Commercial.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 143, 6 April 1877, Page 5

Commercial.

Mb Anbbew Mercer reports for the week ending April 4, 1877, as follows :—

Retail prices only. — Fresh butter, in £Ib and s llb prints, Is 4d to is 6d per Ib ; fresh butter, in slumps, Is j3d ; powdered and salt butter, Is 3d. Fresh butter is very plentiful s.t this season of the year, anil the most of the shops have still to "salt down their surplus. Salt butter, in kegs, Is to Is Id per Ib, but at present no demand, 'Cheese, beat quality, Is per Ib ; English cheese, "la 4d, but no demand. Side and rolled bacon, lOd to lid per Ib ; Colonial hams, Is Id to Is 2d ; English hams, Is 4d to Is 6d per Ib. Eggs are very scarce, and retailing at' 2s 3d per dozen.

If r Henry Drtvbb (on behalf of the New Zea- . -land Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports'for' ■the week endiDg 4th April as follows : —

Fat Cattle.— Only 125 head were yarded, which -were chiefly of good to prime quality, and in con- - sequence a slight improvement in prices may be 'reported. Best pens of bullocks from L9lO to Ll2 10s ; do cows, L7 to LlO 10s -or < equai'to 30s per lOOlbs prime quality. At the ryards we sold 30, and placed 40 head privately. Fat Calves. — Ten were penned, and readily at from '20b to 555, according to quality. Fat Sheep. — 2500 came 'forward, and this -rather large number, together with the fact that •"the trade was plentifully supplied, caused sales to "be extremely difficult to etfecb at satisfactory 'prices, and' half the number had to be held over. '•Best pens o£ cross-breds brought from 7s 9d to 10s -6d ; merinos, from 53 to 7s 9d — l£d per lb for ; ';prime quality. Fafc Lambs. — 200 were forwarded, and all found 'buyers at lato rates, say, fw 6rl to Bs. Store Cattle. — There is a fair demand for ?mixed lots, or for good -conditioned quiet cattle "fat winter feeding. There are uo large transactions to report. Store Sheep.— The demand for young merino reported siill continues, and during the week we have sold of various descriptions 6503 cat quotations— say, merino wethers, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, 5s 6d ; do, full-mouthed, 8s ; merino j • ewes, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, 63 6d to 7s ; do, full- > mouthed, 2s 6d to 3s 6d ; cross-breds, 4-tooth ' -and over, 7s to 7s 6d ; do, 2-tooth, 6s to 6s 6d. Wool. — London wool sales closed on the 28th ult. Greatest reduction in price on medium and inferior. Choice fleece and lambs' were scarce -and brought good prices. As we have remarked • aome weeks ago, the reduced price w»9 principally •-causedby the faulty condition of 'th© Australian ' • clip, which preponderated at these sales. In this market there is a good demand for combing fleece -at a slight reduction on late rates. There k very 'little coming forward, the bulk of the clip being -shipped. # w Sheepskins. — At our weekly auction sale yesterday, we bad a full catalogue, which was ' ■well attended by buyers, who competed freely at • full lutes. Full wool cross-breds, 5s 4d ; merinos, -4s Bd ;- butchers' green merinos, 2s 2d ; cross-•-breds, 2s 7d; lambs, Is 6d to 2a 4d ; pelts, 9d to laid.

Hides were in good demand, every lot selling at improved rates. Light and inferior, 6s to 11s -9d ; medium, 14a 9d to 16s 6d ; green slaughters, -21a 6d.

Tallow, — There was a good demand for all -offered. Bough fat, 20s 6d ; medium, 27s 6d to r2Bs 6d.

Grain. — At our grain stores yesterday afternoon, we submitted 3000 bags to auction. Wheat ' brought <4sT.fl to ss, the latter price being offered "for 7000 bushels prime Southland wheat. Inferior and damaged barley sold at 2s 3d to 2s 6d ; -medium do, 3s to 3s 6d. Oats— Feed, 2s 3d per • busheL The market <is fully supplied with wheat. Oat^are only 'in moderate supply, with ■ a .good shipping demand at 2s 3d to 2s 4d for 'good to heavy feed samples. Barley, prime 'malting is scarce, and worth 4s 6d to 4s 9d ; second class, 3s 6d to 45.; inferior, 2s 3d to 3s. Supply principally inferior, which is very unsaleable.