CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 24

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

CHKISTCHURCH GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORT. (Lyttelton Times, 18th inst.) As a result of the great majority of farmers being at present fully employed at harvest work, very lew lines of wheat have been placed on offer during the week and the business done has been extremely hmated Merchants are not anxious to purchase, m view of the new season's crop being expected to be placed on the market in &• bourse of a few weeks, and so far the market has not settled down. Chick wheat still continues in request, and saks have been made at from 4b 6d^to 4s 8d p«r bushei °New season's oats continue to ■ come £orwwd, principally in small lots, but buyers have so far shown no disposition to make speculative purchases. Parcels of old season's oats have changed hands during the week at prices ranging-from 2s 7d to 2s 8d fob sacks included. S«les of new seasons oats reported during the' week *re:— 3ooo bushels Gartons at 2s 4d, 400, bushels Danish and 600 bushels duns at 2s 3d, all on trucks at country stations. ... I , la consequence of Australia having secuied supplies of barley from California and other countries, th« local market is somewhat unsettle. Hitherto Australia supplied the best outlet for this cereal, and it ie feared -that the large importations from other countries will have a, bad effect on the market.- In a recent issue of the Australasian it was- stated that 9000 tons of Californian barley had been shipped for the Commonwealth. Several large deliveries of ryegrass have taken place during the week. There is a. very wide difference in grade, ranging from excellent to inferior, with a corresponding difference in prices, ranging from 2a 6d to 3s 6d at country stations. Some very superior samples of Italian ryegrass have been submitted by growers, and seed of a welldefined character is easily saleable at prices in the vicinity of 3s per bushel. RANGIORA. v Harvesting is now in full swing in the northern districts, and notwithstanding tne dry weather ma>.y of the farmers are hopeful of a good return. Judging from the few samples of oats exhibited at Rangiora, however there are indications of light gram m some parts of the district. There are no samples of wheat available yet, but the crop is expected to be of good quality on the whole. Ryegrass appears to be a famy plentiful crop, but there is a wide margin, in quality and weight— sonift samples being very light and below the standard. One or two lines of oa-ts have changed hands at 2s Id to 2s 3d, and ryegrass- «t 3s to 3s 3d, while for better samples of the latter 3a 6d is wanted. Chaff is being offered, but the market having given way there is no business doing. Until offerings become more general and the markets have fairly , settled down reliable quotations are difficult to give. The following quotations are for purchases from farmers, net cash, sacks extra, except where otherwise specified: — Old sea.son's oats (nominal).— Prime duns 29 7d, Canadians, sparrowbills, and Gartons 2s 7d, Danish 2s 7d, at country stations, Chaff.^-Oatsheaf, prime bright £5 at country stations. Peas.— Partridge and Prussian Blue, nominal. Oatmeal. — £17. \ , Flour. — The New Zealand Flourmillers Cooperative Association (Ltd.) quotes the following prices per ton, local or shipping: — Sacks £11, 100!b bags £11 10s, 50ib bags £11 15s, 251b bags £12. Bran £4 15s, pollard £5 10s. Seeds. — Undressed farmers' lines red clover 7Jd to Bd, white clover nominal, ryegrass (nominal) 3d to 3id, cocksfoot 4Jd to, 53. Dairy Produce.— Cheese, dairy, krge 6d, loaf 61d; factory, large 6Jd to 62d. Butter, fresh local factory prints lid, bulk lOJd, second grade lOd; farm separator 91d, farm dairy Bd. Hams B|d. Bacon, railed sides 9d, sides BJd. Fresh eggs lid per dozen. ASHBURTON. There is little change in the prospects of harvest in the Ashburton County. Work is in full swing, and the crop is being rapidly cut and threshed. There has been^very keen inquiry throughout the week for old fowl •wheat and those farmers having milling wheat left on hand! have been aaxious to fill the fowlwheat orders' with their grain, prices bein<* better than they are able to obtain from millers. A line of 1000 sacks was sold yesterday at 4» 10d f.oub., sacks in, equal to a fraction over 4s 6d on trucks at Ashburton. This clears about the last, remaining line in 'the district. From millers there has been no inquiry whatever, and it is difficult to gauge the price that will be given for the new crop, although it ia expected that from 4s to 4s 3d will open the market. Old oats are now practically off the market. New oats are offering freely, and are bringing up to 2s 4d for the best heavy Gartons, lighter feed bringing about 2s 3d, and duns are selling from 2s to 2s 3d according to weight and colour. Farmers are inquiring for. prices for new oatsheaf chaff, and £3 has already been offered, but aa the stacks can hardly yet be ready to cut no business has resulted. •TIMA.RU. Some hand-rubbed samples of the new season's grain, are now offering, these being of good average quality. Some small lots 'of oats have already been threshed, sold, and shipped to northern ports from Tim/aru. The price obtained for these has not been disclosed, but it is understood to be 3s per bushel, whioh ia the most buyers ar© prepared to give at the present time. For wheat 4s is being offered, but farmers are looking fojr more than this. New potatoes are worth £7 per ton.