COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1297, 4 July 1884, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, Friday Afternoon. Messre H.rMateor.and ..Co report. 91J -the live ste3^rearkiet, l etc.,- for -the- week ending Thursday, July ycsterdiy*s maiket a moderate supply of sheep only came to hand, the bulk, however, consist qgjof lots, In qu lity there was a large^roporfion df primemutto-., light weight crossbred , ard a few corsigaipents of mixed stores makings Up the 1 balance As regards prices, the day’s transactions were very ir egufar, but the one prominent feature Of the sal ■ was the. decided preference shown for tne oes" sheep,., to the, comparative - neglect of light weigms aid . mixed sexes. The only cla*s of medium weight sheep that sold at anything like proportionate rates per lb were inc uclcd in one or t o lines of nice quality half-bred wethers, notably a small- draft sent to band by ; ‘Mr J. E. : Parker wh'ch rye placed at 15s, fully up to 2#d We quote the best mutton at from 2/fd to 2?/d’per=lb ; prime merino, to and mixed lots, 2d to very littleof any kind doing, an Occasional enquiry for breeding ewes at a reduction of 2s per head under cost price two months since being ... the principal demand. Two and four-tooth crossbreds are also saleable at about the same reduction in values, and it is an every sale-day occurrence to see light weight two an d ) *ourtooth croSsbreds, .suitable for butcaers purpo es, and carrying six or seven months growth of wool, j'seliing at less money Than was paid for two-tooth crossbreds in ordinary store condition just off the shears. In beef tne trade is unaltered. A small entry, inferior ' quality,. and ,a thorough indiffeience on the part of buyers being the eading points of yesterday’s sale. Referring to the . matter 01 quality, with •• a lew exceptions, we seldom remember having seen, such an inferior class of cattle through the yards aT Wednesday’s entry; in fact, a large proportion of the/number, undoubtedly, should have been consigned by the classer to the store pens. Of what came under the hammer Mr W. B. Andrews’ 20 head were, perhaps, one of the best lines, these being placed by us at from LS 7s 6d to L 7 ss, an average of about 16s to 17s per roolb. We also sold about 40 head of light cattle at from L 3 ids to LS -ss, equal ta-aßbuiTlSs fo'l6s per loolb. Instore cattle we cannot record any improvement in values, oA in reality, any general inquiry, but ' ' w’th one or two outside buyers in attendance we placed at auction and privately between 70 and So head; 37 in one line at L 3 15s, the balance at from 253 upwards. The pig market sppp}ied\yesta;day for severafweeks past, a mixed .entry of store*, ' porkers and fecqows bringing the total pp tqabout %06. ' ■'Fbi'thfe last mentioned prices were well maintained,, 60s, 70s, andl 803 ,b»«>6 "b". tained'iw fiA foi"several Tots;" - ana in one instance Ls 5 s - With porkers the trade was rather overdone, and prices in comparison* to late rates were somewhat lower, 22s to 3 ZS generally ruling. . „, The following is the Christchurch Ctm Exebange efcdmg Friday; the 4th instant-The present week has nit shown any grfat.impioyement in prices Rs far as the . grain mfflc’ct'is'concerned. An enquiry for soun ’ wheat still exists, .and although no lame transacWffiFtevie' tl(K*n place, prices are still maintained, especially for really good .spot parcels. As regards oats There has been a better enquiiy as compared with last week, but values rem m about the same, there being nothing to alter prices. Good malting barley is s’iT sought after, but for inferior qualities ■ there is demind. -7. Beans- andpeas have shdwn son e activity, particularly the f rmer, but the quality of .bath is so uncertain that not much “business bars’ resulted. Really - sound samples, however, cquld be sold readily. There is a medium deimnd for potatoes, but those in store ready for shipment command a slight advance, before others Butter and cheese are quiet, and very few transactions have taken in e ther ’. The following quotations are the latest to date.—Wheat: Prime** samples of Tuscan, 3s 4d; pearl. 33 34 5 -Hunter’s, 3s id and! 3s 2d ; slightly damp* stecbndk, - 2s 3d and 2 5 6d ; fowls’ wheat, is gd and 2s. —Oats : Milling, 2s 3d ; short bright feed as-- 2d and 2s 3d; Tartars, for seed, 2s 4d ; Tartars, .feed, 2s; inferior sorts, is 6d arid ls lod.*—Barley : Prime malting, 4s; fair to medium, 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; Black-eyed Susan or feed lots, 2s gd and 35, —Beans : as gd and 3s. —Potatoes : 28s to 30s at country stations .within - twelve miles.—ButteOUl&Oictfao: 7*f tog 8d ifbr Ithte former, and "iJM to sd for the latter. The quetations given above are paid to farmers deliverin4 f-o.b. at Lyttelton, excepting barley .and potatoes. ’