COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 516, 23 December 1881, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, Friday afternoon. The business in the grain market during the week has been of a very limited character. Prices remain the same, but operations are merely confined to trade lots, and only milling samples of wheat meet with any enquiry. Flour is rather easier, and the demand for best brands continues fairly good. Oats have remained without alteration in prices, and meet with very little enquiry. Malting samples of barley have been sold in small quantities, but prices are in no way altered since our la«t report. The new season’s ryegrass seed has been offered, but the regular market prices have nut been ascertainable. From ad accounts, the samples will be very good this season, and no doubt prices will be satisfactory to growers. During the week some splendid showers of rain have fallen, and great good has been done to the crops. . We fear, however, that many of the latter will hardly repay for cutting and harvesting. On some farms the oat and barley crops are scarcely six inches high, and it will be a very difficult matter to reap them. The grass paddocks have been freshened up considerably, and the forward crops of wheat and oats have been well filled out by the recent rain. Shearing toward the hills has been retarded somewhat, owing to the weather, but a few stations have now nearly finished —the wool is coming in fast for shipment. Messrs Matson, Cix and Co. report of their usual sale at Tinwald, as follows : There was an average attendance of farmers and biddings were for the most part very spirited. We quitted nearly the whole of our entry at puces fully equal to, if not better, than Christchurch prices. In sheep, w? sold 400 shorn two-tooth mixed crossbreds at 8s 8d ; 3 years do do, 7s 4d ; 198 merino ewes, 3s qd ; 156 merino wethers, 5s 3d ; 147 do, 6s 6d ; 87 crossbred wethers, 8s; etc., etc. In cattle, we sold over 100 head at very satisfactory values. _