Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 4, 23 May 1890, Page 20

Commercial.

MBBSR3. Donald Stronach and Son report for the week ending May 14, as follows :—

Fat Sheep.— For tha woek'a supply 3323 citn; fjrwird, which number included 250 merino*. Oompstuion was rather dull at the beginning of the sales, but showed a consideable improvement i little later on till values steadied down at about the level of last week, except for sheep of poorer quality for which prices wera easier thro lghout. Best crossbred wethers m vie 13s 6lti 16< 61; ordinary, lls 6d to 13s ; ewes, prime quality, 12s 6 i to 14a 61; ordinary, 84 3d to 11s 6d; merinos, 4a 6d to 6a 91. We sold drafts oi aajou it of Mr. J. Henderson and Mr. J. Butberford at quotations.

Lambs. — 390 were penned and sold at from 3< 91 to 10s 9d. Quality was not quite 83 good aa usual. We sold 76 at 8a 6d, 8a 9d, and 10s Bd.

Fat Cattle. — An average supply of 209 head was yarded to-day. Owing to the late hour the sales finished, prices suffered c msiderably before the close. Cattle of goxi quality ware very scirce, and any answering to that description and offered earlier in the day brought fair value at about last Wednesday's rates. Bast bullocks Bold at £6 10s to £7 17a 6d— an odd pen or two a shade more ; medium, £5 5s to £6 5s ; light weights, £3 2a 6d to £5 ; cows, £2 15s to £6 10s.

Pigs. — To-day's exceptionally heavy entry— viz., 751— coming after the several overstocked markets of late prove 1 far too many for the trade to deal with, except at prices considerably lower than ever before known at Burnaide. Suckers brought 6s to 9a ; stores, 153 to 21s ; porkers, 20s to 269 ; baconers, 28s to 37a. Wool. — Latest cable advices from London read: — "May 11. 305,000 bales were catalogued for the series of wool sales jast finished, and of which 100,000 bales were held over. Besides tbis 101,000 bales were exported." Telegrams received by the various agents here would go to show that the decline in prices compared with closing value a of previous series may be taken At about 7£ per cent., except for crossbreds and lambs, which have fallen £d per lb., and for superior merino greasy, for which the sarket is easier. It is. however, satisfactory to note that the tone of the market »t the close was rather firmer for New Zealand wools. Locally, the usual small weekly catalogues have been cleared at fair rates.

Sheepskins.— A keen demand is still experienced for all qualities. Tuesday's auction sales were well attended, and prices — illowing for the usual slight advance in green skina for extra growth— ruled about level with last week's. Quotitions run : — Butchers' green crossbred, 4h 6*l, 4s 3d, is 2d, 4s, and 3a 101 for best, other quilities in proportion; merinos, 3s 6d, 3i 31, 3j Id, 3s, 2s 9i, 2s 6d ; lambs, up to 4s. Uouuiry ski \s : Dry orossbred, inferior to medium, Is 3d to 4s 3d ; do. merino, Is 4 I to 3s 61 ; full wool crossbred up to 6a 3d, and merino to 10s 61 for an extra Una ani 6s 3d for ordinary. Station skins in bales ; merino, 6^l ; crossbred, 6d. Hides. — The market shows no change, ordinary supplies being readily placed at the following range of prices: — Best heavy, 2^d to 3d ; medium 2^d to 2^d ; light 2d to 2£d ; inferior l£i to lf.l. A large number of the hides that reach tbis market bring much lower prices than they should, on account of the damage they receive through cuts in flaying ; a little care in tbis respect would make a great difference in the value of many of the hides sold in Dunedin.

Rabbitskins. — Supplies are very meagre. Prices at the usual weekly sales are well maintained :— 2d to 81 for suckers to ordinary summers, and to lOd and Is for autumn skins.

Tallow. Business is only small, but late prices are firm: — Medium to good, 15s to 17s ; inferior and mixed, 12* to Hs 6d ; rough fat, best, 11b 6d to 12s 6 i ; inferior to medium, 8s 61 to 10j 6J. Grain. — Wheat : Really prime samples are in quod demand, but scarce, at fully last week's quotations. Second quality is more plentiful and not so easily placed, but still commands fair attention. The market ia bare of fowl wheat, which woild command high prices if obtainable. Last week's quotations may be repeated : — Milling, prime Tuscan, 3$ 2d to 3s 4d ; best velvet, 3s to 3a 2d ; bast red wheat, 2s lid to 38 Id ; medinm to good, 2a 8d to 2a lOd. — Oats : Arrivals are still heavy, and stores are filling rapidly. A fair amount of business has been dona at about equal to late figures, say Is 4£d for prime milling, and Is 2^d to Is 3£d for good feed — Barley : Nothing doing. Quotations, nominally, 2s 9d to 3s. All quotations sacks extra, ex store.

Byegrass. — No business of any importance passing. Dressed seed is worth 4s to 4s 6d ; undressed, 2s 6d to 3s 9d, ex store. Cocksfoot, 3sd to 4»d per lb. Potatoes. — The market is without animation ia consequence of large supplies forward, Quotations. £2 to £3 per ton. Chaff is in good Bupply, and saleable at 359 to 47a 6d per ton.

Messrs Donald Beid and Co. report for the week ending May 21 as follows :—

Wool. — At auction oa Tuesday we offered a few bales and bags, which sold under fairly active competition.

Kabbitskins. — Far our usual weekly sale on Tuesday we submitted a small catalogue, consisting of summer and autumn skins. The local buyers were in attendance, and all were bold under brisk competition. Summers sold at 3d to 7d ; autumn, 9d to lid per lb. Sheepskins. — For our usual weekly sale on Tuesday we put foiward a moderate catalogue, consisting of green skins from local butchers, and dry lines from country clients. With a few exceptions, all the bkinß offered were second class, there being very few choice lines forward. The local buyers were in attendance, and bidding all through the sale was fairly active. Green crossbreds sold at 2s lOd to 4s ; merinos, Is lOd to 2s lid , lambs, 2s lOd to 3s 7d.

Hides.— Tbe demand continues good, and all coming forward are readily placed. PriJie heavy hides are si ill in most request, and to secure this class buyers are prepared io give full rates. Last week's quotations remain unaltered.

Tallow.— There is still a good demand for all descriptions, and as the supply has not been large for a few weeks past, local mannfacmrerg show more disposition to bny, and all qualities are readilj placed. During the week we sold several small lines at for medium rendered, 15s to 16a ; inferior, 10s to 13s ; rough fat, 9s to 12s 6d per cwt. Weekly Auction Sale. — Oar usual weekly auction sale of grain and produce held at our stores on Monday last was well attended. Bidding was, howevtr, far from brisk, and offers, aa a rale, not reaching onr valuations, a considerable part of the catalogue was withdrawn.

Grain.— Wheat : There is little animation. Millers are well stocked, and can scarcely be said to be in the market for ordinary milling samples, bat anything particularly tempting in quality still meets with ready sale at late prices. Fowl wheat ia in good demand at quotations :— Extra prime milling, 3a 3d to 3s 4d ; ordinary, 3a to 3s 2d ; medium, 2s 7d to 2a lid ; fowl wheat and inferior, 2a 3d to 2a 7d.

Oats. — Aa a very large proportion of this grain coming forward is being held in the meantime, the market is in no way forced, and prices continue steady. A moderate business is being done both with millers and exporters, which is sufficient, as a rule, to clear the market of tbe small quantity consigned for immediate sale. We quote— Milling, Is 3 id to Is 4£d ; feed, Is 2d to Is 3d (sacks extra).

Barley.— A small business in malting and milling is being done, but feed is quite neglected. We quote— Malting, 2a 7d to 2g lid ; feed, 2s to 2s 6d (sacks extra).

Potatoes. — Only a small supply forward during tbe week, and stocks are being gradually reduced. We quote— Prime, £2 10s to £2 15a ; ordinary, £2 5s to £2 7s 6d. .

Chaff. — The market is very sparingly supplied. Prices, however, remain at about last week's quotations. A larger supply could be placed if it were to hand. We quote — Prime heavy, £2 7s 6d to £2 10a ; ordinary, £2 to £2 sa.

Store Sheep. — For this class of stock there are still numerous inquiries, chiefly for small lots of breeding ewes and crossbred wethers, and if suitable lots were offering a large business could be done. There are very few good crossbreds now offering, anil buyers have to be content with what can be g >t. We have buyers for 1000 good crossbred breeding ewes and 1000 half-bred lambs, off tussock. Privately we have sold 630 4, 6, and 8- tooth crossbred ewes and wethers, 340 4, 6, and 8-tooth crossbred ewes, 9000 full-mouthed meiino wethers aud ewes, and 250 full-mouthed ewes.