COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 784, 3 November 1882, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, Friday Afternoon.

Business bos still remained in the same Semi-dormant state since last week,no transactions in the grain market having transpired worthy of note. The value for wheat is much easier, and prices have now declined. The stock on hand is, however, limited, and the difference will not affect many holders. The demand for oats has been fairly good, and prices seem t# be getting firmer if anything. The weather has been fine, but rather too dry for our farmers. Some good heavy showers are required to bring the crops on. In many places the early wheat is looking well, and the prospects of a good harvest are on the whole very favorable. The hay crops are coming on well, and will be soon ready for the machine in some places. We have heard of an early field of- barley in the Methven district being out in ear already, and an excellent crop Is anticipated.

Corn Exchange report for the week endingFriday evening, the 3th inst. Business in the grain trade is almost at stagnation, point, beyond the few sales which take place for local requirements business is at a standstill, values are hot much altered nominally in forced sales, however, considerably less than the market quotations would have to be. submitted to.— whOftt: The market is in a very depressed condition, sales being difficult to effect, prices' nominally, 4s 6d to 4s yd per bushel; second quality, 4s to 4s id; chick wheat, 3s fid to 3s 9d per bushel.—Oats : The demand has somewhat slackened, but prices remain firm, good short milling, 3s 4d to 3s sd per bushel, supply bare; good to medium feed, 3s 3d to 3s 4d per bushel. Barley; No business is being transacted, the malting season being oyer, feed quality is worth 3s 3d to 3s per busheL—Potatoes : Little or no business has taken place during the week. The prices asked by holders being such as to preclude business.—Cheese and Butter: The former is worth Bd,to-Bj£d per lb; new, fid to 6j£d per lb, the latter, gd to rod per lb.

Messrs Matson, Cox snd Co. report having held their usual weekly sale of stock at the County Saleyards, when they submitted 2,306 sneep and 86 head of cattle. The following were the principle sales:— 204 fat merino wethers at ns, 200 merino ewes and lambs at 8s gd, 102 wethers at 10s, 180 shorn hoggets at 8s yd, 32 Southdowns at 13s fid, 100 crossbteds ’in the wool at 13s nd, 38 merino wethers at 17s 4d, 23 at lis fid, 200 store merino wethers at Bs, and a number of small lots at proportionate rates. n cattle we cleared nearly every line at satisfactory prices. t Messrs J. T. ’ ord and Co. report At Ashburton, on Tuesday last, the entry was not. a large one, our contingent being principally on account of Messrs I. Bonifant, John Brennan. S. Knox, W, .Wilson, H. ,T. mith, and others. Shorn fat hoggets, on account of Mr Bonifant, brought 95 3d each, a line of store do. do. bringing 8s tod. Mr Smith’s ewes and lambs brought 17s ; a nice little line of merino hoggets, on account of same owner, realising 8s each. Heifers we sold at Sss to LS IO; fat cows at L 4, and young cattle at Li los each.

'The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company report as follows :—Wheat ; The. depression existing in this cereal when we last wrote has become more pronounced during the interval, and a very weak market now prevails. Early in the month holders evinced a disposition to meet buyers, and some transactions resulted, about 4,000 sacks of prime milling having changed hands at 4s 6d, f.o.b A few parcels are now offering at this figure, blit buyers are not forthcoming. Mocks are not by any means large, probably not exceeding B>ooo sacks, but a total absence of outside orders, and a cessation of enquiry from millers, owing to the difficulty in moving flour, renders It almost impossible for holders to clear out even this small quantity. (Since the opening oj the month the price of flour has been reduced 10s per ton). > econds, to medium qnality cannot be quoted at over 3s qd to 4s 2d, and chick-feed 3s to 3s fid.— Oats; Our anticipations of an improvement in this market have been verified by a more extended business passing, and a slight enhancement in values which has been established. We have placed some parcels at 3s 3d to 3s 4d for short feed, and 3s id to 3s 2d for ordinary feed ex store. Barley: The month has been quite barren of interest in regard to this grain. No sales of malting have come under «ur notice, but we have had transactions in feed qualities at from 25 3d to 3s. Sheepskins ; Large supplies have been brought forward at the weekly auctions, which have been readily absorbed by the trade at the following rates :—Butcher's crossbreds, 4S to 7s 4d; merinos, 3s fid to 6s odj lambs, is to is 46. Country skins, crossbreds, 3s to 6s lod; merines, 2s fid to fis 3d ; Station skins, s#d to 6#d per lb. Salted pelts, 4s fid to 5s 6i per doz. The number offered during the month has reached 31,500, of which we have supplied 3,600. Wool: Mail advices from London conveying the result of the first fortnight’s sales at the August-Sept, series, folly confirm the cabled reports received and published by us at the time. For combing merino the demand , was good, and prices ruled on a par with those current at the close of the previous sales; but for crossbreds—especially the coarser descriptions —the market was weaker, and former rates were not obtainable; just prior to the departure of the mail, however, the demand for this class Of wool had improved, and a slight enhancement in values resulted. From every district we have good reports of the quality of the clip, “sound in staple; well grown, and light in grease,” being the general opinion arrived at. —Tallow and Fat: The discovery that recent extreme prices for rough fat were unremunerative has led to the withdrawal of one or two boilers from competition at the weekly sales, and a consequent easing of values is observable. We now quote ijfd for inferior to for good dry fat. Shipping tallow, 24s to 285 for medium, , and 32s fid for prime, with very little offering.—Hides: Supplies have fallen short of trade requirements, without, however, influencing rates, which stand as last quoted, namely, 4d for dry salted, wet salted, green, and 4d for calfskins.