Commercial.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 193, 22 March 1878, Page 5

Commercial.

«. .*-.*•, Messrs Maclean Brothers report **-— n At Balclutha, on the 15th instant we held a sale of cattle and sheep, and disposed of 60 head A< "of \ cattle, on account of Messrs Wilson aud Cameron Bros., at from L 5 10s to L 6 I2s 6d for store bullocks, and L3 l7s Od to L 4 10s for cows ; also, on account of Messrs M. Si'Lennan and A. Ironside, 500 cross-bred sheep at 5s 3d to 7s 6d . ; each. Our next sale at Balclutha will be held on 29th instant when we shall offer 250 head first-class store cattle, {and about 8000 store sheep. ....Ai 1. Mr HENRY DRIRER 'on behalf of the New • Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company) • reports for the week ending March 20, 1878 — The market to day was supplied with 150 head -cattle, 26 calves. 1300 sheep, 100 lambs. •! •'- Fat Cattle. — The quantity forward was a fair supply, but only 50 were prime, and prices advanced fully 2s fid per lOOlbs. Best bullocks brought LlO to Ll3 ss ; do cows. L 6 10s to L 9— or equal to about 30s per lOOlbs for prime -quality. Fat Calves. — 26 came forward, and sold at from 15s to 40s according to quality. Fat Sheep. — 1300 were penned, and prices showed a slight improvement on last rates. Best •cross-breds brought from 9s (5d to 13s ; do merinos, 5s 6d to 7s 6d— or equal to 2d per lb for prime mutton. "Fat Lambs. — 160 were penned, and found "buyers at from 6s 6d to 8s 6d each. Store. Cattle. — We have no alteration to note. Prices remain as last quoted, best bullocks changing hands at from L 5 to L 7 10s ; cows, L 4 4s to L 5 ss. During the week we sold 100 head at this price. Store Sheep. — There is a very active enquiry for almost every description of sheep, and we have during the week sold 4000 at prices ranging :as follows : — Merino wethers, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, lip to 6s; do full-mouthed, up to 4s ; ewes 2, 4, • and 6-tooth, up to 7s ; do full-mouthed 4s ; •cross-breds, 4 and 6-tooth, up to 8s ; do 2-tooth, 6s 6d ; and lambs, up to 5s 6d. Wool. — We held our sixth wool sale at the Company's- Wool Stores yesterday afternoon, at which we catalogued 400 bales. There was more caution exhibited by buyers. Evidently the late private telegram reporting the London wool sales easier, and decline of to Id per lb on merino wool, though it was coupled with a corresponding advance on cross-bred descriptions, had a tendency to lower values. We had, therefore, to pass in one or two parcels. W e sold 278 bales at a slight decline on former rates. Sheepskins. — We had a small supply this week ; •country people too busy to send forward ; prices are very firm for all wooled skins. Bare pelts sold, 3d to 9d ; early shearlings, 2s 6d to 2s 9d ; lambs, 2a to 2s 4d ; station skins 7-Jd to 7§d. Tallow. — We had brisk competition for every lot ; rough fat, 21s 6d to 22s ; inferior mixed, "25s ; fair medium, 27s 6d to 295 ; prime mutton, 31s. Grain. — "Very little new wheat coming to hand, allpresent arrivals go direct to the 'mills. Fine -choice Northern wheats we have sold at 4s 9d, Dunedin Jetty ; at the mill, for good milling, 4s 4d to 4s 6d is paid for prompt delivery. Oats axe extremely scarce, the late wet weather having prevented deliveries ; on the spot, good new oats are saleable at 3s 6d ; for future deliveries, 3s 2d to 3s 3d. Barley : There is a little ir quiry for malting samples. We hear of purchases on brewers' account "in North Canterbury at high rates. South of Timaru, the quantity giown this season is very small compared with former years. Quotations are difficult to give at present time ; but expect higher rates to rule than last -season. Oamaru, March 15. i Very little business is doing in grain afc present. .Millers refuse to give moie than 4s for wheat, and farmers are not satisfied with _ this price, holding back in expectation of obtaining 4s 3d to 4s 6d; oats, 3s to 33 3d; barley, nominal; flour LlLlostoLl2; oatmeal, L 18; pearl barley, L2O ; pollard, L 5; bran, L 4. Timaru, March 16. The grain market is active. During the week large quantities arrived in town. Export wheat is firmer than last quotations, 4s 3d for best mil- : - ling, other kinds ranging from 3s lOd up to that figure ; oats, 2s 9d to 3s 3d ; barley, nominal. . .The general quality of the grain is very superior. •'.-.-- Christchurch, March 16. •Wheat— There has been a good enquiry for export, and sales have been made up to 4s 6d for average lots. Higher rates have been paid for choice parcels for seed purposes, both for shipment to the North Island and for home use. Oats do not show any alteration— all feeding qualities coming forward are taken up at 3s 4d to 3s 61. * For milling samples a shade more can. be got. • Barley maintains its value, and good quality easily finds buyers at 4s 9d. For feeding sorts 3s to 3s 6d is the quotation. Flour is still at Lli toLI2. Wellington, March 15. Mr Thomas reports produce prices as fol- - lows :— Flour, Ll3 to Ll3 10s for colonial ; Ll7 10s Adelaide ; oats, 4s 3d to 4s 6d, in ready demand; bran, Is 2d, scarce*, wheat, 4s; hams, B£d to 9d, market overstocked ; bacon, Bd, overstocked; cheese, 7d, in demand for prime samples ;- potatoes, L 4 10s toLS 10s; maize, 5s 3d to 5s 6d with an upward tendency ; pollard, L 5 15stoL6; butter, lOd. Std-N"et, March 15. New Zealand wheat, 5s 6d, New Zealand oats, 452dt043 3d. „ i_ nn March 20. Maize, oats, and potatoes aTe declining. AnELAiDE, March 15. flour, Ll3 5s to Ll3 10s ; wheat, 5s 7d. THR LONDON WOOL SALES' Messrs Cargills, Gibbs, and Co., have receivec the following telegram from Messrs Schwartze and Co.*, dated London, 13th inst., in referenc* -.to the wool sales:— "There is less animation prices for fleece and greasy wool show an averag- ' decline of id to Id per ib, compared with open ing rates-of the present series.. The bulk o : scoured wools sell steadily ; prices for cross-bredi show an average rise of Id per lb oompared witl -dosing rates of last series.'