COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1469, 20 February 1885, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, I Friday afternoon. 1 The following is the Christchurch Corn Ex- I change report for the week ending Friday, 20th instant: —The week’s transactions have not I shown much improvement on the preceding I one, doubtless owing to the continuance of favorable weather, as farmers, profiting from the experience of former years, do not care to I leave harvesting operations, which are being I prosecuted with the utmost vigor, evidently preferring to cut on the green side rather than! trust to the fickleness of the climate at this time of the year. Several la’ge lines of grass seed! and oats are coming forward, the latter being J generally of fine color and quality. Some Very prime samples of wheat arc now appear- I ihg, but the opening price is not yet definitely fixed, although for both wheat and oats the tendency is in a downward direction. Barley is still hardly fit for market, and prices are withheld for the present. Dairy produce shows no more favorable sympton s than dur-1 ing the former weeks, whilst stocks continue to increase, and the prospect of a rise in value is quite problematical. Quotations to date as follows: —Wheat: Old wheat, Tuscan, 2s lod; Hunter’s and Pearl, 3s to 3s 2d, f.0.b.; new, nominally, 2s qd, f.o.b.—Oats : Bright milling, isqdto Is lod, f.o.b.—Barley. Nominally, 3s 6dto 4s; Christchurch.—Grass Seed: Rye, Is 3d to 2s; machine dressed, 3s qd; cocksfoot, 3d per lb, f.o.b. Butter and Cheese.: yd per lb for the former and the latter 4d, f.e.b.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report on the live stock market, for the week ending Thursday, Februaiy iqth, 1885, as follows : For yes'erday’s Addington market the entry of stock, taken all round, was below the average, fat sheep and store cattle showing the greatest falling off. In the mutton supply the most noticeable features were the large proportion of merino wethers, and the small number of crossbreds to hand, not more than about

half«"Hozen lines of the latter being penned. The effect of this was of course to cause a shade '"better demand for the small amount of cross- ' bred mutton on offer, one or two lires of prime wethers sdling at an advance of about 6d per head. In merinos, trade was exceedingly dull, the best lines, prime sheep, selling at from 8s I 6d to 9s gd; inferior and medium lines being difficult to quit almost at any price, since the trade could scarcely be tempted to buy, and there were but few farmers pre ent to pick them up for store purposes. The same reason which accounts for the latter, viz, that harvest operations are the all-important consideration with agriculturists just now, is of course the cause of the small erby of crossbred mutton to hand, but at the same time there was ample for all requirements inasmuch as several lines of good merin s went out unsold, with a prospect of the same taking place in crossbreds had there been more on offer. 1 On account of Mr Wm. Boag, we topped the market with a few pens of extra choice wethe-s at 1533 d and 15s 6d, and in merinos with a portion of Messrs Gould and Cameron’s wethers at 9s 9d, the balance of the line tof 600 selling at 9s 3d to 9s 6d ; for Mr Boag we also sold crossbred ewes at X2s and I2s 3d, merino ewes at 5 s 6d ; for Mr Win. Hale, mixed two-tooth cros breds at 12s gd and- 13s. crossbreds at 12s 3d ; crossbreds for Mr Kinley at I2s to 13s ; merino wethers for Mr White at 5s 7d ; crossbreds for Mr Grigg at 125 3d ; light weight crossbreds for Messrs Gould and Cameron at 12s» 6d, etc., equal to an average quotation of about 2d per lb ; any extra choice line of quality a shade over. In store; there was a fair amount of business done, about two-thirds cf a proportionately large entry changing hands, the balance being withdrawn by owners rather than accept the continued reduction which is taking place in values. The drawing to a close of the fat lamb season and the very limited number now absorbed for this purpose by the trade sending forward lines as stores which meet with a fair quittance at from 7s 1° 8s per head. On account of various owners we placed on Wednesday merino ewes with lambs at foot all told at Ss 4d ; mixed two-too hs at 10s 6d ; crossbred ewes with lambs at foot, both counted at ?s ; 370 crossbred lambs at 8--, and 633 at 7s 6d. In fat lambs we sold about 170 at from 8s to 10s, prices which show a decline of is to is 6d per head below early January rates. In beef there is little or no change to report, a moderate entry being cleared at late rates, but with a shade less (difficulty than for several weeks past. A little outside competition, no doubt, helped .to effect a clearance. Otherwise we fear our record would have been of a Jess satisfactory character. We quote light weight second . quality beef at about 17s per; 1001 b, the best at 20s. The store cattle market 'was one of the worst experienced this season, as far as business in concerned, there being very few lines on offer, and apparently less wanted. Fo r springers and dairy cows of the better class there is rather more enquiry, which will no doubt increase as the winter approaches. In pigs rather over 400 were penned, of which one consignment submitted by ourselves numbered 342.