Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 22, 27 February 1891, Page 13

Commercial.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co Limited, report for the week ending February 25, as follows •— ' Sto-e Oa»tle.— There is no improvement of any consequence apparent in the tone of the market, two er three lines hava been disposed of at auction lately, but at somewhat low prices considering the quality of the stock offered ; buyers being very chary in operating except when prices are tempting. Store Mieep.— These continue in good demand, all the youn<r Bheep both merino aud crossbred available being picked up. There are also considerable numbers of aged merino ewes and wethers being placed, late rates being firmly maintained. Wool.— The London sales are making good progress Litest advices report that since theopening of the s^les superior greasy and scoured merino and fine greasy crossbred have advencedid per lb while medium and inferior scoured and greasy merino have declined Jd per lb, other descriptions unchanged. Cjinpet.tion by both home and foreign buyers is fairly active and the latter operating with confidence. 6 Sheepskins.— We submitted a good catalogue at our auction sale this week, when we bad nearly all the buyers in thu trade present. Competition was fairly active for butchers' green skins, especially well saved early Bhorn sbearlirjg°, while for bear an I ba Jly saved pelts there was less demand and prices a shadeieasier. Country dry skins had good attention, ani realised very satisfactory prices, cf these crossbrede. low to medium, brought Is 91 to 3? 91; do do merino. Is 8d to 3s 7d ; full-woolled crossbreds, 4s 9 I to 6s 9J • do do merino, 4s 2d to 5s 9d ; dry pelts, Id to Is 6i ; green country pelts for special purposes, 2j Bd, 2s 7d, 2s 61, 2s 4d, 2s 2d • good to medium, 2a Id, 2s, Is lid, Is lOd, Is Bd, Is 7d ; inferior, Is 6d Is 5d Is 4d, Is 3d ; green lambskins, 2s 6d, 2a 4d, 2s 31, 2a Id, Is lid, Is 9d! Is 7d, Is sd, Is 3d, Is each. Rabbitskins.— A good market exists for the few that do come to hand, the regular buyers are invariably keen competitors at the auctions wherever any are being offered, price", however, owing to the drop at Home, are slightly easier, but there is no difficulty experienced in placing the small consignments earning forward — Spring skins realise 9d to Is ; summer do, 5d to 8d ; half-»rown and mixed, 3d to 4d per lb. ° Hides.— A moderately good demand exists, but there is no quotable alteration to note in values which range for heavy weights free from scars and offal, «0 lbs and over, 2} 1 to 3d ; medium 2i to l±<i ; light Hd to l^'i ; inferior and slippy, Id to Ijd per lb. Tallow.— The market continues steady, a fair demand is experienced ; all the local manufactures purchase freely, late rates are fully maintained and quite in sympathy with those maintained at Home. We quote— Prime rendered muttcn 19s to 20s ; medium to good, 16s to 18s ; inferior and mixed, 12s to los 6d ; rough fat bts 13s to 13s 6J : inferior to medium and good, 9j to 12s 6 I pjr cwt ' Grain.— Wheat : Some sales in northern wheat are now being effected at about equal to -ate quotations, bat there is no southern as yet an the market, and should the weather continue so broken ir w 11 be some weeks before there is any to h.nl. The ma-ket being bire for some time of good milling, there is no difficulty in placing any offering, and considering the fact thac the market ac Home is el;wly bat surely tending upwards, the position in the meantime seens to bo in favour of producers, and likely t> continue so for tlvj next three or four months, at any rate. Wa quote prime milling velvet and Tuscan, 3s lOd to 4s, btst red wheat, 3s 8 1 to 3s 9 I ; medium, 3s <! I to 3s 7d, ex store. Th« market h B lm>st e'ear of inferior and good fowls whtar.— Oals : These hive ha 1 a very fur .leman i dunn^ ihe past week, both for shipment and 1 unl consurap ion, but now buyers are more careless about purchasing, and only extra prime samples fetch up to last week's top pnc^'. Ail the old stocks are about cleired out, and farmeis busy securing tnc new crop, deliveries are therefore at the moment oa a limited scale, in consequence sales are effected at prices nearly approaching lat;ra'es, bmt is evident thu any considerab'* quantity put on the maiket unreservedly would h.ve a prompt effect on present quotations, which we give as follows viz • — for bright feed and milling, Is r>\i to Is 6d ; medium to good Is 4W to Issd ; inferior to medium, Is 2 1 to la 41, ex store, sicks extra — Barley has some enquiry for shipment but in the absence of bunab c parcels offering there i 9 no business resulting. Mai s.ers are opera - ing, but only when really prirn 3 simples are offering A eood demand exists for feed ana millnu. We quote, prime malting 3i to 3s 3d; medium to good, 2< til to 2s 9d ; teed and milling, Is 9d to 2s 4d, ex store, sacks extra. Kyegrass Seed.— The market continues active, and a considerable amount of business is being put through, which could be increased if growers would only make up their minds to fis the price they are disposed to quit at. Should the present opportunity be allowed to slip by, it is somewhat doubtful if present prices can be secured at the clobe of the season. We repeat last week's quotations viz,, for farmers' best dressed off old p ature, 3a 3d to 4s 8i ; extra piime a shade mare ; medium to good, 3s to 4s (sacks extra). Cocksfoot seed has had bat little attention so far, and we hear of nothing of any consequence pressing. We minte 4M to .3 I ;cr !b. Potatoes.— The market* continues to be fairly well supplied Sales of prime lots are readily tffected at last week's rates, while inferior sons are difficult to place. We quote for best £3 5s to £3 10s ; inferior to medium, 42s 6d to 55s per ton. Chaff.— There is no alteratton tv note with regard to pither demand or value. We quote— For prin.e, 42s 6d io 45s : extra, 47s 6d ; medium to good, 30s to 40s per ton. Dairy Produce. A slightly better demand for local consumption is experienced for good salt butter, but none fcr export. The demand for cbetsa shows no improvement. We quote— Best salt butter 6d to 7d ; cheese, 3d to 4jd per lb.

Messrs Donald Stbonach and Sons report for the week ending Wednesday, February 18, as follows :— * „, Fat Cattle— A "fair supply came forward for to-day's market, 304 head behig yarded, principally prime qubhtr, for which there was good competition, while m«iiam and inferior were neglected and prices all through were about the same as last week's. Best bullocks brought from £7 to £7 17s 61 ; medium £5 to £fi 797 9 6 | • W" *Z d ,i n£enort £ V° £4 15 * ; beat cu ' rB . * 5 16s »o £6 15s'; ight, £2 10s to £4. We sold for Mr. David Davidson (Saddle Hill) light bullocks £5 7s 6d to £4 2s fid, cows to £4. v- F^ Sheep were in short supply, only 1,963 being penned, of which 100 were mermos. Competition wag very brisk, and prices showed an improvement of Is 6d per head on late rates Best crossbred wethers sold from 13s to 15s ; medium, 10s 6d to 12s 6d ■ best ?°fn We «V 2 w d to , l A 9 iL m i diuin ' 9<9 < t0 118 6d ! menno wethers, 939 3 i°. H" ,r We JBoldJ 80ld halfbr3d wethers fur Mr. Peter Duncan at 15? 61, and halfbred ewes for same vendor at 12* 9d, ll 8 3d. 10s 6 1 • for Mr. Watson Sheeaon (Cone Hills) rnlfbrerf ewes at 12* 9i to 12a 3d Far Lambd.— 62o were forward, and under good compemon also showed an advance in price. Bjat brought up to 12s, a f w extra prime up to 13s ; medium, 8s 61 to 9s 6J. We sold lambs for Mr. Pjter Duncan (Wmkouaiti) at 12a 3 1 to 10s 9 1. Pigs.— l3l or all sms were forward. Bacon pigs were io fair demand, but stores and suckers were neglected and difficult of sale. Baconers sold from 39s to 32s ; porkers, 30s to 21s ; suckers, lla 6d « A / 801 i Bmall pigs for Mr> W - Bcott at 939 3 6 d, and suckers for Mr. David Andrew at 6s 6cJ. We sold -luring the week the following °'« 8t m^et rates: -740 halfbrei wethers, 425 quarter-back do, 1000 crossbred ewes, 500 hoggets, 2000 full-mouthed merino ewes 700 four, six, and eight-tooth crossbred wethers, 250 do do ewes 500 four and six-tooth merino weihers. Wd reporc our first monthly 'sale at Palmerston, when the following lots were disposed of :— ISD cross, bra.i l wethers at 8s Bd, 210 crossored ewes at 7s 10J, 50 crossbred wethers at 9s 6d. Sheepskins.- Full catalogues were submitted at the usual weekly auction sales on Tuesday last. The attendance of buyers was good and all were disposed of under very keen competition at slightly advanced prices. Full-woolled crossbreds brought from 4s 6d to 8a • do merinoe, 4s to 5s 9d ; green crossbred pelts, 2s 6s to 2s 2d ; medium! 2s to Is 61 ; merino peks, to Is 8d ; lambskins, from Is to 2s 4d. Hides.— Quotations unaltered ; all coming to hand are taken by local manufacturers. Grain.— There is still a good demand for prime milling samples but there are now very few lots of good old wheat in first hands — We quote— Prime milling, 3s 9d to 3s lid ; medium, 3s 7d to 3s 8d • fowl wheat 3* 2d to 3s 41. Oata are in steady demand, especially good bright samples fit for shipment. Prime milling may be quoted at Is s^d to Is 6d ; best leed, Is 5d to Is s±rJ ; inferior, Is 3d to Is 4d. Barley is in improved demand, especially tor malting samples which are now scarce, and very little will be done until the new crop comes on the market. Kyegrass.— A large number of samples are offering, but owing to farmers wanting offers from one or more agents, very little business is beiog done We quote— Prime machioe-dr.-ssed, 4s to 4s 9d • medium quihty, 3s fid to 3s 9d ; farmer,' parcels, 3j to 3s 6d. Chaff a fair supply comiag forward, with piices well maintained, itt, for prime, from 40* to 45s ; medium, 3.1) to 37s 6d ; inferior 30s to 32s 6 1. Potatoes— The maiket is well supplied with both k'dneys and derwents. Quotations— tor ihi former. £2 to £3 ; and for derw «ots £3 to £3 10s, ' Messrs. Donald Rkid and Co., Dunedin, report for the week ending F. bruary 25, as follows : — Wool. — At auction on Monday wo disposed of a small catalogue of bags of locks, pieces, etc. There was brisk competition amongst the local buyers who weie present and satisfactory piioea were rtalised. Shcepi-kins.— Wo held our skin sale on Monday this week in consequence of the wool sales being held uq Tuesday. We submitted onlytismill catalogue of dry and grueu skius, most of them local buicheis green t-kms. There was keen competition throughout the sale, and prices were rattier better than last wjek. Dry crossbreda solfl at 2s 2d to 6s 8d ; meridos, U 7d to 5i Id ; pelts and lambs 6d to 2s 51 ; green pelts, Is 41t02s 3J ; lambs, Is lOi tj 2s 2J. Hides. — This market bhows i o change. Tallow.— For the quantity arriving which consibts principally of lough fat, wiih an occasional uue o t rendered from country clients, there is a bn.sk local detnnnd, and no difficulty is experienced in quitting all grides at fairly satisfactory vauen. We quote— Medium rtnlered, 14s to 16a; lnfjnor, Us to 13 i; rough tv 9s 61 to 13s per cwi, . v Grain— Wheat : The market is very bare »f sound old wheat, there is a fair demand for this class for mixing, and any arriving would meet with ready sale at quotations. Fowls' wheat, is in strong demand, the supply being quuu inadiquate to meet lequirements We quote — Prime mil, ing, 3slOdto3s lHd ; medium, 3* 7d tj 3-. 9J • fowls' wheat, 3s to 3s 6 1 . Oats— l'nere is siill a goad demind at current rater, but the market is rather quieter, and piices are hirdly so firm as wheu Kst reporting. We quote— Milling, la 54 Itn i s «i ; zho:t bright f^-u Is 4£i tola 5d ; •. iscoloured and long, Is Id to Is4d, eacks extr-t. " Buley— A few lines of old aie changing hands ac from 2s to 2s 8d per bn-hel, sacks extra. Chaff.— The market is fairly well mjpplied, and prices are a shade e f , a , 8 '^ > luot1 uote — Prime Leav .V. £2 2s tid to £2 5s ; mixed ligbt, £1 17s 6d to £2 (sacks extia). B ' Potatoes.— Kidueys are in moderate supply and m et with ready sale at quotations. Derwents are t^aree but meet with plentiful inquiry. We expect to see plenty in the market shortly, and as soon as they are Hvulable, tbey will supersede the kidneys altogether in the marker. We quote— Kidney s, *2 15s to £3 2* 6d ; derwents, £2 15s to £3 ss.

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Ryegrass : — A few lots have come forward during the week, and all have met with a speedy clearance at quotations. We would strongly advise growers intending to sell to send forward the bulk as soon as possible, while the northern demand for seed sowing last ; when this is past there may be a lull in tbe merket for some time. We qnote — best perennial, machine dressed, 4s 31 to 5s ; medium qaality, 33 9d to U 3d ; inferior, 3j to 3j Gi. Flhz : — There is a good local demand, and all well dressed carefully piepired lots can be readily placed at full quotations. Discoloured and badly dressed lots are more difficult to quit, and for this class there is only a slow sale. We quote — best bright fibre, edged and scutched, £19 to £20; medium quality, £18 to £19 ; inferior and discoloured, £12 to £16.