at equal to 5d to Gd per lb for dry skins in good condition and well-woolled ; dry pelts (crossbreds) in sound condition, lOd to la 3d ; poor and badly cared for sell at from 4d to 9d. Hides.— Good lines of heavies— 6o lb and over— free from cffal, sell at 3£l to 3J i ; good ttverage lota in prime condition, from 501 b to 60.D, are worth 3d tq3J i ; 201 b to 401 b, 2d to 2Jd— according to condition. Calfskins. 94 to Is 3d each.

Tallow. — We placed several lines of inferior to medium at £22 10s to £24. Rough Fat. — Ordinary lots of butchers sold at 18s to 19a cwt. Rabbitakins.— A good demand exists. Wheat. — Medium and inferior sells at from 3s to 3s 6d. Potatoes.— Go d demand. £6 20s to £7. Salt Butter.- 7|d to Bd, kegs extra.

Mb. F. M KENAN, King street, reports :— Wholesale price*, bags included. O >ts : 2s 4d to 2s 9d, nominal. Wheat : milling, 4e to 4s 3d ; fowls' 2a 6d to 3s Id, market easing. Barley : malting, beet, 4a 6d ; milling, 3s to 3s tid ; ieeding, 2u 9d. Chaff has eased very much — £3 to £3 10b, market full. Hay, old oaten, £5 ; ryr-grass, £3 10s; new, £3 to £3 10s ;no new oaten in market. Bran, £3 15 a. Poll trd, £4 to £4 ss. Flour, stone : town, £11 to £11 15 ; country, £10 10-1 to £11 ; roller, £12 to £12 15s, dull. Potatoes, very scarce, £7 for new kidneys. Oatmeal, £12 10-t. Butter, fresh, 7d to lOd ; salt, nominal, 8d to 9d, no demand. Eggs, la.