Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 4, 24 October 1890, Page 20

Commercial.

Mes*bs. Donald Stbonach and Son report for the week ending October 15, as follows :—: — Fat Cattle. — To-day, again, there was a email supply forward, only 176 head being penned. A large proportion of these range i from medium to good useful beef, with a few pens prime, but haruly np to last week's weights. Tnere was ago id attendance of the trade, and, owing to the moderate number forward, very good competition was experienced, all being a >ld at satisfactory prices. Be3t bullocks brought £8 10s to £10; medium, £6 7s 61 to £7 17s 6s; li*nt, £4 10a to £6 2s 6d ; beet cows, £7 2a 6d to £8 2s 6d j others, £3 to £6 ss. Fat Sheep.— 2,23o were pennel, including about 250 merino wethers, the rest crossbreds ; about equal proportions of wethers and ewea. This entry was rather lighter than those we have had lately, and about the average as regards quality, some of the pens being very good freezers ; but there was only a moderate enquiry for these. Prices obtaining at the commencement elnwed a slight decline, although towards the finish they improved, aud closed at about equal to those being realised last week. Best crossbred wethers brought 16s to 19s ; one pea extra prime to 21s 3c 1 ; medium to gool 13s 3d to 153 9i ; best do ewe-*, 14s 6i to 15 9i ; msdiuna to good, 12i 3d to 14s ; merino wethers, 9s to 13s 6d. Lambs, — 135 were penned, nearly all nice, useful quality, and had a fair demand, but prices ruling were hardly up to last week's. Beat brought 10s 6i to 12s 6d , others. 7s 6 i to 9i 6d. Pigs. — There was only a small entry to-day — viz., 107 — chiefly porkers and baconers, with a few 9tore3. A moderately fairdemaa i was experienced, and very goDd prices obtained, considering wdghta, which were all on the light side. Stores brought 16s to 23 j ; porkers, 24s to 26s ; baconers, 28 ■> to 365. Store Cattle.— The market for these shows a slightly improved tone. Although there are not very many lots being disposed of at the moment, there is a good deal of inquiry being made with reference to the future of the marktt, and as feed is now springing up fast after the late refreshing rains, we h ive no doubt a consideiable amount of business will be put through. We have no sales to report, but have some pending. Store Sheep. — While a good demand a'ill exists for suitable mobs ot crogsbreds, buyers lately have been less k"ea to purchase at the prices obtaining a short time since, and sellers, especially those who hav^ sufficient fee 1, are not disposed to quit at less, preferring to hold in the meantime ai.d take the wool off. In consequence the business transacted now shows a considerable falling off, but doub li m after shearing large numbers will chang> bands. Wool. — The fourth series of colonial wool sales closed in London rery firm at an advance of £d to l£d per lb, as compared with closing rates of last series. ToUl quantity sold dunug the past sales is 230,000 bales, of which 126,000 have been taken for the Continent and 4,000 for America. It is estimated that 35,000 bales have been held over for future disposal. The rise of price pionounced at the commencement vta9 improved upon and firmly maintained down to the close The strongest demand appears to have been on the part of the Continental buyers, who took a much larger share of the quantity disposed. Sheepskins. — These are in very good demand, and at our weekly sale on Tuesday at the Chamber ot Commerce Hall, Crawford street, the attendance wa9 very goud, all the representatives of the tnde being present. We had a full assortment of both dry and green skins, and under tbe influence of continued satisfactory advices as to the wool market at Home, *nd moderately favourable weather, competition w**s very active, more especially, as has been invariably the caße for some time, for fine-woolhd skins, and for which late rates weie fully maintained, dher descriptions were also in good request. Bidding all through our sales was very lively, fully our late rates being realised, taking quality into consideration. Butchers' b<st crossbreda brought 6i sd, 6s id, 6s 3d, 6s Id, 6s, 5s 11H, 5s lOd, 3s i)j, 5a Bd, 5s 7d, 5s 6d ; good to medium and inferior. 5a 4 i, 5s 3 i, 5s 2 ' 5s Id, ss, 4s lOd, 4s 9d, 49 Bd, 4s 7d ; green merinos, 5s Bd, 5a 6i, 5s 3d, sa, 4s 9d, 4s 6d, 4s 3d, 3s lOi, 3a 3d ; country dry crossbrerle, inferior to medium, Is lOd to 3s lid ; do do merino, Is 9d to 3s 6d ; full-woolled croasbreds, 4a 9 1 to 7a 3d ; do do merino, 4s 8d to 5s lid ; dry pelts, 3d to Is 8d each ; lambs-ki f, Is 3i, 1b 2d, Is Id, Is. Rabbitskins. — Ihe market continues Bteady.all descriptions having a very fair demand; but, whethei (Hauuatful of the future or from some further cause, there was somewhat le^s a imation displayed at the auctions this week than ha 9 prevai ed during '.he past few weeks. The catalogues presented now, however, are ot less importance, being very much smaller, and only very few prince leuly winter skins coming forward ; bo that, while prices obtaining on Tuesday would appe.tr to be lower, comparing quality with those being previously offered, the difference will be slight. We quote prime winter.-, la 4Jd to Is 6d : spring skins, Is to Is 3d ; inferior to medium, 5d to lOd ; black and fawn, best, 9d to lid ; medium, 5d to 8i; suckers and half-grown, 2d to 3d per lb. Hides. — There is no quotable alteration to note in values, the position of the market being much the same as it has been during the past few months. Clearances can only be effected at laic ruling low rates. Buyers scarcely feel inclined to pay the same prices that they have done for light and medium class parcels, while heavy weights in good order, owing to their scarcity, are firm at late quotations — viz , beßt dry salted, 2Jd to 2J-d ; extra heavy, 3d ; medium, 2d to 2^-d ; light, l£d to I^-d ; inferior and Blippy, Id to l^d per lb.

Tallow. —The market is quite bare of parcels in shipping condition ; in const qnence the business being done in the meantime is confined to the placing for local manufacture the odd lots that come to hand from time to time, and which do not fail to realise priced quite in sympathy wi'h those obtaining at Hume. We quote prime rendered mutton, 20b to 21s ; medium to good, 17s to I9i ; inferior and mixed, 13s to 15s 6d. Rough lat is readily disposed of at — for best clean caul, 13s to 14s ; infeiior to medium and good, 9s 6d to 123 9d per cwt. Gran. —Wheat : There is no perc°ptible change in the market since date of our last report. While all sorts are saleable — more especially prime ve'vet and Tuscan — buyers do not evine any very keen desire to operate or give higher prices for their moderate requirements. The market, however, is bare of good milling, and in ihe event of an improvement in the demand for flour business in wheat K-ould certainly assume a much stronger tone. A considerable quanuty of fowl's wheit could be dispostd of if prices were suitable : but, rather than pay the prices demanded consumers prefer to use cheaper feed, such as barley, which is almost unsaleable for anything else, and, although not so desirable, does very well as a substitute for wheat. We quote :— prime milling velvet and tuecan, 3s 9d to 3s lOi ; medium to good, 39 5d to 3s 8d ; t^st red whe.t (nominal), 38 6d to 3s 8d ; medium, 3s 4d to 3s 6d ; inferior, 3s 3d to 3a 4d (ex store, sacks weighed iD, terms). Oats]:— There are buyers for utout bright feed and milling, and any such offering can be readily placed at prices about equal tw tbose quoted last week. Small lots of inferior and discoloured are also saleable, although large parcels of the latter would be difficult to place. Toe demand at present however, is supposed to be puiely speculative, as outside markets do not at the moment offer any inducement to operate, even at the present low level of prices. At the same time, a very slight outside demand would ba r den prices considerably ; in any case they cannot well go very much lower. We quote :— btout bright milling, Is 4d ; best thoit bright feed, Is 3d t > Is 3£d ; medium, Is 2d to Is 2£d ; black Is 2 1 to Is 2£d ; muaty and interior, Is to 1b 2d (ex store, sacks extra, net oasn.) Barley.— The bulk of the stock on hands is hardly suitable for ma iting, aud therefore difficult to place, except in small parcels for feeding purposes. There is very little being disposed of for mal r ing owing to tiie aosence of good samples. We quote :— Nominally best milting, 2s 6 I to 2s ihi ; medium, 2a 3d to 2s 6d ; feed anJ milling, Is 6i to 2s (tx store.) Grass .ie d .—The quantity of ryegrass seed being now disposed of, is considerably less and the maiket is much quieter. It would be difficult to place large parcels ai late quotations, although for small lines late prices are sull demanded, and we agaiu qnote tor imported, 4s9i to 53 3i ; local giown tmm rs dressed, 4s 3J to 49 6d ; best machine . r-ssed, 5s 3J ioss9d (a store).— Cocksfoot seed : Only a moderate business done ia this at from 3^d to 4| I per lb. Potatoes. — There is no ioipiOPtmeui in tue demand, and are difficult to place at a leduction on last week's quotations, which were 15i to 35s per ton (sacks weighed in). Chaff. — The uew grass now springing up fast, there is less demand for ch»ff, and the supply being more than sufficient for requirements last wtek's quotations are only maintained with some difficulty, which we again give: For properly cut heavy oaten sheaf, 35a to 40s ; indifferently cut and light, 25s to 30s per ton. Dairy Produce. — Cheese has had 8( me Blight inquiry during the week for local consumption, but a very limited quantity suffices for this purpose, aad will have no effect on late quotations, say : 4d to 4^l for me.iium size factory made ; 4^-d to 4£d for loaf. — Butter ia coming to market in larger quantities ihan can very well be disposed of. Quotations nominal.

Mr. F. Mkenan, King street, reports : — Wholesale prices: — Oats, la Id to Is Id (bugs extra), dull. Wheat : milling, 3s 6d to 4a ; fowls', 3d 3d— both fiim, f-acks included. Chaff : Very dull — £1 108 to £2 ; hay, <.atm, £2 10s ; best rye-grass, £3. Bran, £2 10a, Pollard, £3 10s. Potatoes — a tota^ collapse owing to expoit entirely ceased and large supplies on hand — best, 20s to 30s per ton ; Heed, nominal. Flour : roller, £10 to £10 15s ; &tone, £9 5i to £9 16s. F.e^h butter, vtry plentiful, value fiom 4d to 8d ; salt, nomimal, for prme, 7d. Eggs, good demand, 6d.