Commercial.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3032, 15 March 1881, Page 2

Commercial.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's circular, dated London, January 27, says under the heading " Corn " : —The wheats received from New Zealarid throughout the past season have been 111056 disappointing and of a inferior character in the order of their arrival. This inferiority has been not only a mati,'C r of condition, for which perhaps growers were not entirely responsible, but of quality, ! proving that in far too many instances old and worn out seed had been employed where new and more healthy varieties were required. Looking hack over the imports of 1880, and comparing them with those of 1878 and 1579, we are compelled to admit that the high standard to which certain New Zealand wheats had at one time attained has shown a serious deterioration. The largpr proportion has been passed into consumption, but with difficulty ; and frequently at rates which importers were sadly disinclined to accept. The stocks now on hand, though moderate in extant, are in worse case than those which preceded them, and are the subject of still more anxiety to their holders. The fine bright Pearl, and the strong, well-developed Talavera, for which last year's shipments were noted, have this year come forward in very small qnantitv, and even then often mixed with oats and other objectionable grains. Clean, healthy, well-dressed samples have been a rare exception. Almost the same remarks would apply to New Zealand oats. The first few consignments which reached this port in six months ago were of fine quality, heavy weight, bright colour, thin skinned, and sound. They were eagerly taken at extreme prices, and on trial were found to be very valuable to a class of buyers who could afford to pay an outside price for a first-rate article. The succeeding shipments were, with few exceptions, of a lower type, both in quality and condition : and as a natural consequence, coming into competition with the plethoric supplies of similar inferior sorts which reach this market from a number of other Bources, thee yielded a proportionately lower range of values, and were only saleable when tbe urgent requirements of buyers brought on the market. There are some thousands of bushels still waiting sale, and further large consignments afloat. Wo really hope in the interests of all concerned that the shipments to arrive may not be of the same character as those now on hand. New Zealand barley, too, has proved to be very irregular. Some of the finer samples have been tested and shown to be eminently suitable for malting purposes : but others now on shew, though certainly removed from the category of " feed " barley, exhibit an unfortunate diversify of quality thus given to New Zealand growths a name and character ■which, in the interests of business, are much to be deprecated. None but the very best, and soundest should be shipped if any hopes are to be entertained of building up a lucrative trade in this cereal.