OAMARU MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 24

OAMARU MARKETS.

(Frou Otjb* Own Correspondent.) OAMAEU, February 9 The stock market is fairly active, the principal demand being for forward lamb 3 for finishing on rape, which are worth 11s to Us 6d, though 11s lOd was paid at the yards >n Tuesday last. Good freezers are bringing 14s, and anything rea ly prime is worth a Jittle more. Owing to feed being scarce in Ihe winter the ewes did not thrive as well as usual, and the percentage of fat lambs is lower now than last year, though the local works are kept busy. Fat wethers are bringing from 15s to 16s ; extra heavy, 17s ; and ewes 10s to 11s, as much as 12s being paid at Tuesday's sale. For good store wethers 10s 6d to 11s 6d i? being paid. Breeding «wes are attracting some attention at 15s for two-tooths, 15s 6d to 163 for four and ♦six-tooths, and 12s to 13s for eight-tooths. There is a demand for bulls and fat old cows for potting, the former being worth JE2 io £3. Forward store bullocks, three and four years old. are quoted at £5 to £0 ss-. Fat two-year-old steers have been sold at £4, fat cows at £2 15s to £3, and fat heifers at from £2 10s to £3 11s, prime. Steer beef is valued at 20s, heifer beef at 18s, and cow beef V2s to 13s. For best dairy cow 3£5 is given, and medium animals bring £3 103 to £4. The stock market is kept back by the shortage of feed. Grass is mucfc parched but rape and iurmpes are standing well, and a shower of iai'l would improve rapidly. The samples of rjegrass and cocksfoot have been well saved, but are not heavy. There Im atrn* <iL this class of crop than for som-e

yeais past. Sales are being made at 2s 6d to 2s lOd for rape and 4d to 5d ioi cocksfoot. Two sales of farms this week niont mention. A well-impioved farm of 1526 acies at Hillgrove has been sold to Mr John Nicholson, Maheno. and the two faims of I the late Mr Samuel Ruthprford. Quambat- ■ tock and Mamari, at Kakanui totalling 434 acres, have been sold to Mr W. Currie, of the Taieri. who has acquired a fine propel ty , at a satisfactory price. j A fair amount of business has been done I in wheat this week, and piobably over j 12,000 sacks have been, placed largest parcel is stated to be one of ''about 3000 sacks, for which a tnfie over 4s 4d, less commission, is said to have been obtained. A number of smaller lots have changed hands at 4s 4d, less commission, at country stations, and in two cases 4s 3Jd net was obtained. In other cases 1300 sacks brought j 4s 4d, less commission ; 1200 sacks, 4s 2Jd net ; 1000 sacks of velvet. 4s 2Jd net ; and further lots 4s 3d down to 4s net. These are aF for delivery at sidings The demand is fair, but the market closes slightly weaker, southern millers not being too ready to operate at present figmes Timaiu rmlI lers aie inquiring for the first lines of 1 Oaniaru wheat for mixing purposes. ! The oat market also closes weaker. Considerable offerings have l>sen made at country stations at the following prices- — Gartons, at 2s net. less commission; Storm Kings and duns. 2s, less commission ; milling, 2s o£d net ; good feed, 0s net ; Danish. Is lljd. For one seed ,me of duns 2s Id net I was given The total quantity of oats will run into several thousand bags. Two parcels of bailey have been taken — one of good malting at 5s Gd and another of very fair malting at 5s 3d, both less , commission. I Theie is not much doing in potatoes, the , value to the growers being about £4 net. I The local grain market has now fairly opened, and the above sales indicate local values, the present tendency being weak. GRAIN AXD PRODUCE REPORTS. ! Messrs Donald Reid and Co. (Ltd.) report • We held our weekly auction sale of grain aud produce at our stores on Monday There was a fair attendance of buyers, who bid well up to valuations for any lots of produce in demand. Lines which were out of favour | 'had no competition and had to be passed , in. Values ruled as undei — Oats. — The first of the new season's crop is now coming forward, and in point of con- 1 dition and colour most of the lines to hand are the best we have seen for some years A few samples are not quite so well filled as buyers would like, but among the deliveries to date these aie exceptions. There is fair inquiry for immediate and forward I delivery, and considerable sales have been I effected at quotations. Quotations- Prime milling, 2s 3d ; good to best feed, 2s Hd to j 2s 2jd; infenor to medium, 2s to 2s Id 1 per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — Stocks of old wheat are now practically exhausted, and millers' attention ia being directed to the new crop. Nearly all samples of this season's wheat are in the best of coiloition, and sales of Taieri wheat have been effected at prices which compare well with northern quotations. Fowl wheat is scarce, and still commands prices somewhat ' in advance of milling quotations. Quotations: Prime old wheat, 4s 6d to 4s 7d; new Tuscan and velvet, 4s 3d to 4s 6d ; medium, is 3d to 4s 4Jd per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. — The market ha 3 been moderately supplied, and good, freshly-dug lots have met with ready sale. Quotations : Best, £5 15s to £6 ; medium to good, £5 to £5 10s per ton (bags included). I Chaff. — Prime old oaten sheaf is scarce, and has good inquiry at £3 15s to £i 2s 6d per ton ; medium, at £3 5s to £3 10s New chaff is more plentiful and moves off slowly A few choice lots have realised £3 10s, but most oo.nsigmnen.ts are chffir"i-t la <uut beyond

£3 to £o ss; medium, 12 10s to £2 15s per ton (bags extra). Straw — Quotations- Oaten, 45s to 47s 6d , wheaten, 42s Ikl to 45s per ton (pressed). Me=sis Dalgety and Co. (Ltd ) report as follows — We held out- u=ual weekly auction sale of gram and produce at our stores on . Monday Our catalogue was a representative one and met with fair competition from the usual attendance of buycis. The offerings were cleaied at prices on a. par with quotations. Oats. — There is improved inquiry for shipmen( and milling. Stocks in store of old oats are light, and as yet few consignments of new season's crops have come to hand. Values aie as under- Prime milling 2s 3d; good to best feed, 2s ljd to 2s 2}d; inferior to medium. 2s to 2s Id per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat.— Samples of new season's wheat are now offering freely from the north, and values may be quoted at from 4s 5d to 4s 6d. delivered Dunedin, for milling quality. The bulk of the old milling wheat in stoics has been finding outlet up to the present as fowl wheat, for which higher prices have been obtainable than from the millers for milling quality. Quotations: Prime milling (old), 4s 6d to 4s 7d , new season's Tuscan and velvet, 4s 5d to 4s 6d ; fowl wheat, 4s 6d to 4s 7d per bushe? (sacks extra). Potatoes — There is good inquiry, and the market is fanly well supplied. — Quotations. Best, £5 15s to £6; medium, £5 to £5 10s (bags in). Chaff.— The market is fully supplied with new sheaf, and values for primest consignsignments may be taken at from £3 to £3 ; 53 per ton There is good inquiry for prime , old oaten sheaf, aud values for same lange from £3 15s to £4 2s 6d for prime quality. I Quotations : Prime old oaten sheaf, £3 15s to £4 2s 6d; medium to good, £3 5s to £3 12a Gd: best new, £3 to £3 ss; medium, £2 10a to £2 15s, inferior and heated, £2 to £2 ?9 6d per ton (bags extra). Straw. — Quotations- Oaten, £2 5s to £3 7s Gd, wheaten. £2 2s Gd to £2 ss.