AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume II, Issue 8, 30 August 1856, Page 15

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

FOR AUGUST. In our Report for July, we expressed a belief that a rise in the price of wheat, flour, and other grain might be expected in the Sydney Market. In the accuracy of this opinion we have been confirmed by the arrival of the brig Algerine on the 15th inst. with intelligence that an advance had taken place not only in Sydney, but in the Melbourne and other markets. This rise is generally considered to be of a very temporary character ; but, be that as it may, it has bad the immediate effect of causing a corresponding advance in the Auckland market, where flour is now quoted 51. per ton higher, and wheat at a proportionate figure. If grain be judiciously forwarded to market—if the growers do not hold back for prices that cannot be given, the present advance on the Sydney side cannot but prove of the greatest benefit to the agricultural, commercial, and maritime interests of New Zealand. We have had two arrivals from London, since we last wrote, —the ships Lancashire Witch, 1386 tons with troops; and the Lord Burleigh, 622 tons, with merchandise, and 140 passengers. Both are splendid ships; the Lancashire Witch being much the largest vessel that ever yet has visited New Zealand. She is the fastest sailer also, arriving in Auckland in the unexampled period of 103 days, after having called and landed soldiers at Hobart Town, Sydney, and Wellington. The William Denny steamer, 600 tons, with a genera! cargo of goods, 3 cows, and 17 passengers; the brig Moa, 236 tons, with goods and 1 passenger; and the brig Algerine, 160 tons, with a full cargo and 7 passengers arrived from Sydney during the month. The departures have been the barque Galatea, 346 tons, from Kaipara for London, with a cargo of navy spars; the ships Lancashire Witch, 1386 tons, and Sandford, 624 tons, with kauri timber, and potatoes* for Shanghai. The steamer William Denny, 600 tons, with 350 bags flour, 20 bags onions, 1 case fowls, 103 bags gam, 57kegs bntter, 240 bags wheat, 444 bags potatoes, 7 bales sheep skins, 7 coils, wool lasjiing, and 93 passengers;—the brigantine Eleonora, 180 tons, with 23 bales wool, 132 hides, 354 bags gum, 9 casks oil, 500 bags wheat, 101 tons potatoes, sundry merchandise, and 25

passengers;—and the brigMoa, 236 tons,! •with 69$ tons copper ore, *9 coils rope, i ton flax, 448 bags wheat, 999 bags gum, 60 bags flour, and 43 passengers for Sydney. And ttie schooner Grafton, 77 tons, with 6000 feet timber, 43 ions gum, 30 tons mercban<hse, and 6 passengers, for Melbourne. Sixty two vessels of 4982 tons, carrying 929 passengers, have arrived coastwise with 1 7264 bushels wheat, 920 bushels maize, 42. kits onions, 60 tons potatoes, 2 tons bacon, 7 tons 9 casks pork, 4 cask beef, 4 case fish, 4 cask slush, 300 lbs. lard, 7 bags peaches, 20 bushels bran, 19 bead cattle, 250 sheep, 88 pigs, 4 box fowls, 41 kegs butter, 7 tons sperm and 30 casks oil, 12£ tons gum, 38 tons copper ore, 639& tons firewood, 240 feet house blocks, 300 palings, 2750 posts and rails, 73,400 feet sawn timber, 414,500 shingles, and sundry merchandise. Sixty three vessels of 4898 tons have departed coastwise with 435 passengers, and the customary';supplies of merchandise. The following are the Auckland market prices, corrected to the 34 st August. Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, . . . . . 25!. per ton. Flour, second quality, . . 231, per ton. Biscuit (prices unsteady) at from • . . . . 25s.to30s.per cwt. Bread per loafof2lbs. . . 7d. Bran ...... 4s. 3d. per bushel. Butchers Meat. Beef and Mutton from . . 7d. to 9d. per lb. Pork and salt) . . sd. to 6d.ditto Farm Produce. Wheat, {scarce) . . Bs. Od. to Bs. 6d. per bushel Maize, (plentiful) . • 4s. to ss. per bushel. Oats, . • . 4s. to 4s. 6d. per bushel Potatoes, . 21.40s to 31. 40s. per ton Onions . • . . 4id. to 2d. per lb. Hay (plentiful) • . SZ. to 61. per ton. Dairy Produce, Butter ... is. 6d. to 4s. Bd. per lb. Eggs .... 4s. 6d. per doz. Poultry ... 4s. 6d. to ss. per couple Ducks .... 6s. to 7s. per couple. Geese .... 9s. to 40s. each. Turkies . . . . 10s. to 4 4s. each. Hams and Bacon . lOd. to lid. per lb.