COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1019, 7 December 1883, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, Friday afternoon. Til* following is the Christchurch Com Ex- . change report for the week ending Friday ’ evening, the 7th iustThe demand for sound milling wheat still continues, although stocks in the hands of original holders are insignificant, the trade consequemly being confined principally to merchants It would be exceedrash to estimate the probable prospects of harvest in the face of the weather which has prevailed for some time past. Farmers of heavy Islndj complain very much of the coldness of the soil, and the consequent backwardness of the crops, although on light lands the himettus light showers have had a very bene-.ficial-effect In oats a fair amount of business has .been done in prime milling and good heavy feed’at ruling prices—inferior qualities quite neglected. Barley does not meet with much attention, owing to maltsters being fully supplied. The recent shipments of butter per lonic, by reducing stocks, leads to the anticipation of fuller rates. There being no present ohtletfor cheese, the market maybe said to be roverstocked, and with little prospect of a rise lin-value. Quotations as follows;—Wheat : goupd milling, 3s lod to 4s 2d per bushel, fab.; second quality, 3s 3d to 3s fid ; chick ‘wheat, is ibd to 2s 3d per bushel.—Oats : Prime milling, 2s idtoas 2d per bushel, f.0.b.; bright short feed, is lid to 2s; inferior and discolored, is 8d to is lod.-Barley: First class halting, 451043 3d per bushel; second quality, 33 3d to 3 s 6d; feed, is lid to 2s 2d perbnslicl.—Potatoes: 27s 6d to 30s at counitry stations. —Cheese and butter: 4j£d to 3d for the former, and.6>4d to ?d for . the latter, kegspxtra. Messrs Miles and, Co. report upon the live stock market for the week ending Thursday, 'Decl ffth :—Addington : At these yards on Wednesday a very short supply came to hand, the fet sheep numbering not more than 1,500. Notwithstanding this prices showed but little improvement on recent rales, and there being but little enquiry for freezing sheep, the competition was confined to the trade. They, : however, having bought heavily at Ist week’s .market, were exceedingly apathetic, and a very dragging tale was the result. Merino wethers were present in large proportion, but compared with crossbred mutton realised but indifferently, t- Our quotations are—For prime crossbreo, iShom, from 2 J £A to 3d per lb; and for merino and; second quality crossbred, 2#d to per lb. Fat cattle : A large entry of beef 'was .penned for the week’s supply, and the quality as a rule was first class. Noticeable amongst the various consignments were drafts from the Messjs Hay Bros’ estate. Pigeon Pay, and also from the Messrs Parkinsons’, Kaituna, • .which were not only exceedingly admired, but realised top prices (weight considered) . for the day. We quote beef at;,from 20s to 22* per loolbs, according to quality. Store sheep: A large entry of stores came to hand, the demand being large, -,but buyers show a decided disincEnadon to purchase at present rates. AH lines submitted met with sales at satisfactory rates, store crossbred wethers realising from I2s fid to 14s gd, at which latter price we sold a draft of 868 forward conditioned crossbred'Romney and merino wethers, a grand line. Merino wethers realised from 7s to 9s ; crossbred ewes and lambs up to 16s 3d. Store cattle—Small entry, and quality only ordinary. Prices showa slight tendency to rise; this, however,may be partly attributable to thevery spare supply. Pigs—A very light market and no appreciable alteration in values. Our principal sales were-r Crossbred wethers, shorn, at 17s, 60 do at 163 gd, 10 ewes at 15s, 30 at 17s 4d, 46 at 46s fid, a line- of merino wethers at 9s pd. ‘ "Tinwald—At this market on Tuesday we held our usual sale, when between 4,000 and 5,000 sheep, and 100 head of cattle were penned." The quality was of the usual mixed description. Our entries were—Account of Messrs Foster, W. F. Allen, Dr Trevor, C. J. Harper, J. Bell, H. Milner, J. Garter, and ethers. Prices throughout were very satisfactory,", and evidence the < rowing demand for Store sheep of all descriptions: Land sale —We have during the week effected a sale privately of 656 acres of land, near Messrs Gould and Cameron’s at a price'satisfactory to the vendor., The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report of the litre stock market for the week ending Dec. 6 : —Totals;,: at; Canterbury saleyards—Sheep, 6,312; cattle, 423 ; pigs, 91. Sheep—The supply of mutton was light, but values were in PO. way affected, prices remaining at the level of last week’s quotations ; 2}£d per lb was the average paid for prime short mutton. Crossbred wethers brought 15s, 16s, 16s fid, 17s 3d, and : iff?. :$d rdo two-tooth 13s 3d; mixed sexes, 15s, 15s pd and ifis fid; ewes, 14s to tfis fid ; shorn merinos, 9s gd, 10s 3d and 11s; woolly; do 9s, lis and 16s. The store market was also but moderately supplied. A fair amount of, business .was transacted. Merino wethers in the wool made 7s fid and 9s ; shorn two-tooth crossbreds, 12s 5d and 12s gd ; ewes and lambs, 16s 3d. Fat lambs wsre rather dull of sale at from 7s fid to ns apiece. Pigs—A moderate entry and no material. . change to note in values, porkers not selling quite so readily as hitherto j. small . stores in good demand. Cattle t A large number brought forward. Beef bad a dull sale, 22s per icolhs being a fair average for good quality. Bullocks brought L6l6s, L 7 7s fid, L 7 15s, LBand L 9; cows and heifers, Ls ss, L 6, L 6 7s fid, and L 6 I 5» each.. In the store market an average number.was yarded, and no improvement in pridei fir demand can be recorded. Medium cows made L 3 10s to Ls; young dry heifers L 3 17s fid; two to three-year-old steers, L 4 5s. — Private .Sales: During the week past we placed a line 0f’2,500 merino ewes, with large percentage. of lambs, at 10s; 200 fat shorn crossbred wethers, fur export, at 16s fid; 100 fat lambs, Ils; 120 do, 12s; and 91 fat wethers at current value for mutton. Also. 200 and 100 on lame terms, and 87 at 16s fid.