Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 27, 3 April 1891, Page 13

Commercial.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Aoenct Co., Limited, report for the week ending April 1, as follows :—: —

Store Cattle.— This market does not show much activity, though further on it is anticipated suitable cattle will be required for winter feedine, in the meantime, however, there is not mncn doing. Store Sheep. — The demand continues good and the number now offering evidently insufficient to satisfy requirements. All classes are inquired for, but those in most demand are pood breeding ewea, both crossbred and merino, which are freely takea up. Wool. — There is nothing new to report legarding this staple. Centres now in the opening of the next series in London, respecting which the prevailing idea is that prices will continue firm. Locally a good demand exists, and very full prices are secured for all lots brought forward at the weekly auctions. Last week we offered about Bixty packages which met with keen competition, and the whole were placed at prices fully up to those current at the earlier sales. Sheepskins. — These continue to have a brisk demand ; both dry and green command excellent attention. Country dry crosabreds, inferior to medium, brought 2s, 3s 9d, do do merino, Is 9 i to 3s lOd; full-woolled croesbredß, 4s 9d to 6s Id ; do do meiino, 4s to 5s lOd ; dry pelts, 3d to Is 9d. Butchers' green crossbreds, best brought 3s 2d, 3a Id, 2a lid, 2s lOd, 2s 9J. 2s 8d ; pool to medium, 2s 7d, 2s 6d. 2s sd, 2* 4d, 2s 2d ; inferior, 2*, Is 10J, la 8d ; green lambskins, best 3s 2d, 3s Id, 3s, 2s lOd, 2s 8d ; medium to inferior, 2a sd, 2s 2d, 2s, Is 9d.

Rabbi tsk ins. — There is no new feature of any consequence to note. The few that now come forward are readily disposed of, and, considering the quality, realise prices comparing favourably with those secured for better skins earlier in the season.

Hides. — We have no change to report, The market continues stead with a good demand existing for heavy sorts, which are short, and if any offered in satisfactory condition would command higher prices, while those current for medium and light are less satisfactory. Quotations for inferior and slippy, Id to ljd ; light, Ud to 1M ; medium, 2d to 2'd ; up to 60 lbs, 2^d to 3d ; 65 to 80 lba, in prime condition, to Id more per lb.

Tallow. — A Terv fair demand continues to exist for the odd lots coming to hand. We quote— Prime rendered mutton, 18s 6<i to 20s ; medium to good, 15s 6d to 17s 6d ; inferior and mixed, 12s to 15s. Bough fat has good attention and continues ti> realise prices relatively higher than those current for tallow. Best fiesh caul fetches 13s to 13a 6d ; inferior to medium and good, 9s to 12g per cwt.

Grain — Wheat : The Easter holidays have interfered with business to a certain extent. Th? demand notwithstanding this has been good and now a slight advance on last week's quotations could be secured, for best samples there are indications of an improvement in the demand. We quote prime milling velvet anrt Tuscan, 4s to 4s 21 ; med'um to good, 3s 101 to 4s ; inferior, 3s Glto3s 91 ex store. Oats : — The market continues exceedingly flat, the only demand existing being for stout bright milling. We quote b >st short milling, Is 5d to Issid ; best short bright teed, Is 4£d to Is 5d ; medium to good, Is 3d to Is id ; inferior, Is to Is 21 (ex store, sacks extra.) Barley . There are but few transactions taking place in this cereal. The supply to hand of really good malting is limited, an idea prevails thut the quantity of prime malting to come forward will not be sufficient for requirements, the market m consequence is likely to remain linn. We quote best malting, 3s to 33 31 ; medium to good, 2s Gl to 2s 9d ; teed »nd milling, Is lOd to 2s 4d (ex store, bacts extra).

Ryegrasa Heed. — A moderately fair business still continues to be done in this. Until the spring demand begins to set in, from now foiward, transactions will be of very much less importance. We quote — Best machine dnssed, off old pasture, 5s Gd to 5s 9J ; medium, 5a to 5s 3i ; farmers' best dressed, 4s to 4s 6d ; medium, 3s to 3* 9 1 (ex Btore).— Cocksfoot seed is moving off quietly, but in slightly larger parcels. Stocks en hands are not excessive and prices likely to be maintained. Quotations— For best dressed, r>M to 5-Vd :

medium, 4^d to 5d per lb

Potatoes. — The market is oversupp.ied, and consignments are difficult to place at satisfactory prices. A considerable portion of those coming forward are of iufeuor quality and almost unseeable when better quality can be secured. Quotations this week — Kor best Derwents, 50s to 555; medium, 40s to 47s G1 ; kidneys, 30s t j 40s per ton (sacks weighed in, ex store).

Chaff. — Sales are more easily effected, but there is no change in price, which we give at last week -for baa', 4Us to 42s Gd ; extra prime, 453 ; medium to good, 30s to 37s 5d per ton.

Dairy Produce. — Tnere is do improveme tto note in the demand for either cheese or butter, dairy-made cheese being obtaiacd at 3d to 3^l per lb , while 4d to 4£d is asked for factoiy-made. Good salt butter is selling freely only for local consumption, but without any advance in price, which remains at 6£d to 8d per !b.

Flax. — A good deal of inquiry continues to be expeiienced tor this. A considerable quantity is also coming forward, which we have been successful in placing at our late quota ions — viz., tor common, coarse and strawy, £13 to £15 ; medium, £15 10s to £17 ; good, £17 10s to £19 ; thoroughly well scutched, clean and good colour, £20 per Ld,

Messrs. Donald Stronach and Sons report for the week ending Wedneeday, March 25, as follows : —

Fat Cattle. — IGI head yarded, of which uumber scarcely half were of medium to prime quality — with very few of tLe l*stmentioned offering — the balance light and inferior, with a good few aged cows, many of which were little more than half lat. Best bullocks brought £7 to £6 5s ; one or two pens of very heavy and prime cattle, £9, £9 2s 6d, to £9 7s 6d ; prime cows and neifers, £5 5s to £6 15s ; medium, £4 5s to £4 12a Gd ; light and inferior. £1 10 ato £2 15s and £3.

Pat Sheep.— 232s yarded, nearly all crossbreds, and for the m< st part o£ fair to medium quality only, the supply of prime sheep, both in wethers and ewes, being limited to a small proportion of (he to al entry. Average weight wethers brought 13s 6d to 14s ; extra good, to 14s 6d ; medium, 13s 9d to 13s 3d ; light, 11s 61 to 12s. A few very heavy ewes brought 14s, 14s Gd, >o 14s 9i, but gooi li-es m iy be quoted at 12s to 13s ; medium, 10s 6d to 11s ; light, 9s to 10s.

Fat Lambs.— 3B7 to hand, being little more than ha'f last week's entry. There were few, if any, lots calling for special mention, an regards quality ; but buyers operated freely throughout the varioas lots being disposed of to local buyers under a brisk competition. Best lines brought, 10s 6d to llg 6d ; medium to good, 8s 6d to 10s : inferior, 7s to 8«.

Pies.— ls9 p-nncd, including all so r ls and siiies. Tit 'market under this heading wig particularly dut\ several lines of snail stores sent to hand from sbort distances lining taken home by the owners unsold. Piices generally for those sold being low and unsatisfactory. Suckers brought, 4s to 7s 6d ; stores, 12s to 18s ; porkers, 20s to 24 s ; baconers, 27s to 33s ; a few extra heavy to 40s. We sold slips at quotations.

Store Sheep.— During the past week extensive transactions have again taken place in store sheep, both privately and at auction sales held at the various centres throughout the province. Despite the very large number of sheep which have changed hands during the past month or six weeks, the demand is apparently as strong as ever ; in fact for all classes the supply is far short of requirements. It would be difficult to mention any description of she-p for which there are not ready buyers, but the bulk of the business passing just now is in breeding ewe°, both merinos and crossbreds. Young crossbreds for turnip feeding, as also good lambs are very scarce aid difficult to procure.

Store Cattle —Business in this line still continues quiet, in fact there is very little doing beyond an occasional sale or two through the Burnside yards. "

Frozen Meat.— Late London cables report :— Canterbury mutton, at 4^'d ; Wellington, 4f d ; Canterbury lamb, 6Jd ; beef, forequarters, 3 9-16 d ; hindquarters, 4£d. Wool. — London cables of March 22nd report as follows :— " Sinc9 the close of the wool sales the market has baen quiet. The arrivals up to date total 200,000 bales, of which 54,000 bales have been sant forward. " Melbourne news of March 20 states "that at the wool sales in that city business wan fairly active— good lines maiutaining their position, faulty lots being irregular. Greasy merin> brought up to 9d ; scoured woJ, Is to Is 2d per lb. Sheepskins.— The catalogues at recent eal^s on Tues lay wore again limited. Buyers operated freely. Full-woolled skins brought 4s to 69 ; merinos, 4s to 51Gd : good early s nirn dry pelts, Is 9s to 2s 4d ; medium. Is 4d to Is 7d ; inferior, ldd to Is 2 1 ; butchers' green pelts (best), 2s to 2s 31 ; light, Is 6d to Is 91 ; lambskins, 2s to 3s

Rabbitskins.— The catalogues submitted this week were agiin very small, but values, however, ruled much about the same as at previous sale— viz., Spring skins, 9d to lid, exceptional lots a srnde over ; bummers, 7A to S i ; suckers and ha'f-2rown, 31 to 51 per lb.

Hides. — Tho market is ii the same position as last week — ie, bare c.f prime heavy ox— for whicn there is agojd demand— and fully supplied with light and inferior sorts, which are bi: f iitt'r in request. Best ox may he quo ed at 3 i to 3{ 1 ; raed'um 2 j 1 to 24 1 ; inferior to medium, lUto 1 and 2d pei lb.

Tallow. — There is no improvement in th- ta'lo v trade to report from last week. The English market is, however, firm, and exporter , are prepared to pay rates fur good rendered tal ow. • We quotePrime rendered mutton tallow (n shipping cask"), 19s to 20? per cwt ; good rendpied mixed, 17s Gd to 13s Gi ; meiium, 16s to 17s ; inferior, 12s to 14s ; clear calls, 183 to 13s Gd ; rough fat, 10j to Us Gd per cwt.

Grain.— Wheat : There has been a much healt-iier local feeling sine- oar last repoit.for a though mi lers ar > not inclined to purchase to any great extent a"- present price-, theie appears to be a strong speculative demand, sufficiently so to enable agents to ckar all lots of new wheat coming to hand, bince. ihe latter part of last week prices have advanced here a Id to Hi per bushel, and p-eq»-it quotations are as follows :— Piinie. tew Tuscan and velvet, 3s 11^1 to 4s per busnel, ex store on trucks (no oil wheat offerirg) ; medium sorts. 3s 91 to 3s 101 : best red wheat, 3s 9d and 3s 10 1 to ,5s 10id ; medium gradeß. Id to 21 p' v bushel lower — these prices refenng to bigs weighed in, less 2V p»r c-nt. t> purchasers Fowl Wheat \ Little if any offering yet but some has been sold at from 3i 3d to 3* Gd.— Oats : Meantime quotations rn>iy be given as under : Bright milling Sutherlands to 1<? ."Hd per bushel (s-cks extra), beat bright sparrowbills to Is si, medium to gooi feed, Is 4.1 1 > Is 4J- i (ex truck or store, sacks extra). Birley: Thr> oniy business doing in this iust now, is in a few lines of tho very best samples for maltiDg Quotations areas uncUr . Prime roaltiog', 3s to 3s 21, medium malting, 2s 81 to 2s lOd, feed and milling, 2s to 2s 4d (sacks extra, ex store).

Grass Seeds are now in fewer hands than th-y were a month since, and at the time jf writing cotnnaratively little is being offered on giowers account.. Best machine-dressed parcels are worth, 4s 6d to 49 91, exceptional lots to 5s ; goo 1 farmers' dressed, 4s to 4s 6d ; inferior to medium, 3s to 3s 9d. <V>ckstoot is no.v off -ring much more freely than of late, and anyone desirous of purchasing can do so on easier t°rm j . Quotations foi trom fair to good seed at from 4^-d to 5d per lb ; inferior, proportionate rates.

Potatoes.— There is still a lar^e quantity of those offprint, and prices are unaltered, pntno Derwenta selling at 52s 6d to 555; medium, 47a 6d to 50s; while ki ine>s are diffku't to quit at from 30a to 40s per ton.

Chaff.— The arrivals of chnff during; the last week or ten days have not been so heavy, and if anything there is rather ascarcitj of really first-class parcels, which cjuld be placed in limited quantities at from 42s Gd to 455. Inferior to medium may be quoted at 35s to 40a per ton.

Dairy Produce.— Prime salt butter is selling in small parcels at from 6»'l to 7d per lb. but cheese in still difficult to quit at 4d to 4±d for medium size, and 4£ to 4fd for loaf size per lb. Flax —We quote prime well scutched to £19 10s to £20 ; medium to good, £17 to £18 ; inferior to indifferent, £13 10a to £15 per ton.

Mkbsbs. Donald Reid and Co., Dunedin, report for the -week ending April 1, as follows :—: —

Bheepskins.— Green pelts. Is lOd to 2s lid ; do lambe, Is 9d to 3s ; dry crossbreds, 2s 3d to 5s 7d ; do merinos, Is 8d to 53 Id ; do pelts and lambs, 6d to 2s 4d.

Grain.— Wheat : Milling (prime to extra prime), 3g lid to 4s o£d ; do (medium), 3s 8d to 3s lOd ; fowls' wheat And inferior. 3s 4d to3s7d. Oats: Milling, Is 5d to Is 6*d; bright feed, Is 3Ad to Is 4£d ; discoloured, Is to Is 3d.

Chaff —Prime heavy oaten sheaf, £2 2s 6d to £2 5s ; mixed and light, £1 17s 6d to £2. Potatoes.— Prime, £2 7s Gd to £2 15s ; inferior, £2 to £2 ss.