PRODUCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 48, 1 April 1898, Page 13

PRODUCE.

London, March 2-1. A meeting of IS firms engaged in the importation of frozen lamb resolved to hold out for 2 }i for bsst Canterbury from Monday next. Mr. C. R. Valentine, lecturing before the Society of Arts, predicted a great future for Queensland and New South Wales meat ! extracts. The finest Australian possessed a finer flavour than I South American. The lecturer complained of the deterioration of j some recent shipments. London, March 25. The English wheat market is firm, with an upward tendency ; the Continental is firm, and the American changing a little for the

better. Californian No. 1 milling, 35s 9d ; Russian cargoes, 37s 3d. London quotations for hard Duluth, 425. Victorian pea?, 275. Sug-ar is steady. Java, lls 3d : German, 9s. Butter is dragging. A sale of Australian realised from 1003 to 101s. The market is practically finished. Danish, 106s. Sydney, March 23. Wheat— Chick, 2s 9d to 2s lOd ; milling, 4s. Flour— Holler, LlO 10s. Oats— Prime feeding, 2s 5d ; Tartarian seed, 2s 6d to 2s 7d. Maize— Prime, 2s 3il. Barley— Cape, 2s 9d to 2s lOd. Bran, 7-jd. Pollard. 7|d to Bd. Peas— Prussian blue, 4s 6d to 4s 9d. Po'atoes— Local, Li 15s to L(> ; Circular Heads, L 7. Onions — Victorian, LH. Butter. Dairy-made, 7£d ; factory, B^d ; creamery, (id. Cheese — New Zealand, large, 4d ; medium, 4£d ; loaf, sd. Bacon, <>»d to 7Jd. Melbourne, March 23. Wheat, 4s to 4s Id. Flour, Llls 10s. Oats— Tartarian, Is lOd ; stout white, 2s. Barley— Cape, 2< 6d. Maize, 2s 9d. Bran, 9d. Pollard, 9£d. Potatoes, L 6 10s to L 7 10s. Onions, L 5 103. Adelaide, March 23. Wheat, 4s 4d. Flour, LlO 15s to Lll. Oats— New Zealand, 2s 5d to 3s yd. Bran, Is. Pollard, Is 2d. Sydney, March 25. The Government are considering the proposal of agents in America, England, and the continent of Europe to develop the produce trade. Dr. Cobb, pathologist to the Agricultural Department, has resigned. He visits Europe to pursue scientific work. He has undertaken to represent the Government and report on any newavenues of trade that may come under his observation. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company report as follows : — Wheat — There is Tery little wheat as yet from the south, the bulk to hand being from the north. Prices remain on a par with last week's. Say for prime velvet, 4s 7d to 4s 8d ; extra do, 4s 9d ; best Tuscan and red wheat, 4s 6d to 4s 7d ; medium, 4s 3d to 4s 5d ; fowls' wheat, 2s 9d to 3s 9d (ex store, sacks weighed in, terms). OATS — Suitable lines for shipment are now difficult to pick up. Prices in consequence are firmer. Say for best milling, 2s ljd to 2s 2£d ; best short feed, 2s OJd to 2s Id ; medium to good, Is lOJd to Is ll^i ; inferior, Is 8d to Is 9Jd (ex store, sacks weighed in, net). Barley — All offering meet a good market, best bright malting fetching 4s 9d to 5s ; medium to good, 3s 9d to 4s 6d ; feed and milling, 2s 9d to 3s 6d (ex store, sacks extra, net). Grabs Seeds — The demand continues good for best ryegrass seed, farmers' dressed fetching 3s 3d to 3s 5d ; medium, 2s 9d to 3s ; large and dirty, Is 9d to 2s 8d (ex store, sacks extra, net). Cocksfoot has a very fair demand, best dressed, in small lots, fetching 4^d to c\& ; medium, 4d to 4id per lb (ex store, sacks extra, net). Chaff — The supply being limited, prices are still maintained, best fetching L 4 to LI 5s ; medium to good, L 2 17s 6d to L 3 17s (id per ton (ex truck, sacks extra, net). Potatoes — A large supply having come forward, prices have receded, best Derwents now fetching L 4 5s to L 4 12s (id ; medium, L 3 10s to L 4 ; kidneys, L 2 15s to L 3 2s 6d per ton (ex store, sacks weighed in, net). Mr. F. Meenan, King street, reports : — Wholesale price only — Oats: Fair demand; feed, medium to good, Is lOd to 2s; milling: 2s to 2s 2d ; fowls' wheat, 3s to 4s ; milling, 4s Gd to 4s 9d , chaff, L3loto L 4 ss, bare supply. Ryegrass hay, L3toL 3 7s 6d. Straw, 28s per ton ; loose, 28s. Potatoes : New, Local, Li. Flour : Roller, Lll to Lll 10s ; Oatmeal: Lll 10s in 25lbs. Butter: Dairy, 6d to i)<* ; factory, 19d. Eggs, Is 3d. Bran, L 3. Pollard, L 4. Onior j ChrisU-hurch, L 6 10s per ton. Messrs. Donald Reid and Co. report that prices ruled as under at their auction sale on Monday :—: — Oats — We offered several trucks of fair to good foed sparrowbills. Competition was good, and prices ruled on a par with late value. Good feed, 2s to 2s OJd ; medium, Is lOd to Is 11 id per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat — Only a few lots of Sood whole fowl wheat catalogued. These were well competed for, and sold at 3s lOd to 4s per bushel (sacks in). Potatoes — The market was over-supplied, and in consequence nearly all sorts suffered a slight decline in value. A few lots of choice Derwents sold at L 4 7 s (3d to L 4 1 2s <kl ; others, nearly prime, L 4 to Li 5s ; medium to good, L 3 10s to L 3 17s Gd per ton (sacks in). Chaff — We offered several trucks of new season's chaff, all fairly good quality, which were sold, under brisk competition, at Li to L 4 5s pur ton (bags extra). The last report with regard to butter from Messrs. Dempster, Peterson, and Co., of Glasgow, is as follows :— " Our markets, which during the past fortnight were extremely dragging and over-stocked with all classes of butter, have this week brightened up and we are pleased to state that at the close of yesterday's market here all stocks were cleared at improved prices. A buoyancy of tone has now set in, and it is generally expected that the Copenhagen official quotation will be advanced 4s to 5s per cwt. this week. We anticipate strong market next week for choicest grades of colonial. Secondary qualities are not in favour with our buyers at the moment, and the stocks of this class of butter are fortunately in limited compass. The exceptionally mild and humid weather experienced since the opening of the year has had a very injurious effect on many of the best brands of colonial butter*., causing their

flavours to give way very quickly before the rapid process of defrosting. Many shopkeers who were gelling 1 colonial butter exclusively have therefore fallen back upon Danish, and, failing to understand the severe action of defrosting in the case of the colonial butters, have again unfortunately become prejudiced against them. With a spell of good clear frosty weather, however, colonial butters would have every chance to create again a favourable impression on the mind of the retail shopkeeper. We are pleased to state that the engineers' strike has been settled, and we should now experience a more confident tone in business generally. This week's prices are : Choicest Danish, 106s to 108s ; choicest New Zealand. 94s to 965 ; finest New Zealand, 90s to 92a ; choicest Australian, 94s to 965 ; finest Australian, 90s to 923." According to the same firm, the demand for Canadian and colonial cheese is very quiet, and stocks move slowly into consumption, Finest Canadian cheese iB quoted at 43s to 455 ; fine Canadian, 38s to 425 ; finest New Zealand, 42s to 445 ; fine New Zealand, 40s to 425.