Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 5, 30 May 1890, Page 20

Commercial.

Mkssr b. Donald Stbonach and Son report for the week ending May 21 , as follows :—: —

Fat Cattle. — The supply greatly exceeded the requirements of ihe trade, 335 head being yarded, and as a natural sequence valaes suffered a serious decline, say about 20s per head as compared with the rates current last week. The impression, however, is that this iB the last very full market likely to be experienced this winter, and as turnips are noDe too plentiful it is not unlikely that values from thiß date will steadily improve. In the interests of graziers it is much to be desired that prices should harden, for the rates lately current cannot but have left them very serious losers in their operations. The cattle yarded this week included some extraordinary prime bullocks, notably the drafts from Edendale estate, Paihi, and Keith Hall.— Priceß ranged as follows : — Best bullocks brought from £9 to £7 10s ; good, £7 to £5 10a ; light, £5 to £3 10s ; cowl, £6 10s to £2. We yarded 76 head and sold as follows :—33: — 33 head for Mr. M'Breen, 17 head for Mr. M'Donald, and small lots for Mr. W. Shand and Mr, Dundas at quotations.

Fat Sheep.- -The uumber penned wa9 2919, all crossbieda of good to extra prime quality, with the exception of about 300 merino wethers. There was a good demand all through the sale, both for export and local consumption, and last week's values were well maintained. Prime crossbred wethers brought from 16s to 14s ; medium do do, 13s 6d to 12s 6d ; light do do, 12s to lls ; prime do ewes, 14s to 12s ; medium do do, lls 6d to 10s 6d ; light do do, 10a to 9s ; prime merino wethers (extra), 12s to 10s ; medium do do, 9a to Cs. We sold drafts as follows:— On account of Mr. C. Bills, crossbred ewes at 16s ; Mr. J. Henderson, crossbred ewes at 10a 93 ; Mr. J. Rutherford, ewes at lls.

Store Cattle. — In this class of stock we have no transactions to report. Store Sheep. — A good demand exists for suitable lines of crossbred wethers for finishing off on turnips, but there are not many good lots offering. We also rote a considerable inquiry for good crossbred breeding ewes. Pigs. — A moderate supply came to hand, only 190 penned— say, about half of them good bacon pigs, and the otber half porkers and Btores. The demand was not great, but prices notwithstanding were just a shade better than last week. Bacon pigs brought from 42s to 28s ; porkers, 27s to 23s ; stores, 20s to lls ; suckers 10s to 6s. Pat Lambs. — Only 280 penned, most of them fit for the freezing chamber. Under keen competition they found purchasers at from lls 6d to 10a for best luia, aud at horn 9s to 7s 6d for medium quality. Sheepshins. — The s^les »t the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday passed off aB usual very satisfactorily. There was a full attendance of the trade, and late prices were well maintained. Butchers' green skinß met with the most competition, bui dry country skins are also in good demand. We quote — Butchers' green crossbreds, best, 4s 4d, 4s 3d, 4s 2d, 4s, 3s lOd, 3s 9d ; good to medium and inferior, 3s Bd, 3s 7d, 3s SJ, 3s 3d, 3s Id, 2s lid, 2s lOd, 2s 9d, 2s Bd, 2s 7d ; ereen mermos, 3s 4d, 3s 2d, 3s, 2s lid, 2s lOd, 2s Bd, 2s 6d, 2s 3d, 2s ; green lambskins, 4s 4d, 3s lOd, 3s 9d, 3s 7d, 3s sd, 3s 3d, 3s Id, 2s lOd, 2s Bd, 2s 6d ; country dry crossbreds, inferior to medium, Is 5d to 3s lid ; do do merino, Is 4d to 3s 3d ; full woolled crossbreds, 4s 7d to 5s 9d ; do do merino, 3s 3d to 5s 6d ; dry pelts, 4d to Is 3j.

Rabbitskins. — Buyer 3 having large orders on hand are purchasing freely at equal to late quotations. The sales on Tuesday were well attended, and the bidding was spirited. The next aeries of sa'es in London open on the 23rd met., and as the result of these will regulate the price here they are looked forward to with some degree of interest. Hides. — All consignments as they come forward are taken up by local manufacturers at current Dnces. Prime heavy hides are greatly inquired for, and very good prices are paid for such as come np to that standard. A number of country c msignments are almobt ruintd by the careleßS way in which they are flayed and through not b, j ing kept clean. In many cases a loss of fully 3s per hide is suffered through such carelessness. Quotations are unchanged since last reporting. Tallow. — A strong inquiry exists for all descriptions, and full equivalents to London prices are now given. Best mixed tallow, in tins and other packages, is w^rth from 18s to 19s ; and best rough fat, from 12s to 13s ; other qualities in proportion.

Grain. — Wheat : A good demand continues to be experienced for prime milling samples at late quotations. Tuscan and velvet are in great request, but other varieties, too, meet with a good demand. Soft tough paicels are only saleable as fowls' wheat, which has a steady demand for shipping and local übc We quote : — Prime milling Tuscan and velvet 3s 3d to 3s 5d ; other sorts, 3s Id to 3s 3d ; medium, 2a 9d to 2s lid ; inferior aud fowls' wheat, 2s 3d to 2s Bd. Oats : A moderately fair amount of business has be?n transacted during the past week on the basis of last reported quotations, but, owing to the bulk of the consignments now coming forward being held for higher prices, it would be difficult to secure large lines of either feed or milling, except at an advance on prices lately current. The quantity of prime bright milling is much short of what might reasonably be expected, considering the favourable season ; three - fourths of the samples presented show signs of being badly narvested. While a fair demand exists, we have no improvement to note in values, which we give as before, viz. — For stout bright milling, Is 4id to Is 5d ; best short feed, 2s 3£d to Is 4d ; medium, Is 31 to Is 3sd ; inferior, Is to Is 2^d (ex store, sacks extra). Barley : There is no change to report in this cereal. Transactions, with the exception of an occasional purchase to execute a shipping order, are confined to the primest samples. A limited quantity is taken up for milling, but feed is unsaleable except at ridiculously low prices. We quote prime malting, 3s to 3s 3d ; medium, 2s 6d to 2s lOd ; millirjg, 2s to 2s 6d ; feed, la 8d to Is lOd.

Ryegrass. — Very little doing. Shipping demand has entirely ceased, and until the spring sowing commences we do not anticipate that much business will be done. Quotations unchanged.

Messrs. Donald Bbid and Co. report for the week ending May 28, as follows :—: —

Sheepskins.— At our usual weekly sale on Tuesday we submitted a large catalogue. About half were dry skins and half green skins from town and country butchers. There was a poor attendance of buyers, and bidding was exceedingly slack, there being hardly any competition except for extra choice lires, and prices all round showed a decline of from 6d to Is per skin. Butchers' green crossbreds sold at, Is 8d to 48 ; butchers green merinos sold at, Is lOd to 2s 4d ; butchers green lambs gold at, 2s Id to 3s 6d ; dry crossbreda sold at,' Is 3d to 48 8d ; dry merinos sold at, Is Id to 4i.

Hides. — Since onr last report prices have not improved any ; but there is a steady local demand, and all coming to hand are readily disposed of. We quote— prime heavies, 2j*d to 3d ; medium to Rood, 2|d to 2Jd ; light and inferior, If 1 to 2a ; bullb 1 and slippy, l}d to' H 1 per lb. ; calf skins, 6 1 to Is 6d each.

Tallow — The market continues bare, and all coming forward meets a ready sale. Prime is inquired for, but the Bupply available is very small. Medium and other grades meet a ready Bale at late quotations. We quote — medium rendered, 15s to 16s ; inferior, 10a to 139 ; rough fat, 9s to 12s 63 per cwt.

Wheat. — Only a very limited supply came to hand daring the week, and of this the greater portion has been of inferior quality. Only a very small quantity could be classed as suitable for milling. Really prime samples are still required, and notwithstanding that prices for ordinary milling are easier than they were ft week ago, prime quality would still find ready sale at late prices. Medium and inferior sorts are plentiful, but meet with no demand from millers, and are only saleable as fowl wheat. We quote — Extra prime milling, 3s 21 to 3a 3d ; ordinary prime milling, 2s lid to 3s Id ; medium, 2s 8d to 2s 10J ; fowl wheat, 2s 3d to 2s 7d.

Oats. — A large and steady supply is still arriving, and as the export business is at present practically at a standpoint for want of freight, there are but few sales, and stocks are assuming large proportions. Fortunately for the market, growers as a rule are holding in the meantime, aud saleß are not being forced to any extent. Were the reverse the case, with the present limited demand, the effect would be disastrous. We quo^e— Milling, la 3d to la 4d ; feed, Is 2d to la 3d, sacks extra.

Barley. — A very limited business is being done at late quotations. Potatoes.— The arrivals are by no means large, but the demand being small, prices Lave not yet recovered. We quote — Prime, £2 10s to £2 15s ; ordinary, £2 to £2 ss,

Chaff. — There is tc-day a very fu 7 l supply and prices have receded to some extent. The consumption is now large and we expect to see the market cleared again in a few days. Prices are, however, low, and likely to rule so as long as oats remain at present values. We quote — Piime heavy oatsheaf, £2 to £2 5s ; mixed chaff, £1 16 a to £2.

Ryegrass. — There is no demand. Stocks are exceedingly light, and prices are likely to rule in sellers favour. We quote — Farmers' diessed, 3e to 3s 9d ; machine dressed, 4s to 4s 6d ; off old pastures up to ss. Cocksfoot. — Bi'st Akaroa, 4d to 4{d ; medium, 3£i to 41 per lb.