Commercial Intelligence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 751, 10 January 1870, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

AUCKLAND LIVE STOCK MARKET. [ME, ALFEED 13UCKLAX.D.] ' December 31, 18G9. At the Haymarket, on Saturday last, very little fodder offered. The small loads brought forward sold at high prices. Horse stock was in usual enquiry, those from Poverty Bay brought from £3 to £S each; a draught mare £29. Double seated buggy, £2B ; second-hand dogcart, £lB 10s, New saddles, from £5 to £5 lGs each. At llamuera, on Thursday, dairy cows were in short supply. Young and good animals sold well, but aged animals were at low rates. Grown store steers, in fresh condition, were freely competed for, those in low condition were comparatively dull of sale. Eighty head of fat cattle were penned, mostly of small size; they were lower in price than iast week—about 2s Gd the lOOlbs. A full market of fat sheep sold freely at last week's rates. Long-wools brought from 15s to 17s; merinos from 9s to lis each. Lambs were plentiful, aud of good quality ; they were in demand, and fully brought previous week's rates. FLAX REPORTS. • London, Nov. 5. Messrs G. & J. A. Noble remark that the market continues very firm. The sales since the 30th comprise 5-1-1 bales ex Percy, just arrived. The marks and prices we give at foot. The fibre is becoming of considerable importance, and will amply repay greater care in sorting and packing. The public sales on November 3. and 4 went off with considerable animation, the prices realised showing a large advance on previous rates. Nov. 3—E. Constable, 212 bales, at £-15 15s to £4B 10s per ton for 'sound; WMcL, 94 bales, £47 5s per ton for sound; McD, 43 bales, £sl 10s per ton for sound; K, 34 bales, £SO per ton for sound; MC, 36 bales, £SO per ton for sound ; R, 11 bales, £sl 10s per ton for sound. November 4—D, 37 bales damaged, £37 to 46; HM over D, 28 bales damaged, £33 5s to £45 ss; HM over J, 43 bales damaged, £32 5s to £4B ss. Thus making the total of 541 bales, as above. Messrs . Ellis and Hale say that the demand and use' for this article is increasing, and with the great rise in the value of Manila hemp, owing to its large use for making cables, &c, prices are considerably higher.

Referring to New Zealand flax the circular issued by the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, contains the following remark :—" We have to report a very strong market for New Zealand flax, The prices rehsed for a parcel per Percy', just arrived, are very high, and will no doubt stimulate production to a great extent; it is therefore necessary that some little caution should be used to prevent disappointment in results. The prices obtained are too high to base emulations upon for future operations; for, while the consumption will continue very large at the prices which ruled in July, August, and September, the exesssive rates obtained for the Percy's shipments will have considerable effect in checking the use of it, and thus ultimately do rather harm than good to the produce. There is room for a very large consumption—soo to 000 tons per mouth we believe would be readily taken at moderate prices—but extreme rates would doubtless have a great effect in lessening the demand. Some improvement may be made in packing, by observ-j iug a uniform weight of 224It>s per bale, and by covering the sides of bales containing jLtx of fine quality with gunny, leaving the ends exposed. The common qualities need no covering, as in all cases this has to be allowed for in the shape of tare. There is at present no cloth fabric made here with this flax,' and we do not expect any effort will be made in this direction in the present state of the Russian flax market, as the expenses of manipulation are too great to bring it into competition. We hear of some experiments being made with rope manufactured entirely from this flax, but they are not quite satisfactory, and may have some effect on the consumption."