Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 21, 13 September 1889, Page 13

Commercial.

Mb. Dokald Steokach (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending September 11, as follows :—

Fat Cattle. — Only 144 were yarded. Best bullocks brought £7 17s 6d to £9 10s ; extra prime, 10s lOd ; medium £5 15s to £7 5s ; and light £3 10s to £5 5s ; cows in proportion. ~ Fat Sheep.— 327s were penned, of which about 520 were merinos. Bast crossbred wethers brought 13s 6d to 15s 9d ; one psn extra prime, 16s ; ordinary, 8s 6d to lls 9d ; best crossbred ewes, 11s to 13s 9d ; ordinary, 8s to 10s 6d ; merino wethers, 6s 6d to Bs. Lambs.— lß were penned, which sold at up to 8s 9d. Pigs.— l 76 were penned. Suckers brought 8s to lls ; stores, 16s to 23s : porkers, 27s 6d to 345 ; baconers, 38s to 545.

Store Cattle. — There is not much inquiry for theße in the meantime, and until the new grass begins to make some show transactions will be unimportant.

Store Bheep.— There are no transactions of any consequence passing now, and no demand to speak of. Occasionally odd lots are wanted for eating off root cropp, but owing to the turnips being now almost all used up, the number required for this purpose is limited. Wool. — Since date of our last report, advices are to hand of the closing of the wool sales at Antwerp. One thousand bales of Australian wool sold at prices fully equal to those obtained at the London sales in July, and for superior and medium Biver Plate wool prices remained firm, but for inferior sorts and lambs' wool prices were scarcely so firm. Altogether 18,000 bales were offered, of which over two-thirds were sold. At our auction sale this week we sold several lots of greasy, slipe. and sconred wool at very satisfactory prices. Sheepskins. — Owing to a half-holiday being proclaimed for Tuesday, we held our weekly sale on Monday instead, when we offered a very lengthy catalogue. The trade was fully represented, and under the influence of splendid drying weather, there was keen competition. Fine combing woolly skins, both crossbred and merino, were again in excellent demand, and realised prices quite up to and over last week's rates. Buyers seem to have confidence in the wool market continuing firm, so that there is no trouble experienced in disposing of the larger quantities now coming forward at satisfactory prices. Country dry orossbreds, inferior to medium, brought Is 3d to 3s lid ; do do merino, 1b 4d to 3s 10(3 ; medium to f ull-woolled crossbreds, 4a to 8s Id ; do do merino, 3s lid to 5s lOd ; dry pelts, 2Jd to Is Id ; butchers' green crossbreds, best, 6s 6d, 6s 4d, 6s 2d, 5s lOd, 5s 9d, 5s 7d, 53 4d, 5s 2d ; good to medium and inferior, ss, 4s lOd, 4s 9d, 4s 7d, 4s sd, 4s 3d, 4s ; green merinos, 5s 9d, 5s Bd, 5a 6d, 5s 4d, 5s Id, 4s 9d, 4s 6d.

Babbitskins.— An active demand prevails, and all sorts are sale able at prices quite in sympathy with thosa obtaining in the last reported London sales. There are several good orders in buyers' hands, and they appeal at present fully prepared to operate to a very considerable exteut, and by the eagerness displayed in bidding, it would seem as if the supply continues to be very much short of requirements, but the demand is all that could be desired. Shippers are limited to a price over which at present they cannot go. This week we offered a moderate catalogue, none of which were prime skins, and consequently did not reach last week's top price, although, considering the quality, there was no difference in rates obtained. We quote — Best winter greys, free from black stains (selected;, 16£ dto 17^d ; good to prime, 15d to 16d ; ordinary, Is to 14Jd ; summers, 5d to 8d ; suckers and half-grown, 24 to 4d ; black and fawn, 7d to 1(M per lb.

Hides. — There is no quotable alteration to note in values, nor in the position of the market generally. The demand is not by any means active, being chiefly confined to the requirements of tbe local manaf acturere, who are the only operators. Prices are considered low by sellers, but are evidently too high for exporters to do any business at. We quote — Prime extra heavy, 2Jd to 3d ; heavy, 2Jd to 2|d ; medium, 2±d to 2Jd ; light, 2d to 2£d ; interior, Isl to lfd per lb. Tallow. — All available supplies are sold without difficulty to the local manufacturers, prices, meantime, being unchanged from late quotations. The Homo market appears fairly steady, and with suitable supplies available, there ought to be a margin for shipment. We repeat last week's quotations, viz.. for prime rendered mutton, 19s to 20s ; medium to good. 16s to 18s ; infeiior and mixed, 12s 6d to 15s ; rough fat, best mutton caul, 13s 6d to 14s ; inferior to medium and good, 9s to 13s per cwt. Grain. — Wheat : The market is unchanged, since we last reported and stiH in favour of buyers, only small transactions taking place, and millers showing no anxiety to purchase more than sufficient for present requirements. Samples of Northern growth are offering freely and at reduced price?, which makes it somewhat difficult to place Sonthern at anything approaching a satisfactory pries. Fowl wheat has a very fair demand, and selling pretty freely both for local consumption and export. We quote, good to prime milling, 3s 6d to 3s 8d ; extra prime, a shade more ; medium to good, nominal, 3s 3d to 3s 5d ; inferior to good whole fowls' wheat, 2s 9d to 3s 2d, ex store.— Oats : Tbe market for these continues inanimate. There is little or no demand for either feed or milling, and the only business doing is confined to the disposal of small odd lots for local requirements. Tbe expected demand for export, which by this time was to clear out the moderate stocks on band, seems still in the distance, bnt while there is no inquiry of any consequence, short, stcut, bright feed (more particularly eparrowbillp,) can be disposed of if a slight reduction on current quotations would be accepted. W« { Me, best bright milling, 2s 8d to 2s 9d, best short feed, 2s 6d to 2s^l ; medium to good, 2s 5d to 2s 6d ; inferior to medium, 2s 4d to 2s 5d (ex store, sacks extia).— Barley : Malsters have pretty full stockß now on hand, and while open to purchase really prime samples, ordinary has no attention whatever. Tbe bulk of the offerings being of tbe latter quality, tbe^market.may be said to be at a standstill. Milling and feed sorts have also a dragging sale. We quote, prime

malting, 3« fid to Bs7d ; medinm/ nominal, 3a to 8a 34} feed and milling, 2s to 2i 9d, (ex store, aaoka extra). Orwi Seed.— Byegnas aeed : A moderate boatneas ia patting id thia. A good many aaaall orders are being executed and ia the aeaaou adTances no doubt hear ier olearancae will be effected. We quote local grown machine dressed, 4a 3d to ia 9d ; undressed, 3a 3d to 4a ; Porerty Bay, 5s 6d to 7s ; sacks ex tors. Cocksfoot seed : Stocks ample for requirements and np to the present aales are confined to limited quantities, but with a continuation of seasonable weather a good demand ia expected, and present rates maintained. We quote machine dressed, 4d to 4|d ; inferior to medium and good, tyd to 3}d per lb

Potatoes.— The market remains on about a level with the position art week, and while deliveries continue as at present, late rates are ikely to be maintained. In the meantime however the business done is more of a retail character, buyers not feeling disposed to go in for quantities. We quote best northern, 90s to 955 ; medium, 80s to 86a; southern best, 70s to 76s per too. Cbaff. — The market is fairly well supplied* but with a moderately good demand, Sales of orime heavy oaten, well out, are readily effected, while ordinary and aiscoloared have leu attention. Straw chaff is almost unsaleable. We quote:— Best oaten, £3 15s to £4 ; ordinary, £3 to £3 10s ; inferior, 35s to 55s per too. Dairy Produce.— The tone of the market continues depressing. There is a considerable quantity of the season's produoe still on band, and considering the poor prioes ruling in all the Australian markets, the outlook is not by any means satisfactory; We quote, prime factory cheese, large, 4sd to 5d ; small, 6d to 6£d ; prime potted butter, 5d to 6d j inferior, 2d to 4d per lb, and but little demand at these prices.

Messbs. Donald Brid and Co., Dunedln, report for week ending September 11, as follows :— Babbitskins, — At our regular weekly sale, which was held on Monday this week, we submitted a catalogue of 18 lots, in quality ranging from suckers to medium winters. The local buyers were in attendance and bid spiritedly for all lots offered. For selected prime winter skins there is an almost unlimited demand, and this class wo aid realise extreme prices. We quote— lnferior, 3d to 6d ; medium, 7d to lOd ; good to 16id. Sheepskins.— At the Central Auction Booms on Monday, we submitted our usual catalogue of skins. There was a brisk demand and very keen competition, especially for lines of heavy halfbreds and merinos, which sold fully 3d higher than at last week's sale. Dry crossbreds sold at 2s 8d to 6s Id ; do merinos, 2s 3d to 6s ; dry pelts and lambs, 4d to 2s 8d ; green crossbred*, 4a to 6s ;do merinos, 3s 3d to 5s 4d.

Hides.— There is no change to report in this market. Competition is entirely confined to local tanners, there being no inducement for shippers to operate while prices at outside markets remain so low. We quote— Prime heavies. 2Jd to 3d ; medium 2d to 2£d ; inferior, Isl to lfd ; bnlls «nd slippy, Id to Hd. Tallow.— ln this market there is more activity, and prices show some improvement. At present the market is very bare, and a large supply is wanted for local requirements. On Tuesday we disposed of all forward at for— Prime rendered, 18s 61 to 203 ; medium. 16s to 17s 6d ; inferior, 12s to 15s ; rough fat, 10s to 14a.

Grain.— Wheat : There is no material alteration in the state of the wheat market since last reporting. There is a small outpnt to supply tbe local demand, and some odd lines go for seed ; the sales, however, are slow and dragging, and priee9, if anything, weaker. We quote — Prime milling, 3s 7d to 3s 9d ; medium milling, 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; fowls' wheat and inferior, 2s 6d to 3s 2d. Oat 6. — The market is still very quiet, and prices are not in any way improved. Small sales of medium quality are taken for feed, but at prices slightly under those lately ruling. Millers are almost entirely out of the market, and shippers have little encouragement to operate in tbe face of depressing reports from Australia. We quote— Seed oats, 3s to 3s 3d ; milling oats, 2s 8d to 2s 9d ; feed oats, 2s 5d to 2s 7d (sacks extra).

Barley. — No transactions to report. Potatoes.— Derwents are in Bhort supply, and prices havo improved. There is a good outlet for all coming forward, and ready sale at quotations. Kidneys are not inquired for, and meet a very slow sale. We quote— Derwents, £4 5s to £4 17s 6d ; kidneys, ft* to £4.

Chaff.— There is a brisk demand at present, and considerable sales passing. The market is fairly supplied, and prices are well maintained. Prime oaten, well cut, meets with greatest demand ; while inferior and straw chaff are difficult to place. We quotePrime oaten, £3 10s to £3 15s ; inferior and mixed, £3 to £3 7s 6d. Byegrass. — Hay : The demand has fallen off very much, and prices are decidedly easier. We quote £2 to £3. Tnrnips : These are in short supply, and meet with ready sale at from 18s to 20s per ton.

Messrs. Samuel Obb and Co., Stafford street, report for the week ending September 11, as follows : Wheat. — There is a Tery limited demand with no improvement in prices, and but little prospect of any change, ai the markets at home and elsewhere are as sluggish as they have ever been. We quote, nominally, prime milling, 3s 6d to 3s 8d ; medium, 3 c 2/1 to 3s 4d ; fowls' feed, 2s 6d to 3s Id. Oats. — The markets on the other side being flat, and the uncertainty of when the extra duty is going to be levied, has made speculators chary of touching any unless they can get them shipped right away, which- just now is a difficulty, space in the steamers being scarce. We qnote— Prime milling, 2s 7d to 2s 8d ; heavy bright feed, 2s 8d ; ordinary, 2s 5d to 2s 6Jd. Barley.— Ther9 being no sales taking place we refrain from giving quotations which might only mislead. Chaff. — There is a fair quantity coming forward, add prices are being maintained in consequence. Good, clean, well-cut, pure oaten, •heat is worth 43 1 5a to £3 17s 6d ; ordinary, £3 to #3 lQt

Potatoes.— The unsteadiness of the market on the other side has damped prices here a bit, and foi Northerns £4 15s is obtained, and Southerns, £4 10a.

Grass Seed.— Byegrass :— The season is now in full, and during the week we sold some large parcels, prices ranging from 2s 9d to 69, the latter for Poverty Bay. Cocksfoot is also in good demand, as well as Timothy, the former selling at from 2&d to 4}d, and the latter up to 6d, according to quality. — Clover : Our market is not over supplied and prices have hardened.

ff Mb. F, Mbbkan, King street, reports :— Wholesale prices, bags included : Oats, 2s 5d to 2s 9d. Wheat : milling (dull), values, for good samples, 3s 9d ; medium, 3s 6d ; fowls', 2s 9d to 3s. Chaff: Supply fair, £3 10s to £3 15s. Hay, oaten, £3 15s ; ryegrass hay, £3 6s to £3 10s. Bran, £3 10s. Pollard, £5. Potatoes, supply moderate ; Southern, £4; Northern, £4 10b; kidneys (dnll),£3, according to sample. Flour (dull) : Stone, sacks, £8 10s ; fifties, £9 ss ; Boiler, £9 is ; fifties, £10 os. Oatmeal, £13 10s. Butter, fresh, 8d to Is, fair demand ; salt, nominal, 3d to 6d. Eggs, 9d.