COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16037, 20 October 1917, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS

(BY OCR COMMEKCIiX EDITOR.; Friday evening. The Board of Trade will meet merchants, millers, and farmers, in conference next week to arrange matters in connexion with the disposal and prices of the new wheat crop. The oats market is quieter, but oatsheaf chaif is firm at late rates.

The potato market is quiet, and in ,view ot the law prices offered for new business, merchants aro not purchasing beyond their requirements lor orders in hand. The price is 47s 6d to 50s, at country stations, and thoro are not many offering, as growers who still hold stocks appear to be indifferent as to whether they sell or not. The following arc the prices paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated: — Milling wheat (nominal), according to Government price. Maximum —Pearl •Is lid, Hunters 5s 10d, Tuscan and othpr varieties 5s 9d, f.o.b. Fowl wheat about Id to 2d per bushel less. Dressed seed wheat not more than Is per bushel above the maximum prices. Oats.—Heavy Algerian 3s 9d to 3s lOd, Gartons 3s lOd to 4s. extra heavy to is 2d, and Duns 3s 9d to 4s for heavy, dark-coloured, light weight 3s 6d to 3s Bd, at country stations. Barley (nominal). —Malting 4s 6d to os 3d, feed 4s. Flour.—£ls per ton; 1001b bags, £15 10s; 501b bags, £15 15s; 251b bags, £16. Bran. —£3 10s per ton. Pollard. —£G 15s per ton. Oatmeal. —251b bags, £21 per ton. Oatshcaf Chaff. —£1 10s to £5 for prime. Peas.—Partridge, 6s 3d to 6s 6d. Ryegrass.—Perennial. 241b to 251b seed 4s 9d, 221b to 231b 3s 6d to 4s, light-weights 3s. Italian 4s to 4s 6d, Westemw'olths and Giant Hunters 4s 6d to ss. Cocksfoot. —121b to 131b seed 9d to ! 10 id. Cowgrass.—lid to 13d, according to quality. Potatoes.—£2 7s 6d to £2 10s for immediate delivery. DAIRY PRODUCE. There arc no changes to note in this trade. Wholesale prices arc : — Butter —Factory Is 5Jd net, farmers' separator Is 2d, dairy Is Id. Cheese —Factory lOd, dair-r 9}d, loaf lOd. Bacon—Sides Is Id, rolls Is 2d, hams

Is 2c!. Honey—Extracted 43<1 per lb. Eggs—ls Id per dozen. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. A shipment of Fiji bananas and South Australian lemons and oranges, also Auckland lemons, came to hand during the week, and met with a good sale at lugh prices. Supplies of vegetables have been fairly good, and prices were well maintained. New local potatoes, green peas, and tomatoes are beginning'to come on the market. The average wholesale prices for the week were :-r-

Apples, dessert los per case, cooking 12s Gd, Fiji bananas 18s to 20s, Auckland lemons 17s to 18s, South Australian lemons 22s to 235, South Australian oranges 40s to 445, tomatoes 2s od per lb.

Asparagus os to 7s per dozen bundles, beet lOd to Is 4d, carrots Is to Is 3d, parsnips Is to Is Gd, radishes Gd to 7d, spring; onions Is Gd to 2s 3d, turnips Is, rhubarb 4s 6d to os 2d, cabbages 2s to 3s 6d per dozen, cauliflowers os to 9s, lettuce 9d to Is, mar•rows 12s to 18s, celery Is per bundle, leeks Gd to 7d per. bunch, green peas 3s Gd -ger peck, new potatoes 6d to lOd per lb. old potatoes 5s to 7s per sack.

RAKAIA STOCK SALE. At the Rakaia stock sale on Thursday thero was a yarding of about a thousand sheep, consisting chiefly of hoggets. The attendance of buyers was not large. Prices realised were:—so halfbred ewes and 70 per cent, lambs (all counted) 17s Gd, 109 halfbred wether hoggets 295, 150 three-quarterbred ewe hoggets 395, 150 three-quarterbred wether hoggets 375, 18 pigs (weaners) 28s to 335. One cow, due to calve, was passed at £14. TIMARU PRODUCE MARKET. (SPECIAL TO "THE TRESS.") TIMAIIU. October 19.

Wheat —Except for negotiations for exchanges by one or two millers, to the total absence of stocks m merchants' and farmers' hands, there is nothing doing. The reason for the exchanges is that some millers are short of the finer varieties of wheat, whilo others have a surplus. The proposed exchanges arc being negotiated in different centres between Invercargill and Timaru. There is a very keen demand

i'or fowl wheat, which is in such short supply that.barley. -jieas, oats, and ryecorn are being used in its stead. Business in oats has been reduccd to the irreducible minimum owing to light stocks and the fact that green feed is now very plentiful. Values are quoted to-day at 3s Gd to 4s, according to quality and description. Oatsheaf chaff is inclined to bo easier owing to the fact that southern merchants have purchased well ahead, and do not wish to get more on hand till' their present purchases are all placed. The business done in chaff this year has been" phenomenal. It is said by some that this has been brought about by the shortage of bran. , Potatoes seem to have gone from had to worse. Telegrams received to-day from Wellington indicate the selling value there as £4 5s to £4 15s per ton. This is equal to £2 to £2 10s on trucks country stations. Merchants generally are offering £2 to £2 ss. EAGLE AND BRITISH DOMINIONS INSURANCE COMPANY. The English Courts have sanctioned the fusion of the British Dominion General Insurance Company, Ltd.. with the old-established English Companv— the Eagle Insurance, and the amalgamated title of the Eagle and British. Dominions General Insurance Co., L?d., has now been adopted. This company have a capital of three million, and reserve of three million five hundred thousand pounds. 2

CHBISTCHURCH STOCK EXCHANGE. ' YESTERDAY'S TRANSACTIONS. Sale on 'Chang©:— Huddart-Parker, £1 12s LATEST QUOTATIONS. Buyers. Sellera. £ a. <1. £ a. d. BANKS— National .. 5 5 G — New Zealand (£3 6s Set , paid) .. .. — 13 4 6 COAL— Taupiri .. .. 015 6 — Taupiri (pref.) .. 13 6 — GAS— Christchurch .. .. — C 5 0 MEATSCanterbnrj .. .. — 8 19 0 N.Z. Refrig;. (£lO paid) — 20 5 0 WOOLLENS— Kaiapoi .. .. — 615 0 MISCELLANEOUS- , ilnson, StrulLejrs (14s I paid) .. .. 015 0 015 0 •N.Z. Drug Co. (£2 paid) — 211 o The Chnstchuich Stock Exchange will be closed ail day Monday, 22nd inst. Labour Day.