AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 10, 15 May 1858, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the Ist to the 15th May. The Australian Produce Markets, at the date of last advices, which are to the 3rd inst., remained in the same condition in which they have been Tor many months pastquiet and steady,—bul trifling fluctuations occuring. owing loan even sufficiency or| present supply and to the restriction of sales to the immediate requirements of the hour. flour, in Sydney, is stilt quoted at £lB per ton for fine,* £l6 for second quality, but, with a heavy market: the supply of wheat from the country was scanty, and good samples were from 7s. 6d. to Bs. per bushel. At Hobart Town, much dullness prevailed flour was quoted at from £l6 to £lB per ton, with little doing; and wheat at from 7s. to 7s. 3d. per bushel, with no signs of improvement, Potatoes have found their way so largely into the Sydney market that the supply has been in excess of the demand, consequently it has been difficult to realise to advantage.

The wholesale price has ranged between £7 and ?8 per ton—a price which, after paying freight and other charges, will leave a very poor return to the New Zealand shippers. The price at which wheat has for some years past been saleable appears to b&ve given an extraordinary impetus to its culture in South Australia, a country which has long been believed to be particularly favourable for its production, An inquiry has accordingly taken place with respect to the supposed superior capabilities of South Australia as a wheat growing colony, and the result of this enquiry goes far to prove that it is not to the superiority of the soil or climate that the reputation of South Australia is due, but rather to the large extent of land in cultivation and the employment or agricultural machinery, considerably more than half the wheat being reaped by machine. We believe that the South Australian growers—the average production of the country being 15 bushels of wheat per acre—can afford to sell at a profit at any sum exceeding 3s. 6d. per bushel; if tliey can do so. surely the native grower in New Zealand is in a position to be fully equil to compete with them ? It is by its agi icultural much more than by its pastoral industry that South Australii has raised itself to a prominent position among the colonies of Australia, and we~see no reason why, with soil, climate, water'conveyance, and every other favourable accessory, New Zealand should not be able to compete with and outstrip her. The following have been the arrivals since our last:—The America j sbooner Caroline £. Foote, 145 tons. Gapt. A.J. Worth, from Huabine, one of Society Islands, with oranges, Jimes, arrowroot, cocoa nuts, and 13 passengers:—the brigantine Bristol, 155 tons, Capt. Thompson, from Sydney, with a general cargo of merchandise, but no passengers ;—the schooner Sybil, 408 tons, Capt. Kelly, from Sydney, with a full cargo of goods, and 2 passengers ;—the brigantine Harp, 155 tons, Capt. Fisher, from Hobart Town, with posts and rails, palings, laths, shingles, Tasmanian hardwood, and 12 passengers ;—the brigantine Emily Allison, 99 tons, Capt. Buxton, from Napier, in ballast; the schooner Gazelle, 212 tons, Capt. P. Jones, from Sydney, with a general cargo of merchandise, and 9 passengers ; ani the brig Sporting Lass, 183 tons, Capt. Celtum. from Hofcianga, *Rh a cargo of tota'ra piles for the Queen Street Piei. The departures have been tl*e brig Gert-

rude, 418 ions, Gapt. Dunning, for Sydney, with 70 tons potatoes, 3 tons onions, 1£ tuns sperm and 4 tun black oil, 10 cwt butler, 4200 bushels bran, ) 4 coils wool lash ng, and 9 passengers ;—the schooner Salopian, 40 ten*, Gapt. Bain, for Napier, with 600 posU and rails, 500 palings, sundry merchandise, and 2 passengers ;—the cutter Surprise, 49 tons, Capt. Braund, for Napier, with 50 tons firewood, a full cargo of merchandise, and 4 passengers;—the schooner Eliezer, 56 tons, Gapt. Kean. for Napier, with 22,500 feet sawn limber, 3.500 bricks, and 60 totara piles ;—the brigantine Harp, 455 tons, Gapt, Fisher, for Lyllleton, with her inward cargo ofTasmanian shingles &c.;—the schooner James Daly, 42 tons, Gapt. Nicol, for Otago, with 30,112 feet sawn timber ;—and the brig Moa, 256 tons, Gapt. Bowden, for Sydney, with 172 tons potatoes, 44 cwt butter, 46 cwt cheese, 40* ions kauri gum, 300 bushels bran, 4600 lbs: wool, 20 Merino runs 355 bushels wheat, and 9 passengers. There armed, coastwise, 40 vessels of 947 tons, with 93 passengers, 5171 bushels wheat, 75 bushels barley, 40 bushels oats, 400 bushels maize, 65 bushels apples, 41 tons potatoes, 4 ton pumpkins, 44 bags flour, 3 cwt bacon, 45 cwt salt pork, 2 kegs lard, 2 pigs, 5 head cattle, 200 sheep, 40 bundles flax, 4 bales sheepskins, 5 bales salted bides, 3 bales dry hides, 4 bale calfskins, 45 ounces gold, 300 feet boose blocks, 4800 posts and rails, 49,000 shingles, 43,500 feet sawn timber, 59 tons kauri gum, 423 tons firewood. The departures for the coast were 35 vessels of 790 tons, with 79 passengers, and the usual trading cargoes. From the Provincial Government Gazette we derive the following particulars of the Native Canoe Trade from the Ist January to the 31 st March last. During that time there arrived in Auckland 204' canoes with 755 males, 369 female, conveying 547 kits potatoes, 408 kits onions. 3 kits maize, 86 kits cabbage, 773 kits peaches, 449 bundles-grass, 49 tons wood, 4058 bundles fish, 20 pigs, 4 goats, 53 fowls, 47 bags wheat, 27 tons kauri gum, 420 kits oysters, 476 kits melons, and 8 kits pumpkins, of the estimated value £669 12s. 6d. There arrived, during the like period at Onebunga, 433 canoes, with 330 males and 344 females, freighted, with 803 kits potatoes, 52 kits onions, 3 kits maize, 104 kits peaches, 26 bundles grass, 90 tons wood,

386 bundles fish, 61 pigs, l ton flour, 4540 bushels wheat, and 8 tons kauri gum, the estimated value is ±627 475. The subjoined are the Market Prices Current, corrected to date* Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, * . > . . 182. per ton. Flour, second quality, . . 161. per ton. Flour of native manufacture froui 121. lo 14 Biscuit at from . . 245. to 28s. per cwt. Bread per loaf of 2lbs. . . 4d. to 3d. Bran ••••.. Is. 3d. per W. Beef and Mutton from . 6d. to 7d» per lb. Pork (fresh and salt) » . sd.to6d.dilio Farm Produce. Wheat • 3s. per bushel Maize . » • > 6s. 6d, to 7s. per bushel Oats ....... 7s. per bushel Potatoes , . . . SMOs. to 6t. per ton Onions . . 2d. to 3d. per lb. Hay (pletiiful) . . 51. per ton. Kauri Gum . . . 91. to 10/. Live Stock. Sheep from . . 20s. to 30s. a head. Dairy Cows . . 81. to 121. each. Calves from . • 255. to 40s. each. Groceries. Tea .... 91. to 9MOs. per chest Sugar . . ... 7d. to Bd. per lb. Coffee . . . . lOd. perlb. Rice .... 2d to 2J per lb. Soap • . . • 355. per cwt. Candles. ... . 40d. perlb. Tobacco .... 2s. 6d. to 3s. per lb. Dairy Produce, Butter * . . . is. lb. Eggs . . ,v . 2s. perdoz. Poultry. . . . 35.6 d. per couple