Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 48, 21 March 1890, Page 18

Commercial.

Messrs. Donald Reid and Co. report for the week ending March 18 :—

As usual we offered a catalogue of grain and produce for sale by auction at our stores on Monday last. There was a full attendance of buyers and und°r moderate competition nearly everything waa disposed of at full market rates.

Wheat. — Prime milling samples are scarce and meet with ready sale, but inferior and medium are difficult to quit at quotations. Prime milling, 2a 10a to 3s 2d ; medium, 2a 5d to 2a 9d ; inferior fowl wheat, 2a to 2s 4(1.

Oats.— A considerable quantity continue to arrive, and aie readily sold off trucka at quotations. Milling, la 5d to Is 7d, sacks extra ; feed, Is 2d to la 4d.

Potatoes. — Darwents are scarce and meat with ready sale, but kidneyß are in over supply and are difficult to place. We quote, derwents, £3 to £4 ; kidneys £1 to £2.

Chaff. — Only a moderate supply forward, and prices are unaltered • We quote, prime, £2 10d to £2 159 ; medium, £2 to £2 7s 6d.

Messrs. Donald Stbonach and con report as follows for the week ending Wednesday, March 12 :—: —

Fat Cattle. — The entry to-day waa a small one, only 180 bead being yarded. About half ihis number were good to prime bullocks ; the balance consisted of light bullocks and cows and heifers. There were only two drafts forward which could properly be termed really prime beef, the Land Company's from Edendaie and the Waimate Estate draft. Prime beef was well competed for at about last week's rates. Medium and interior met a dragging sale, and sold rather lower. Best bullocks sold at £7 to £8 15s ; medium at £4 10a to £6 5s ; inferior at £2 5s to £3 10s ; cows and heifers at £2 to £5 10s.

Fat Sheep.— The number forward to-day was cousiderablv below the average, only 1238 beinsj penned. Only a few were prime fit for freezing, a large propurtioo being old ewes. Butchers held supplies from last sale, and ordinary quality met rather a dull sale. Lines of prime wethers an i maiden ewes were in brisk demand, and realised from Is 6d to 2s 6d a head higher than last wetk. Best crossbred wethers sold at 12* 6d to 15s 3d ; ordinary, 9a 6d to lls 6d ; crossbred ewes 6i 6d to lls 9d.

Fat Lambs. — Only 510 penned, ranging in quality from very inferior to prime. Most of the butchers held supplies from last week, and were not anxious to buy except at prices which offer bargains ; the result was a very slow sale, and several lots had to be turned out unsold.

(Store Cattle. — The tone of the market is in no way changed since we last reported. The demand is not by any means active, and for the few lots that do change hands prices obtained are not calculated to encourage breeders in their efforts to continue rearing for the market. The continued low range of value for fat cattle haa rendered business in Btores almost impossible.

Store Sheep. — The continued dry weather and scarcity of pasture seriously interfere with business. Owing to the same caase fat sbeep are being too freely prebsed on the Burnside market, and as it is impossible to get ship ing space to carry frozen mutton, buyers for this class are quite shut out of the market, and there has been an all-round fall in prices of fat stock of from Is on inferior sorts to 2s per head on sorts fit for freezing. This has reacted on the value of stored, and > s buyers are not anxious to stock tip in the present state of their pastures, they are not prepared to do business at the prices tfcat are asked, but prefer to hold off in the hope of buying cheaper later on. There has been some inquiry for young merino ewes, und suitable lines of this class could be placed at satisfactory prices. We anticipate a stronger demand immediately farmeis have cleared their paddocks, when, do doubt, considerable numbers will be required for ihe stubble. Inferior and broken mouthed merinos will also be taken up presently for boiling down.

Pigs. — Only 146 yarded. A large proportion were suckers and stores, the balance porkers end heavy bacoutrg, Suckers, met ftd.o.l}

•ale at about last week's rates. Stores were in good demand, and met with brisk competition. Backers s->ld at 6s to 14a ; stores, 22s td to 28s 61 ; purkers, 42s ; baconers, 655.

Wool. — Since our last the sixth aaries of sales was held at the Chamber of Commerce Hall, when there was a very fair attendance of buyers, several being from Christchurch. All the local buyers, including representatives of Home manufacturers, were also present. Grossbreds, aa usual, had the most attention, while merino, although not quite so keenly competed for, had a moderately fair demand. Considering the quality of the wools offered, also the position of the market at Home, prices realised, especially for crossbred, differed bnt little from those ranging at the previous sales, but merino showed a Blight decline.

Rabbitskins, — We are advised by our London circular, of date 25th J unary, to band last week, ttut the business throughout the year juet concluded baa been of a satisfictory character, and the small increase in the importations haa been readily absorbed by the trade, Black skins were occasionally the subject of special competition, and realised relatively high prices, making up to 2s 5Jd per lb. — Values on 31st December were from Id to 2d per lb above those current at a corresponding period in 1888. The total sales during the past year amounted to 6,108 bales as compared with 5,802 bales in 1888, 6,986 bales in 1887, and 3,614 bales in 1886. Locally there is very little done in these at the moment. At this season of the year the supply is always short, and even the small parcels coming to hand are generally a poor selection ; notwithstanding there are buyers for all submitted, and under good competition lull rates are always secured. We quote : — Good spring and summer skins, 7d to 9d ; inferior to medium, 4d to 6d ; Buckers and half-grown, l^d to 3Jd per lb. Hides. — The market is nnaltered and fully supplied. Local tanners absorb all coming forward at prices, although considered low by sellers, sufficiently high to prevent shippers from operating with any advantage to themselves. We quote — prime heavy ox hides, in faultless condition, 2| i to 3d ; medium to heavy, 2^d to 2jd ; light, 3d to 2^J j inferior, 1$ 1 to lj 1 per lb. Tailow. — During the past few days a slight reaction has set in and a considerable improvement on the dulness prevailing lately, Instead of having to hunt up buyers, the reverse is the case, all consignments coming forward being freely placed, and at somewhat higher piices. We quote medium to good, 16s to 17a ; inferior and mixed, 13a to 15s ; rough fat, best, lls 6d to 13s ; inferior to medium 8b 6d to 10s 6d per cwt.

Grain. — The exceedingly fine bright weather we have experienced this season has had the effect of securing an early harvest, which in the immediate neighborhood haa been housed in splendid condition. Threshing is now the order of the day, and the new crop is already coming forward freely. Oats appear to be a capital sample, generally well filled, and having been harvested and secured without a shower of rain they are firm and bright coloured. Wheat is also bright coloured and fine skinned, but in some of the samples waich have come under notice the corn apppars to be rather thin, as if it had ripened too quickly. The grain, is, however, in capital condition, and fit for immediate use either for milling or shipping. There is a fair dem md for new gram, wheat and oats, at current market rates, and although prices are certainly far from satisfactory, there is little prospect of any advantage in holding. At the anction sales on Monday last there was a full attendance of buyers, and bidding for prime lines, both of oats and wheat, was much brisker than it has been of late ; for inferior and medium samples, there was, however, bnt little demand. Prime milling wheat, being in short supply, evoked keen competition, at improved prices. A line of prime new rough chaff wheat, grown by Mr. David Marshall, Bentasken, North Taieri, topped the market at 3s 2d per buihel, off truck ; come other lines of Doth old and new exceeded 3§ per bushel. It is only in prime samples, howevtr, that prices have improved; medium and inferior be ng in over-abundant hupply, and with little demand, are if anything easier. It is doubtful if the prices now being obtained for milling wheat will be upheld when the new crop comes more freely to market. We would therefore advise clients who are sending in *heat for sale not to fix reserves on the basis of those prices ; the demand is very limited, and wh»n larger deliveries come forward we fear present rates will not be maintained. We quote — Extra prime milling, 3s to 3a 2d ; prime milling, 2s 7d to 2a lid ; fowls' wheat, inferior and medium, 2s to 2s 6i. Oais : The market is very bare of all qualities. Milling oats are in special demand, and all arriving meet with ready sale. During the week large sales have been made from samples at satisfactory prices. We quote — Best mi. ling, le 6d to 2s 7£d ; bright heavy feed, Is 3d to Is 5d ; inferior and medium feed, la Id to Is 4d (sacks extra). Potatoes. — A large supply of piime Derwents which arrived from the nortb at the beginning vi this week have quite taken the maiket, and although up to this poiut they have been difficult to place, they are now matured and have quite displaced th.i white sorts. Kidneys are but littie inquired f jr, and are now difficult to quit at quotations. We quote — Derwents, £3 to £4 ; kidneys, £2 to £3.

Cnaff —Only a modera ( e supply forward, and prices are well maintained. We qu'jte— Piime oaten, £2 7a 6d to £2 12s 6d ; medium, £2 to £2 ss. Ryegrass. — There has been a biißker inquiry, and Beveral lineß have betn cleared at up to 4a for farmers' dressed guaranteed perennial. Btocks are now small, and prices are likely to be well maintained.

Mr. F. Meenan, King street, reports: — Wholesale prices : — Oats, Is 4d to 1b 6d, bags extra. Wbeat : Milling, 2s 6d to 3d Id; fowls', 2s to 2a 4d, sacks included. Chaff : New, £2 10s ; for best old, £2 15s; inferior, 30 9 to 40s, unsaleable. Hay: Oaten, £3 ; rye-grasa, £3. Bran, £2 15g. Pollard, £4, scarce. Potatoes : Kidneys, £1 10s to £3 ; derweats, £3 10s— small sampla of Oamaru to hand. Flour : Stone, £7 10s ; sacks, fifties, £8 5a ; roller, £8 10s ; fifties, £9 ss. Butter, fresh, 9d to la— rather easier ; salt, 6d to 7d —demand moderate. Eggs, lOd.