COMMERCIAL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 157, 5 December 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Flour continues steady at £l2 for small parcels, stocks being light, as the mills arc only working half time. Wheat is rarely enquired for, as no export business is being- done, and the millers laid in their necessary stocks some time ago. Prices are nominally ss, but no actual sales are reported ; oats are in request, but only lor home consumption. Mo shipments of any consequence have been made for some mouths past. Hams and bacon, in cloth, continue firm at Is free ou board, but now provisions generally are falling in value, the demand at this high price is likely to subside; butter is much quieter, several lots having been placed at 81 d to Ud, with a very limited inquiry ; cheese is scarce, as stocks of old arc nearly out, and new cheese is scarcely fit to ship yet. Business has been brisk in the import markets during the past week. There have been no Foreign arrivals during the week, but stocks in most lines arc heavy. The Inverallan cleared for London on Ist instant, with a full cargo of wool, skins. Hour, tallow, and bones. The Dorette and Lli/.abeth Graham are both taking in cargo for London, and will have quick dispatch. Teas—Sales have been elleeted in trade parcels at lull rates. Sugars—At auction, on Tliersda;,, the cargo ex John Nicholson was offered, when a limit tS'M) pockets were sold at Hie following rates . —Extra tine white crystals, £.!3 Uts to £3B 10s ; line whites, £33 las to £34 10s ; white counters, £33 10s to I'M 10s ; yellow crystals, £32 10s to £33 10s ; brewers’ crystals, £32 5s to £32 15s; yellow counters, £2O. The sale was fairly attended by the trade; the biddings in some lines were brisk ; the market is now fully stocked with sugars for some time to come. By last Mauritius advices to hand, we note the Loyal Diadem was loading for this port, and she may therefore be expected at any moment. The part cargo (50 tons; per Somerville via Dunedin, is hourly expected. The damaged portion of the Craig Ewan’s cargo has been sold in one line privately, at £3l d.p. Hcnnessy’s pale brandy meets with the usual trade sale at 9s 9d i.b. ; Martcll’s dark. Os 3d to 0s 6d ; Hennessy’s case is dull at 29s (id to 30s. We have only to report the ordinary trade sales for whisky, rum, and Geneva. Bottled ales and stouts do not move olf as fast as importers could wish, several ■mall sales have been made at Its to 12s. Woolpacks change hands in parcels at 3s lid to 4s 3d. Fencing wife—Sales have been elleeted at £-24 to £25 15s for Nos 7 to 9. Galvanised iron meets with sale at £3 t 15s to £36. Cement meets with very good sale at 23s here or 22s in Lyttelton.

Messrs) H. Matson and Co report on the live stock market, &c, as follows lor the weekendin'' 4th December, IST! ; —At the Canterbury Sale Yards on Wednesday, 4th instant, 262 head of cattle and 3527 sheep came to hand, and as we predicted in our last report, the market was extremely dull, and salesmen had considerable difficulty in effecting sales. The absence of buyers on Wednesday was very noticeable, and for several lines of Inferior store sheep scarcely a bid could be extracted, but for young cattle biddings were quite the contrary, and higher prices were obtained than has been the case for months. The great want of rain militates considerably against sales of store sheep. Buyers are afraid of over stocking, and consequently allow low priced lines of stock to pass out unsold. In cattle our entries comprised ISJ2 head for Messrs Ferguson, Ballard, Tinney, Wright, Vincent, Jeffries, Corr, Maudon, I’.lyth, Ladbrook, Sea by, Dawson, Davis, Fapperill, Robinson, Dunlop, Chapman, and others. For fat cattle there was little or no competition, and several lines left the yards unsold, the qualify all through was fair, but the trade being well supplied, was careless of operating, beef, as sold, only realised Mu to 22s Od per lot) lbs. \Vc sold milch cows from A 4 10s to £8 2s 6d ; beef from AC 10s to AS 15s per head, young cattle at prices varying from 35s to 455, and A2 10s to £‘.i 10s. 12 and 15 months old cattle sold at prices far beyond ordinary rates, say by 10s per head. In sheep, onr entries comprised 1727 head for Sir Cracroft Wilson, and Messrs H. F. Cray, Clarkson Bros, J. Boag, J. Grimscy, Dillon, ratterson, Oolites, Hampton, Holmes, Ward, and others. We had considerable difficulty in effecting sales, but before the close of the market wo managed to dispose of the whole, with two exceptions. We sold, for Sir Cracroft Wilson, Cashmere, 133 merino wethers, extra prime quality, shorn, at 10s per head; 100 cross bred wethers, at 12s Cd, for Mr John Boag, Selwyu; 150 cross-breds, for Mr Grimscy, Harewood, at 9s, Os, and ss per head; lls crossbreds from Messrs Clarkson, Waimakariri station, at 9s 6d per bead, these were very good quality sheep, but sold very low; 410 merino ewes, with iambs, at 12s per bead, for Mr H. F. Gray, Avon, and sundry lines at unsatisfactory prices. Fat lambs from 5s cd to 9s 6d per head. We quote mutton, as sold on Wednesday, at 2d to 2.jd per lb. We were fully prepared for the dnlress of this -ale. and'advised onr clients accord J inglv. There ecu be but little doubt of the fact that rt • tuisidentbl'. reduction upon rates lately riling ■ must be submitted to. but at the same time prodo- * cers nu'.it remember that fur quality of the right description, Christchurch tradesmen will compote with considerable eagerness. Wool, ■ sheepskins, hides, &c : On Thursday last a smalt supply of sheepskins came to [hand. No wool was Offered. Sales take place on Friday next, when a considerable quantity will be catalogued. We sold best butchers’ merinos up to 5s lid each, crossbreds, to 0», pelts at Cd, lambskins at lid each,

rough fat at 2d per lb. Freehold property: Me have to report having sold for Frank Hough tun. Esq, who is returning - to England, his “ Blue Gum” station, comprising 268 acres, with fair improvements, at £5 12s Gd per acre; and also on account Rev John Foulger, his 20-acre seel ion, known as Hardwicks, subject to lease, at £lO 10s per acre, both cash.

Mr IT. E. Alport reports upon the cattle market for the present week as follows: —On Wednesday, at the Canterbury sale yards, lliccarton, the supply of live stock was more moderate than on the two previous sale days, and the prices obtainable did not show any material alteration from last reports: —I sold, fat heifers at £7 12s (id per head; large store bullocks, £lO 15s per head; dairy cows, springers, £4 23 6d to £4 7s Gd; 18 months old store heifers, £2 2s Gd to £2 7s6d; 1 heavy harness and saddle gelding, £1(1. Sales were also made of fat heifers and steers, G to 6J cwt, at £7 12s Gd to C 7 Ins. rrime 2to 3-year-old store steers and heifers, £1 17s Gd to £5 12s 6d ; I« months to 2-ycar-old. £2 Iss to £3 ins; 3-year-old, nearly fat, £6 to £G 10s; shorn fat half-bred wethers brought ils 6d to 15s; shorn fat half-bred ewes brought 9s: shorn fat merino wethers brought 10s ; merino ewes, wool on, and lambs, 12s ; fat lambs, Gs to 8s Od; shorn store merino ewes, 3s. On Thursday, at the Carlton yards, 2 pens shorn 2-tooth haif-bred wethers, fairbutchcrs' quality, sold at 10s and lls each ; merino ewes and lambs, withdrawn for Ca; store cow, sold for £4; is months old heifers, £3 2 s 6d ; small springing heifers, £4 15s. The fat cattle at the Carlton yards were all withdrawn. Good to prime beef has been sold this week at from 22s 6d to 27s (id per 100 lbs; mutton at from 2Jd to 2 : f d per lb. Cn Monday last, at the Hereford street sale rooms, held a sale of merchandise, boots and shoes, furniture, &c, at which fair prices were realised.