OAMARU MARKETS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, February 29.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 24

OAMARU MARKETS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, February 29.

The wheat market in the early part of the J -week was weak, buyers offering 3b 9d and 8s lOd. (generally speaking,' growers were | pot disposed to accept these prices, but air least three parcels were placed at the former : figure, and several lines at 3s lOd. The ' Improved British reports on Wednesday and' Thursday had the effect of hardening the > market to 3s lid, at which figure one or two lots were picked up. These sales were Jill for net cash, delivery at country stations. ■ On Friday and Saturday the market 'showed ft distinct advance, and a considerable num- . ber of sales were effected at 4s net and 4s Id less, commission at country stations. Among ■the largest parcels sold were 600 sacks of velvet end red chaff, 1400 sacks (mostly velvet) j at 4s net at country stations. 1500 sacks (mostly red chaff) and 400 sacks velvet at* 4s Id less commission, and 1000 sacks of mixed wheat at 4s Oid less commission, all at country stations. -For delivery at town stores 300 , sacks of velvet brought 4s ljd net, and in other cases 4s Id and 4s 2d dere offered on these terms and declined. A steady volume of business has been done in oats, the demand from the North Island being still considerable. Good feed Gartons have been sold freely at 2s net at country stations and 2s o£d and 2s Id less commission, while 2s OJd set was given for A grade. In the case of milling 2s Id net at a handy siding was paid, and for Danish as low as Is lid net. Barley is in request at up to 59 6d for malting, but the supply is very limited. One fairly good parcel brought 5s j Sd less commission at country stations. Cape i "barley has been placed at 3s 5d on similar j terms, and feed-, barley at 2s 6d net. i Potatoes are offering freely now, but the i inquiry from the ,rfbrth keeps the market steady, and £5 and £5 5s net has been paid for Up-to-Dates, trucked at country sidings. The produce market is busy, largely in consequence of inquiries from the North Island. During the week now closed five vessels visited Oamaru for coastal shipments, and there are more to follow. These are taking cargoes of oats, wheat, potatoes, and flour. Grass seed has been bought at from 4Jd to fid for cocksfoot. The dry weather continues to depress the stock market, and graziers are feeling considerable anxiety about winter feed. Oaten sheaf chaff is being purchased in fair-sized lots at £3 at sidings, less commission, and at £3 5s at town stores. The yield of milk is falling off week by •week, and already a number of suppliers have ceased to run their carts. The stubble is offering little in the way of feed, and the most ameliorating circumstances in the outlook for the winter are the facts that there is plenty of straw and that stock are not numerous. The yardings of stock at .the weekly sales are small, and fats are most inquired for. Fat wethers on ' Tuesday brought 17s 6d, wethers and ewes 13s 5d to 14s, six and eight-tooth ewes 13s 6d, and good forward lambs up to 11s Bd. At the clearing sale at Quambatook (Kakanui) on Friday fat lambs brought 16s 2d and stores 12s, wb.il* two-tooth ewes were sold at 15s 6d, and sound-mouthed ewes (three-quarterbred) in •plendid condition at 14s. The cattle attracted little attention, there . Veing only a limited number of buyeTs. The stud shorthorn cows were nearly all bought by Mr W. Seth-Smith, of Ngapara, •t fairly satisfactory prices. Speaking generally of the market, it may be said that beef Is in good supply at 20s per lWlb for prime alter \eef and 18s for prirua heifer beef,

while old beef is worth about 15s. Fat bullocks were sold on Tuesday at up to £8 10s. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Messrs Dalgety and 1 Co. (Ltd.) report as follows : — "We held our usual weekly auction sale of grain and produce on Monday at our stores, when we offered a small catalogue to a full attendance of buyers. Competition was animated, and as a result the whole of our catalogue was cleared at auction. Values ruled as under: — Oats. — There is good inquiry both for shipping and milling at prices fully equal to late quotations. Values for Gartons and sparrowbills, suitable for shipment, range from 2s to 2s lsd per bushel ort trucks at handy stations. "We quote : Prime milling, 2s 3£d to 2s 4d; good to best feed, 2s 2£d to 2s 3d; inferior to medium. 2s to 2s 2d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — Owing to more favourable advices from London, the market has recovered somewhat, and to-day's values show an advance on last week's quotations. There is good inquiry for prime milling quality and fowl wheats which is in short supply. We quote: Prime milling. 4s 4Jd to 4s ssd; medium to good, 4s 3d to 4s 4d; best fowl wheat, 4s 2d to 4s 4d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. — The market is fairly well supplied. Good inquiry exists for all prime lines at quotations. Quotations : Best table sorts, 5s 6d to 5s 9d; medium do, 5s to 5s 6d per cwt. Chaff. — There is a gcod inquiry for shipment and local consumption for prime, heavy, well-cut chaff, and, as> arrivals during the past week -have been very light, values show an advance. Quotations: Prime oaten sheaf, £3 15s ; good to best, £3 7s 6d to £ 3 12s 6d ; inferior to medium. £3 to £3 5s per ton (bags extra). Straw. — Quotations: Oaten, 45s to 47s 6d; wheaten. 429 6d to 45s per ton (pressed). Messrs~Donald Reid and Co. report : — We held our usual weekly auction sale of gram and produce at our stores on Monday, when we offered a representative catalogue to a large attendance of buyers. Bidding was brisk, and we disposed of our whole catalogue at satisfactory prices. Values ruled as under : — Oats. — Offerings during the week have been heavier, but in view of the continued demand f or "* shipment the market is still firm at late quotations. Duns and other special lines have good inquiry, but of these few are offering. The new crop, which is chiefly sparrowbills and Gartons, is coming forward in the beat of condition, and is being readily taken up at. satisfactory prices. Quotations: Prime milling, 2a 3Jd to 2e 4d; good, to best feed, 2s 2sd to 2s 3Jd; inferior and medium, 2s to 2s 2d per bushel (sacks extra.). Wheat. — In consequence of unsatisfactory cablegrams from London and other markets there was a decidedly easier tone in the market at the beginning of last week, and moderate business was done at a decided reduction on previous sales. Towards the close of the week, indications being much better, values became re-established, and all prime milling l<rta had more attention at prices fully equal to those ruling before the drop. Fowl wheat is offering more freely, and values have eased to some extent. Quotations: Prime milling, 4s 4£d to 4s sjd; medium to good, 4s 3d to 4s id; whole fowl wheat, 4s 2d to 4s 4d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. — Mtoderate supplies have been coming forward, and these continue to move off at prices' on a level with those Tilling last week. Freshly dug lots meet with buyers' preference, stale and indifferent lots being moTe difficult to quit. Quotatior.3: Best lots, £5 10s to £5 15b; medium to good. £5 to £5 7s 6d; stale and inferior, £4 to £4 153 per ton (sacks included). Chaff. — The ohaff, market has been poorly supplied during the past week, and all lines on offer have been taken at improved prices. Prime heavy oaten sheaf is in most request both locally and for shipment. Medium and inferior lots are very difficult to quit even at reduced prices. Quotations : ■ Prime to £3 16s; good to best, £3 7s 6d to- £3 12s 6d; inferior to medium, £3 to £3 5s per ton (bags extra). Straw.— Quotations:' Wheaten, 42s 6d to 455; oaten, 45s to 47s 6d per ton (pressed).

HIDE SALES. MELBOURNE, February 27. At the hide sales there was good competition. Supplies were moderate, and prices were firm. DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Messrs "Wright, Stephenson, and Co. report as fellows: — There was a mixed entry of horses forward for our sale on Saturday, and vaiv favr of then? were worthy of special

mention. Several buyers were present on the look-cut for heavy draught geldings for town work, and there were also buyers from the country wanting good, useful plougn niaies and geldings, but owing to these classes being poorly represented many intending purchasers had to go away with their wants unsupplisd. For any draughts that are young, active, and staunch the demand is really good, and they sell readily at full market rates. The demand for good, young, upstanding spring-carters and spring-vanners is keen, and any coming forward are easily disposed of. During the week we have had several private inquiries, and have sold a considerable number at excellent priced. Our principal transactions for the week include the following: — Bay gelding, 4yrs, :it £50 ; bay gelding 4yrs, at £i 7 10s ; bay mar? 3yrs, at £45; bay mare, 4yrs, at £40; bay gelding, 4yrs (small), at £37 10s; bay filly 3yrs. at £42; bay filly, 4yrs, at £38; buggy mart, 4yrs, at £30; buggy gelding, at £28. We quote: Superior young draught geldings,at from £45 to £50; extra good* do (prizewinners), at from £50 to £55; superior young draught mares, at from £50 to £60; medium draught mares and geldings, at from £30 i,o £40; aged do, at from £15 to £20; wellmatched carriage pairs, at from £70 to £100; strong spring-van horsea, at from £25 to £30, milk-cart and bufchers' order-cart horses, at from £18 to £35 ; light hacks, * t from £8 to £13 ; extra good hacks and harness horses, at from £13 to £25; weedy and aged do, at from £5 to £7. OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR. The Otago Farmers' Co-operative Associa tion of New Zealand report : — We held our usual weekly horse sale at our bazaar, Crawford street, on Saturday last. We had a good entry of draughts, vanners, springcarters, harness horses, and hackneys (57 in all), and there was a goc* attendance r>? farmers and town carriers. B'dding^was good for young horses, sound au"^ staunch, but was somewhat slow for aged horses of .ill c'.assei "Wo disposed of a good proportion of the entry at auction and privately afterwaros. V'c ha-d consignments from Mi! Ton, Claie-uloji, Burns,ide, Waitati, Leith Valley, j and tlie T.nen. We have no trouble m dispo-ing of good young country horses. In the meantime we I'ave pe\L-rd,l inqt.uleg for good spring-carters "We yuoi<> Good useful draught mares and geldings (you nor ami sound), from .635 to £45; lighter forts and older, £23 to £33, heavy lonie pairs from £80 to £100; useful plough maYes and geH ings. £30 to £40, pedigree Clydesda'e mares, j to £150; good sorts of Clydesdale mares, suitable for stud purposes and genera l farm work, £40 to £47; carriage pairs, £Sn to £100; spring-carter* (good sorts), from ±20 to j£32; ups+anding buggy mares a'nff geldings, from j £15 to £22; hackneys, from £12 to £18; lighter sorts, from £7 to <2T2.