Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 38, 10 January 1890, Page 15

Commercial.

Mb. Donald Bthoxach (on behalf of tbe New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Compauy, Limited) reports for tbe week ending January 7, as follows :—: —

Fat Cattle.— 3B7 bead were yarded. Bullocks brought £8 t° £8 15s ; mcd urn to good, £6 to £7 15* ; ordinary and light weights* £6 lOi to £5 10.- ; best cows, £5 10s to £7 109.

F»t Sheep.— 3Bl wore penned. Best crossbred wethers brought 13s to 14s 9d i ordinary, 9* 3J to 12j 9i ; best do ewes, 10s 6d to 12s 3d : inferior to medium, 7* to 10a ; merino wethers, 9a 6d.

Fat Lambs. — 1349 were penned. Tbere was less demand, and prices were down 1» 6j to 2s a bead, our range being 6s 9d to 10s 9d.

Pigs.— O ily 141 penned. Suckers brought 9a to 12 ; porkers, 26s to 32s ; baconers, 34s to 425, a few extra heavy to 68s.

Store Cattle.— Tbe market for these continues unaltered, and no obange of any importance to record. Purchasers for fatening are offering with caution, and ratber than give prices which they consider would leave them no profit prefer having their pastures eaten off by sheep.

Store Sheep.— A moderately fair demand exists for greasy sheep both crossbred a> d merino, but up to tbe present tbere are not very many of these offering, some lots of aged croEsbreds are now in the market, but while there are buyers tot these they are not disposed, except when extra prime to give prices demanded by owners. Sheepskins.— On Tuesday, the regular weekly sale day, all the buyers in the trade were in attendance. We offered a very full catalogue. A good demand existed. Competition was very satisfactory, bidding being very active for all sorts all through the sales, late rates were fully maintained. Country dry crossoreds, inferior to medium, brought Is 4d to 3s lid ; do do merino, Is 3d to 3s 7d ; medium to f ull-woolled crowbreds, 4a Id to 4s 6d ; do do marino, 3s 8d to 6s lid ; dry pelts, 4d to Id 2d ; green do Is 6d, Is sd, Is 4d, Is 3d, Id 2.1, Is Id, Is, lOd ; green lambskins, 2s 3d, 2s 2d, 2s Id, 2s, Is lOd, Isßd, Is6d, Is 3d.

RabbiUkins— There is nothing of any corsequence to report with respect to these, this being the off season the number coming forward is very small, and of inferior quality ; bat even for these there are buyers and realise prices whicb cannot leave much margin to the shipper. We did not offer any this week, but have buyers for an unlimited number.

Hiaes. — There is no change to report in the position of the market. A moderately fair demand continues to exist. All consignments coming to hand are freely taken up at equal to late rates, especially heavy clean hides free from < rial and cuts. We quote extra heavy weights, 2JI to 3d; medium to heavy, 2Jd to 2Jd ; light, 2d to 2£d ; inferior, ljd to Isl per lb,

Tallow. — We have no improvement to report in values. The demand, however, continues fairly active, and late quotations un» altered, which we give as follows— for prime-rendered mutton, 19a to 20a; medium to good, 16s to 18s ; inferior and mixed, 13s to 15s. Bough fat is id active demand, and gelling at— for btst mutton, 13i to 148 ; iiif«riur 10 medium and good, 9a to 12s 6d per cwt. Urain.— Whea : There is no apparent improvemeat in the tone of the maiket, which continues excessively flat. Buyers f.r the present are not disposed to operate at late quotations, and holders of suitable lots, feeling somewhat reluctant to quit at further reduction in the rather umemunerative prices obtaining during the past two months, business, in const quence, drags. Millers continue to buy sparingly— ju-t fcufficient to meet the email demand existing for fl jur, which is coufiued to the supplying o f (he local trade n quirements, there be ng no outlet for export. We quote— prime Tuscan, 3s to 3s Id ; beet red straw and velvet, 2s 9d to 2s lid ; medium to good, 2a 8d to 2s 9d ; inferior to good whole fowls' wheat, 2i to 2s 7d, ex store. Oats.— The market for these con'inues languid. A tew sales have bten made duiiog the past week for export, but at prices show* ing a reduction on last quotations. Pdme milling have had the most inquiry, although a few paiceJs of good feed were also disposed of. At aucdou this week tbe best off ;r for gooa feed was only Is 4d, which shows pretty cleaily the position of the market. We quote— prime milling, Is 6d to Is 6J i ; best short feed, Is 4Jd to Is 6£d ; medium to good, Is 3d to U 4a (ex store, sacks extra". — Barley : Tbere is no quantity to speak of in agents' bandu ; but there is no demand, and tne small lots offering, except when extra prime, are difficult to place Quotations are only nominal, say for prime malting. 3* to 3s 3d ; medium to good, 2a 9i to 3d ; Led and milling, Is 9d to 2s 6d (ex store, sacks extra) Ui ass Seed.— There are buyers in the market of ryegrass seed, well grown and clean, but the prices offered hardly come up to sellers idea of value, most of whom prefer holdug till the autumn atanyrate. Quotations would only be misleading ; there is no demand whatever for undressed. Cocksfoot has no enquiry at tbe moment ; we refrain from quoting. Potatoes. — The market has been glutted with shipments from tbft north during the past week, and tbe res lit a regular collapse in price ; only newly dug have any attention, but the quantity imported has had a very considerable i fleet upon values. At auction this week prices ranged from 30s to 65s per too for kidneys. Chaff.— Tbe market continues to be faiily well supplied with infeiior to medium qua'ity, but ratber bare of well cut, fresh heavy chaff whicb although thowi >g no improvement in price is always saleable at top rates, we quote prime £3 5s to £3 7s 6d ; medium, £2 7s 6d to £2 15s ; infeiior, 25 1 to 40s per ton, sacks extra. Dairy Produce.— Consignments of botu cheese and butter, especially tbe latter, aie now being shipped regularly to the London maiket, and also to Aus ralia, chiefly on makers account. Should this continue we wi uld not be surprised to see a considerable improvement in the tone of tb» market. At the moment tbere are no buyers for shipment, quotations nominal.