Markets.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 665, 23 March 1859, Page 4

Markets.

Business has been somewhat dull during the week, owing no doubt to the allurements of the race-course. Nevertheless there isan apparent bustlein thestreeti, the presence of strangers and visitors making a perceptible difference in this particular. A few auction sales also have been fairly attended, and so far as they go indicate that the present inactivity i» simply voluntary on the part of .the community. At the same time farmers are busy in gathering in the remainder of the harvest, not a little of which it still in the fields;"and merchants are closing their shipments of wool per Regina, which vessel will sail most probably at the latter end of this week, as she has upwards of 1700 bales already on board and it is not likely that she will have room for any more. The Regina is also quite full of passengers and had her space permitted she might have taken several more. A good deal of wool rejected by the Regina will now go to Sydney, and some two hundred bales to Wellington; in all the season's export is calculated to be 3900 bales shipped direct to London, and about 900 or 1000 more shipped to the neighbouring colonies. .. ; The buoyancy of the horse market is perhaps the most remarkable feature of the present moment. In the face of numerous consignments come and to be expected, prices keep up to something like their former rate. One cause of this is perhaps that there is now no arrival but contains really valuable stock, and for this sort the public appetite is not easily appeased. i .- .;. . . On the transactions during the week Mr.Fawdington and Mr. Guinness report as follows:—

" We have to report that on Saturday last a cargo of horses lately from Sydney .were sold and realised what we consider full prices; and certainly some of the horses brought higher rates than could hare been looked for. '■/. ■. ■■-.: ■

"We believe the average was near to £50, but bearing in mind that two more cargoes of horses have come: in from Australia, and 25 horses overland from Nelson, besides that another shipment is daily expected from Sydney, we: must expect that horses will be cheaper."

MELBOURNE.

The following is from dough's Wool Circular, Feb. 26:— . :

Wool—There have been two auction sales held this week, at which about 1500 bales were submitted to public competition, the bulk of which was disposed of at about previous rates. At our sale greasy wool realised from IOJd. to 14d. per lb., fleece wool 18d. to 21d; per lb., and scoured from 18£ d. to 2O|d.; for a lot of scoured fleece of a superior quality we had 24|d. offered, but the owner* reserve being a shade above that price, it was bought in. Tallow—We have sold a few parcels during the week at from £46 to £50 for mutton, and £40 to £45 for beef. Hides and Sheepskins—We have sold country Mdes at from Bs. to 9s. each, and sheepskins at from 6d. to 9Jd. per lb.

We have little or no change to remark since our report of last week. There has been a steady demand for flour, wheat, and bran, but most other articles have met with' little or no inquiry. Flour and wheat remain nominally the same, whilst bran must be quoted Id. per bushel lower. For oats and barley there is merely a retail inquiry, and this will, continue-to be the case io long as the country storekeeper* are supplied by farmers close at hand, -at much lower. ratei (in proportiontp the difference of carriage added) than those ruling in town, The stocks here are heavy, but hplderf,show no disposition to_giv§jray frpija gresentrcurrent rates,;. and, in som&lns.tances, large parcels have been ..withdrawn altogether— owners feeling confident of a favorable change in the future. New. Zealand bats, ss. 3d. to ss. 6d. The arrivals of oatmeal are on a more liberal scale, and the limited amount of consumption of this article leads tis to anticipate lower prices. HOBABT TOWK. .' March 8. Business has been exceedingly quiet throughout the day, scarcely; anything doing in any description of grain. The news to hand from Melbourne this morning was not of a nature to produce any change in this market, and wheat is still quoted at 7s. 9d. per bushel. : Colonial oats remained at .4s. 3d. to 4s. 9d., with very limited demand, and Cape barley at 4s. 3d. to 4s. 6d. Good loose hay sells at £5 to £6 per ton, but there is a large quantity of inferior in the market, which gpes^o-j^t, much lower rates. Potatoes are quoted as previously. Flour is stationary at recent prices, fine flour still selling at £18 to £19 ids. per ton, according to quantity, with a fair local demand. • Bran, Is. 6d. to Is. Bd. per bushel.— Mercury, March 9.

Thompson's Corn Circular, Feb. 26, reports :—