AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 5, 30 June 1857, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the 15th to the 30th June. For some time past, we have sought to impress upon the minds of native cultivators the importance of turning their immediate attention to the growth of oats, barley, maize, and beans, as well as of wheat and potatoes. The reason of this counsel is sufficiently obvious; because, whilst every successive arrival acquaints us "of the great demand and the high prices given throughout Australia for oats, barley, maize, beans, and bran, we learn, at the same time that wheal and potatoes are dull of sale, and that wheal does not fetch more than one half the price that would eagerly be given for oats, and that it is also much inferior in value to maize.

There is by no means a sufficient quantity of those grains produced. Let our readers consult the periodical commercial reports of the Maori Messenger, ani contrast the monthly supplies of wheat with those of the other descriptions of grain, and they will at once discover what a field of wealth is being neglected. This month, for instance, whilst 5502 bushels of wheat have been received ■coastwise, there have been only 1063 bushels of maize, 80 bushels of oats, and no barley. Were oats, barley, and maize largely grown, we should have ten ships for one which now visit Auckland; a larger demand for wheat, flour, potatoes, onions, pork, and other produce would be created. In short New Zealand would become rich instead of remaining poor. But enough. Farmers, if you be wise profit by the seed time that is now before you. Our shipping report is for the entire of the present month of June. The foreign arrivals consist of two brigs from Sydney, the Sarah, 121 tons, Firth ; and the Gertrude (1) 118 tons, Punning, with general cargoes, and 7 passengers : —the schooners Emily Allison, 99 tons, Collins; Zillah, 66 tons, Hum, and the brig Gertrude, <2) 217 tons, Grange, with merchandise, and 22 passengers from Melbourne:—and the brigantine Spray, 107 tons, Duncan, from Nova Scotia, with 96 passengers. The departures have been the brig Moa, 257 tons, Thompson, with 68 tons copper ore, 14 coils wool lashing, 455 hides, 505 bags potatoes, 7 boxes onions, 1171 bags cases and casks kauri gum, and 57 passengers ; the brig Gertrude (2) 217 tons, Grange, with 50,000 feet sawn timber, 100 tons kauri gum, 25 tons potatoes, 400 bushels wheat, 16 passengers—both vessels for Sydney :—the brigantine Helen, 156 tons, Clark, with 60,000 feet sawn timber, and 10 passengers, for Port Cooper; the Wonga-NVonga, steamer, 103 tons, Bowden, with sundry merchandise and 14 passengers for the Southern ports; the Bishop of New Zealand's yacht Southern Cross, 70 tons, Sustins, with the Bishop and other clergymen for Nelson and the South; and ship Kcnilworlh, 557 ions, Thorn, with part of her London cargo and 16 passengers for New Plymouth. The arrivals, coastwise, have been 51 vessels of 1752 tons, with 171 passengers, and 5502 bushels wheat, 1065 bushels maize, 80 bushels oats, 65 tons potatoes, 1 ton pumpkins, 6 cwt. onions, 8 packages fruit, 1 keg honey, 2 cases lard, 8 cwt. butter, 12 cwt. bacon and haivs, 2 cwt. smoked fish,

45 cwt. sail pork, 58 pigs, 59 head cattle, 30 tons copper ore, 28 tons tanekaha bark, 349 tons kauri gum, 1 ton flax, 5000 palings, 49,000 shingles, 200 fire slabs, 4 piles, -52 spars, 200 fruit trees, 328 tons firewood, 2200 posts and rails, and 40,000 feet sawn limber. The departures, coastwise, have been 54 vessels of 1252 tons, 102 passengers, with the usual supplies.

The following are the Market Prices, corrected to date : Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, per ton. Flour, second quality, . . 16Z. per ton. Biscuit (prices unsteady) at from 205.t0 25s.per cwt. Bread per loaft)f2lbs. . . sd. Bran Is. 6d. perbl. Beef and Mutton from . . §d. to 6d. per lb. Pork (fresh and salt) . . sd. £o6d.ditto Farm Produce. Wheat, (scarce) ss. Od. per bushel Maize . . . 4s. 6d. loss. 6d. per bushel Oats .... ss. to ss. 6d. per bushel Potatoes ... 51. 10s. to 4J. per ton Onions .... Ud. to 2d. per lb. Hay (plentiful) . . SZ. to 6J. per ton. Live Stock. Sheep from . . d 7s. to 255. a head. Dairy Cows . . 91. to \ 21. each. Calves from . . 255. to 40s. each. Groceries. Tea .... 6L to 6L 10s. per chest. Sugar .... ssd. to sd. per lb. CoG'ee .... 10d. per lb. Bice • • . . 2d to per lb. Soap • . . , 555. per cwt. Candles. . . . 10d. perlb. Tobacco .... 2s. 6d. to ss. per lb. Dairy Produce, Butter .... 2s. Ib. Eggs .... 25.5 d. perdoz. Poultry .... ss. 6d. per couple Ducks . . . . ss. to os. per couple. Geese .... ss. to 6s. 6d. each. Turkies .... 7s. to Bs. 6d. each. j Hams and Bacon . 40d. to l id. per lb. !