AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL AND MARITIME REPORT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 11, 31 May 1858, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL AND MARITIME REPORT.

From the 15th to the 31st May. There has bee a but one arrival from Australia since our last report; the brig Missie from Melbourne, which is loading with potatoes and kauri gum for that port. From the commercial circulars published at the date of the sailing of the Missie, {April 26) we learn that the import market very semblance of specutauon,existing, and purchases being confined to the bare requirements of the hour. A sale of about 300 tons of good brands of flour bad taken place, the prices varying from *6l. to W, 3s, per ton. Sales of American flour in barrel bad been effected at 17J. per ton. Oats were in request, stocks having been much reduced, and no arrivals to any extent having lately occurred. Coloniul «rown oats were worth from 7s. to 7s. 6d. per bushel. valuable discovery has recently been made with respect to the planting of potatoes, »»y which it is, affirmed that disease is prevented and ihe quantity of 'he produce

not only largely increased but the quality of the potato much improved. The plan, which has been Successfully tested in several places, and wiiich it might be well of our own native growers to try, is as follows:—The potato sets are cut in the usual way, but before being put into the ground, a small hole is cut in the heart of the set and a pea firmly fixed therein. Wherever tried--and rows liave been planted adjoining each other, some with and some without the pea—the result has, always been in favour of those with the pea, no disease existing, and the produce being much larger in quantity and finer in flavour; whilst on the other band those rows which had been planted without the pea were smaller in quantity and aflected by disease—nor is this the only advantage said to be gained by this method,—for the pea comes to maturity before the potato, and large and excellent crops of p*as were gathered. The experiment was tried with perfect success both in England and in Scotland at places some six or seven hundred miles distant from each other, and baying been found so highly beneficial by British farmers it is cerlaiuly well worthy of a trial in New Zealand. The arrivals have been the brig Missie, 197 tons, Captain Reynolds, with sundry merchandise, and 1 passenger from Melbourne; the barque Breadatbane, 224 tons, Captain James, from Nova Scotia, with 160 passengers: this is an exceedingly fine and beautiful vessel, and has !>een added to the list of shifts belonging to the port of Auckland, having been purchased by Messrs. Henderson and Macferlane; she has sailed far the Bay of Islands for a cargo of cattle in consequence of Captain Tauiari's schooner *be St. Kilda being laid up at the Wahapu to he repaired; the schooner Osprey, 47 ions, Captain Hunt, at Manukau, from Nelson and New-Plymouth* with 448 sheep, 200 bushels grass seeds, 40 kegs butter, and 7 passengers. The departures have been the schooner Ann. 37 tons. Captain Martin, with 54 tons firewood, 5 kegs butter, 5000 bricks; the schooner Emily Allison, 99 tons, Captain Buxton, with 7500 bricks, 15,000 feet sawn timber, 91 tons firewood, and 5 passengers; both for Port Napier. The schooner Sybil, 408 tons, Captain Kelly, with 70 tons potatoes, 500 bushels bran, 600 lbs. cheese, 40,000 feet sawn timber, and 4 passenger; the brigantine Bristol, 450 tons, Captain Thompson* with 30 tons kauri gum, 20,000

feet sawn timber, 724 bushels bran, Bi| cwt. onions, 5 tons hay, and 5 passengers; and the schooner Gazelle, 212 ton. Captain Jones, with 81 tons potatoes, 1055 bushels wheat, 185 bushels oats, 632 bags bran, 10 tons flour, 2 tons onions, 10,000 feet sawn timber, and 26 passengers; all three vessels tor Sydney. The arrivals coastwise consist of 34 vessels of 886 tons with 22 passengers; 4,079 bushels wheat, 70 bushels maize, 120 bushels oats, 64 bushels apples, 30 cwt onions, 14} tons potatoes, 16 cwt. bacon and bams, 715 lbs. butler, 200 lbs. cheese, 50 lbs honey, 50 lbs. lard, 5£ tons flax, 10$ cwt kauri gum, 20 bead cattle, 9 pigs, 1209 posts and rails, 115 totara piles for the Queen-street wharf, 144 Iruit trees, 421 tons firewood, and 2$ tuns oil. The departures coastwise have been 43 vessels of 1454 tons, with 114 passengers, and the customary trading supplies. The Auckland Markets are without any noteworthy alteration. Eggs are as usual at this season, scarce and in demand at higher prices. The subjoined are the Prices Current, corrected to date. Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, 18/. per ton. j Flour, second quality, . . 16/. per ton. Flour of native manufacture from 12/. to 14 Biscuit at from . . 245. to 28s. per cwt. Bread per loaf of 21bs. . . 4d. to sd. Bran Is. 3d. per bl. Beef and Mutton from . 6d. to 7d. per lb. Pork (fresh and salt) . . sd.to6d.dillo Farm Produce. Wheat ss. per bushel Maize. . . . 6s. 6d. to 7s. per bushel Oats ....... 7s. per bushel Potatoes .... 5/. 10s. to 6/. per ton Onions . . 2d. to 3d. per lb. Hay (pletiiful) . . 5/. per ton. Kauri Gum . . . 9/. to 10/. Live Stock. Sheep from . . 20s. to 30s. a head. Dairy Cows . . 8/. to 12/. each. Calves from . • 255. to 40s. each.