COMMERCIAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 226, 13 February 1865, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

OTAGO. (From the Daily Times.) Export entries on 2250 02 of gold were passed at the Customs to-day, the duty on which amounted to £2SI 5s The business of the past week has been kept within limited bounds, and, with the single exception of the cargo sale of sugars ex Lite, from Mauritius, no. transactions of any great magnitude have taken place. Our information by the English mail reported unusually small shipments of most kinds of merchandize to this port: however, no spirit of activity has been induced thereby. The uneasiness felt for the past week or two seems now subsiding, and, no doubt, this circumstance alone will cause a speedy revival. The flour market has been maintained at very nearly the rates at which the preceding week's business” closed; notwithstanding, transactions have been kept within narrow limits. The stock is, however, again becoming small, and mainly hi two or three hands. We quote Adelaide £29 to £3O; Chilian, £24 to 23. Provisions are to hand in full simply, with the exception of hams, which are steadily in demand at full rates. Teas, especially of middling to 'best qualities, continue linn; pa; cels of these descriptions going off readily, while inferior sorts are with difficulty moved 5 . Sugars have been very quiet so far as private transactions' arc concerned the auction rates of the 27th May may he taken as present values. Whilst noting our local trade 'as being in this dull state, some considerable amount of orders for the other provinces are in course of execution, and we may speak of the export trade as being quite up to the average. CANTERBURY. The Press, of the 2Sth inst., has the following report: The extreme heat of this week has so forced all grain crocs that farmers have been too busy at home to attend to purchasers. The reports from all districts arc worse than was anticipated. The blight, which was only partial early in the season, has spread considerably since the hot winds have set in; this, together, with the loss by shaking and prematurely ripening the grain, has occasioned great loss. Auction sales of stock have been as successful as nsuai during tbe last week. The supply still continues good, and although the scorching weather ofiate is hegining to tell on paddock feed, the demand is sufficient to clear nearly all offered. Mr. E. Mitchell reports a fair, attendance at. the Xewmarket Tards on Wednesday, the 23th. The stock offered consist ed of 118 head of cattle,‘ 4 horses, and lOOlamhs, The following prices were obtained by Messrs Aikman and Wilson ; Bullocks,—s at £ll each, Sat £lO do. sat £.9 do. Sat £ll 10s do. 4 at £lO 10s do. 4 at £ls uo. 2 at £S do. 1 at £O, 5 at £l3 10s each 9 at £l2 do. Cows.—l at £lO 10s, and lat £ll 10s. Heifers.—l at £7,1 at £7 2s, lat £9, and lat £7 ss. Calves.—£3 12s each. A small number of stock were retired to be held over for next sale, Messrs Olliver and Son’s sale of store stock at Papanui, which was by mistake called the same day as the fortnightly sale at Eiccarten, was not numerously attended, hut the competition was brisk, and the following stock was quitted at folly former rates:— Steers.—7 at £9 each, 6at £slos do. Cows.—£l2 10s, 137.127.105, 127.105, 127.10 t, 127.10 s each respectively. Draught 80ne.— 307.

Messrs Burnell, Bennett and Sprot report that tbe sale of horses belonging to the Messrs Lee attracted an unusual number of people to the Eiccarton Yards onThursday last, and as the sale was a wholly unreserved one, the bidding was spirited and the amount of stock sold very large. The whole of the Messrs Lees’ stud was cleared,, as also the whole of Mr Nixon’s horses: a large number of small lots of horses were also disposed of. Peter Flat, though looking all over a racing sire, fetched only 1301. About 30 head of cattle, consisting of dairy cows, wellbred heifers, and some young stock, sold equal to former rates. Five hundred sheep and lambs were yarded, and all cleared. The ewes were very old sheen, and fetched from 10s 6d to 14s each; the lambs from 11s for wether lambs (shorn), to 13s 6d for equally mixed sexes; store wethers from 13s to 17s each. About 10 heavy draught horses and mares were offered, and all were sold at from 371.10 sto 551. each.