COMMERCIAL.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 60, 11 March 1902, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

CANTERBURY MARKETS Christchurch, Mar. 6, The following are current prices paid to farmers, f.0.b., Lyttelton, and free of commission, except where otherwise specified : Wheat: Prime milling, Tuscan 3s Id to 3s 2d ; Hunter’s, pearl and velvet 3s Id to 3s 2d ; new 2s lOd to 3s at country stations. New oats. —Long, Is lid to 25.; short feed, 2s to 2s 2d, in small bags ; milling Canadians, 2s 3d at country stations. Barley (new) —3s to 3s 3d at country stations. Beans : 2s 8d to 2s 9d, f.o.b. Peas: Partridge, 2s 9d ; Blue Prussians 3s 3d at country stations. . Flour (millers’ quotations) : Roller £B. Sharps : £4 5s Pollard: £4 5 s per ton. Bran : =£3 15s. Oatmeal : £l3 f.o.b. Hay : £2 10s to £2 15s delivered. Oatsbeaf chaff: 47s 6d to 50s at country stations. Onions : £3 at country stations. Potatoes: Beauty of Hebron, 355, kidneys 40s at country stations. Grass Seed —Ryegrass, prime heavy town dressed 4s 3d to 4s 6d, cocksfoot, 3d, ryegrass, Italian, town dressed 4s 6d cowgrass 6d to 6fd, extra choice, 7d. White clover, 6d to 8d delivered. Dairy Produce; Cheese, factory 3|d to 4d, dairy 4d ; butter, factory, local, lid, North Island lOd, dairyßdto 9d, salt (in boxes) 8d ; bacon, hams, 5d to 6|d ; factory bacon and hams, 4d higher, fo.b. STOCK SALES. The entries for all classes of stock at Addington were large, but with the exception of fat sheep, quality was only secondary. Over 11,000 store sheep were yarded, and of that number quite half failed to find buyers at auction. A number of lots wei e from Marlborough and the North Island, and some of the entries had been offered on Tuesday at the Midland Yards. The scarcity oi 1 grass, and the large quantity .offering affected the market, there being little demand except for forward sheep and lambs ready fi»r finishing off on turnips. Inferior lambs and backward wethers found no market. One line of 366 two-tooth wethers made 9s 3d. In four-tooths a line of 178 very forward wethers realised 1.3 s lid to 145.1 d, and 133 were sold at 14s. The only other good lines which changed hands were 130 at 12s 9d, and 249 at 11s 6d. A few small lots made from 8s 9d to 12s 6d, and small lines of wethers and ewes fetched from 10s 6d to 10s lid. The principal sales of ewes were :—366 tvvot joths at 9s 3d, and 205 at 9s 7d ; 200 f.mv-tooths sold at 12s 9d, and 202 at 12s: 204 mixed four and six-tooths at 12s lOd ; 150 out of a line of 250, sold at 10s 4d ; 103 four, six, and eighttooths at 8s 6d ; 123 aged ewes, 5s ; 108 at 4s ; 115 at 3s Id. Boilers made, from 2s 6d to 2s lOd. A line of poor merino ewes was sold at 6s. In store lambs the chief sales were :—l7O, forward, at 11s ; 291 at 9s ; 409 at 8s 2d t > 8s 8d ; 144 at 7s lOd ; 157 at 7s. A number of small lots changed hands at prices ranging'froiu 3s 7dto Bs, according to quality. The entry of fat lambs totalled 4100, being the largest entry in this class for some weeks past. The quality was not generally ibst class, some lines having apparently not been drafted. At the opening of the sale business was slow, and continued irregular all,.through. Lack of quality prevented freezing buyers operating at all keenly, matters livening up towards the' end of the sale. A drop in prices of from 3d to

9d per head lias to he recorded. About 2000 were taken by export buyers at prices ranging from 10s lOd to 13s 3d," and up to 14s Id for extra, the average being about 12s 9d. Butchers

took about 220 at from 10s 6d to 13s 3d, graziers taking a few for finishing off at-11s Id. S >me 1700 were passed at auction at prices ranging from 8s 6d to 12s 6d, but most of the higher priced lines will reach the factories for freezing on owners’ account. The entry of fat sheep was a very big one, and in poiut of quality better than has been seen .at Addington for some time. The total number yarded was close on 5000. The quality all round showed improvement, several pens of veil-finished wethers and ewes being 6 fie red. Last week’s prices were fully maintained, export buyers operating freely, freezing wethers ranging from 14s to 17s 2d. Best ewes sold up to 14s 3d. Unfinished wethers were down to 13s. Ewes were in over supply, the sale in these lines dragging considerably throughout, and towards the end of the day, when butchers had filled their requirements, matters were left in the hand of graziers, best sorts only realising from 12s to 14s 3d, and others from 8s to 11s 6d. The total number of fat cattle yentered was 193, the yarding being principally heifers and cows, mostly on the light side. Prices wereabout the same as realised at last week’s sale, beef rul ing at from 16s to 21s per 1001 b. Steers fetched L 6 7s 6d to L 8 7s 6d, . heifers L 5 10s to L 7 10s, two extra good L 8 15s, cows L 5 to L 7 ss.

Store cattle were light as regards entry, and of moderate quality, no really good lines being offered. Ptices realised were : —Yearlings 19s, £1 7s and £1 7s 6d. 15 to 18-months £1 17s 6d to £2 19s 6d. A line of nearly two-j'uar-olds sold at £3 2s 6d, and a. small line of two year old steers at £3 8s 6d. Two-vear-old heifers brought £3 3s 6d, three-year steers £5 ss, three-year heifers £4 16s. Dry cows changed hands at from 30s to £4, according to quality and cmdition. A line of 10 three to six-year-old plain bullocks was passed at L 5 19s 6. These rates are about equal to those ruling at last sales A good lot of dairy co.vs was entered, prices ranging from L 4 5s to L 8 1 2s 6d, one extra good cow selling at LlO 2s 6d. ' #

There was a medium entry of pigs,, baconers maintaining last week’s rates, hut stores being easier. Potk generally was in less demand. Baconers 35s t > 50s, and up to 55s for extra prime, equal to 3|d per lb, porkers 20s to 28s, equal to 3|d perlb, small stores 10s to Lss, larger 15s to 235, suckers and weaners 6s to Bs. —o — Messrs Freeman R. -Jackson and Go (m conjunction with Messrs Abraham and Williams) repoi't that at their sale at Johnsonville, near Wellington, on Friday®as follows:—We had an average yarding of bullocks from prime to .medium quality. Best quality bullocks met keen demand, and sold freely. Light medium sorts sold at full value. We quote beef at 20s td 20s 6d, best bullocks £8 5s to £8 15s, others £7 17s 6d to £B, light bullocks £7 2s 6d to £7 10s. A good ya,rding of sheep of good quality met ready sale, and last week’s prices were maintained. Prime sheep 11s lOd, good ewes 10s, others 8s to 9s 6d, wethers 11s 4d to 11s Bd, store ewes 6s, best lambs 10s 6d, others 7s to 8s *