Commercial.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2995, 31 January 1881, Page 2

Commercial.

Messi-3 H. Monteith and|Co report:—At our weekly produce sale on Friday there was a fair demand for all sorts, with the exception of potatoes, with which the market is at present completely glutted. We quote oata (Caterbury), 2s 4d per bushel; maize, 3s Sd ; barley, 3s 6d ; bran, £4 per ton ; chaff, £4, 10s ; hay, £310 ato£4 ; onions, If d per lb. At the Horse- Bazaar on Saturday we submitted 35 horses of various descriptions with the usual result —a good demand at satisfactory prices for the better sorts, while ■weeds and unsound lots are scarcely saleable. We quote heavy draught, £40 to £50 ; medium do, £35 ; light harness, £15 to ££0 ; ■well-bred hacks, £18 to £20; useful do., £0 to £12.

Messrs β-oldsbroiighs and Co. report as follows :—The International Wool Show in connection with the International Exhibition has been held during the past week, and a large variety of flocks have been brought forward from all the colonies for competition. Many beautiful samples were placed for the decision of the judges, whose task was rendered somewhat difficult'through the almost exactly similar types of several of the choicest, lots. The great superiority of the Australian Merinos was further incontestably proved, and it is difficult to believe that any other sheep in the world can equal the best flocks which were exhibited at this show ; indeed, it may safely be stated that they are unrivalled. The contests for the most valuable wool brought many very highclass lots into competition, and those for the most valuable Jleeces, irrespective of high value per pound, proved which are the most profitable sheep to cultivate over the greater portion of the colonies. This, after all, is, in the estimation of the great majority of our breeders, and, indeed, very justly, the true test of value, more especially as comparatively few of them can command the exceptional advantages which are available on the compact und highly improved freehold estates owned by our most celebrated flockrnasters, and which are almost necessary in order to prevent these high-class sheep from retrograding in quality and condition. The great bulk of the Australian wools are raised on Crown lands, only partially improved ; hence the important question is, which is tho most paying class of sheep to cultivate. The highest prize for the best and most valuable twenty-four ewes' fleeces, unwashed and unskirted, was awarded to Mr E. W. Pitts, of South Australia, who, it will be remembered, gained the first prize at Goldsbrough's Wool Exhibition in 1878, a decision which wag questioned ab the time

by some rival breeders' but which lias been confirmod at the present exhibition, there being twenty-one competitors in this class. His ewes' fleeces gave tho high averago for Merinos of 15 lbs. of oza., which, at the valuation of lid. per pound, unskirted, gave a return of 11s. 4d per fleece ; and lie took three first prizes for Merinos. Other breeders in the same classes followed closely, including Messrs. Austin and Milleur, Sanders, James and Co., W. Gibson and Son, <fee. The other chief prizetakers were the Hon. Sir Samuel Wilson, who gained the high distinction of the Grand Champion Prize for Merinos, and the Grand Champion Prize for the most valuable twenty-four fleeces of nil breeds, also ten other prizes in different classes ; J. L. Currie, three prizes ; W. Gibson and Son, three prizes ; Austin and Millrar, three prizes ; Hon. P. Bussell, two pi-izes ; T. Kussell and Co., one prize ; J. Gibson, one prize ; A. Buchanan, one prize ; Sanders, James and Co., three prizes, &c. Some of our best and most noted breeders, including Messrs. Win. dimming, T. F. dimming, and Thomas Dowling and Son, did not compete, otherwise they would, no doubt, have taken first-class honours. Altogether the exhibition was a great success, owing to the large number of exhibits, and their generally exceptional good quality.