COMMERCIAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1261, 23 May 1884, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

Ashburton Guardian Office, '■rs i-i y, i-•/ ■- • Friday Afternoon. i Matson : and Co. report on the live stock market, etc., for the week ending Thursday, May 22nd, 18S4, as follows:—Yesterday’s market, though not excessively stocked with fat sheep, yet presented what may be c .n----sidered a good supply— sufficient with an average demand to m-et requirements without causing a drag. At no sale, however, for some months past, have we seen* the local trade so apathetic in their biddings as on this occasion —such a manifest indifference being exhibited at the commencement of the sale that several lines of good sheep were passed in successively, the only reason given being that ;4he retail trade has fallen off of late to a very great extent* Considering that the day’s entry comprised a large proportion of extra prime wethers, the result would undoubtedly have been serious, had not a buyer for export put in an appearance shortly alter the start of the and by the absorption of from 1,000 to .1,500 of the best.crossbreds, thus ; relieved the. market, and gave a tone to remaining lines in the same class of sheep. Through the means of this outside competition (sales were effected in that direction on a better basis, r6s, 17s, r -oneime of shiep with the Down cross) gd, being equal to a quotation of about 2ifd, and in the, last named instance to nearly 3d per lb. * The presence in the market of such a buyer could , not have happened' at a . more opportune time, either for vendors or purchasers as in the first place it enabled agents to quit a number of good shlsp, Which would probably afterwards not have been sold ; and secondly, they were scarred in i dragging market, with but little opposition from local competitors. Fives, merino wethers, and light weight crossbreds, which were not affected by this foreign demand, were most difficult to quit at prices ruling fid to is per head below recent quotations, sure! even then several lines went out unsold. Medium weight mixed sheep sold at from 12s fid to 14s, one or two lines of heavy weight four-tooth maiden ewes realising up to 15s and 15s fid, equal to an average rate of from 2#d to 2}id per lb. There were one or two lot. of extra good iiierinds penned, which sold at from 9s fid to Ils per head, rate 2 s to 3s per head brtow values two or three m nths since. The trade in stores was marked by the same feeling of depression as was shown generally in fat sheep, buyers being very indifferent as to purchasing, and only W;be tempted at considerably reduced rates. Cull broken-mouth lines mere almost Unsaleable at any price, and about nalt> the entry failed to change hands. On account of Mr John Murray we placed a drift of 170 two and four-tooth crossbred wethers, heavy weight prime sheep, at 16s and 16s fid, ewes of the same fine at 15s fid. Account Mrjas. Bell, a very choice lot o wetheis at 17s, ewes at 15s, For Mr William Birdling, from the * Lake View estate, 150 nice quality 4 and 6-tooth wethers at 16s and 16s gd. For Mr K. M, Morten, from the Ahuriti estate, 150 well sized 2 and 4-toolb wethers at ifis 3d. For Mr F. Pjne, 140 4-tooth half-bred wethers at iSs to 16s gd, ewes at 13s to 14s 3d. fi'or Mr A. Humphries, 19 1 2 and 4-tooth crossbred ewes at 13s and 13s fid, one small pen at 12s ; for Mr V. Wnght, a small line of 2-tooth half-breds at 12s gd, etc. In stores, among 'Others; we placed 180 6-tooth crossbred wethers in medium condition at 12s fid, 30 half-bred -a-todth .wethers at 13s, crossbreds of mixed sexes at Ils and 12s, one or two other lines of merinos being withdrawn. Of the fat cattle sale we can report no improvement, in fact, it anything, we consider prices were even lower yesterday than at .last week’s sales, and business transactions are alike unsatisfactory to vendors, agents, and we may say purchasers. In what directiqp to look for improvement we scarcely know, as it is simply a question of oversupply or unequal demand. The exportation of beef to Sydney, spoken of in our last week’s rejiortj Wc are afraid will be too heavily handicapped in the shape of transit and other charges to be made payable, however much we might wish the reverse, in fac, the few that have already reached the other side show Ibis result. In the meantime. 17s to 18s and 19s per loolb remain the ruling rates, according tp quality, with a very dull sale at these quotations.' On account «f Mr W. Birdling, we so d -16 head of nice steers from the Lake View Estate atLy, L? 6s to L 7 15s, cows at Lfi ss; for Messrs Henderson and Mcßeath, steers at Ly 5s to Ly 10s, light weights at L 6 to Lfi I Os, heifers, etc, for various owners from L 4 los to L 5 15s. In store cattle the entry was iimitel and business exceedingly dull, very few lines changing hands during the day. Taking a general; view of < the market, a dullness and depression of trade exists in every branch, of stock (pigs excepted), mutton suffering the «ffects : of a reaction from the activity and increased rates brought about by the. export trade, stores governed to a great extent by the prices ruling in fat sheep. Beef, a glut in the market from, over supply, and store cattle, in face of the coming winter, almost unsaleable. Pigs, on the contrary, were perhaps never selling better than at thb present time, *>., lines of sufficient weight tor curing :The yards on Wednesday, though fiUed with all classes, y.t exhibited some rare specimens of what good breeding (and proper grazing can produce, th’s being especially the case with a line of 50 some of which sold up to over 80s per head. •• The following is the Christchurch Com Ex change report for the week ending Friday, the 2Jtd init 1 --There has Been nothing during the past week in grain transactions to warrant a departure from {. revious quotations, business in grain and produce being 'nearly all round ” in a .very stagnant condition. With the exception of oats, which are still in fair request, the demand- for all other kinds of produce is remarkably slack. Quotations as follows : Wheat; Good sound dry samples Tuscan, 3s 4dj pearl, 3s 3d ; Hunter’s, 3s 2d per bushel, iJ.b. and Christchurch; for rejected lots and seconds the offers range from 2s 3d to 2s fid, f.b.b. —Oate s Bright milling, 2S 4d ; bright short feed* 23 2 ® to 23 3 d 5 discolored and inferior, Is 8d to is lod, f.o.b.—Barley : Prime mailing, 3s 9d to 4s; second quarity, 3s to 3s fid; feed, 2s to 2s 3d Christchurch.— Peas ; Sound samples, 3s 3d to 3s fid, f.o.b.— Beans: Nominally 3s, £o.b.—Potaroe : Derwente,- 27S fid to 30s at country station within 12 miles. —Butter and Cheese : g}4d to io}4d for the former, and 4dto $d for .the latter.