CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 23

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

CHRISTCHURCH GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORT. fLyttelton Times, 7th inst.) Although comparatively little business haa taken p'.flce in the grain and produce market since last report, the tone of the market, particularly for wheat and cats, is decidedly better, due in a measure to the improved reports received from, outside. During the pariod of the recent slight slump in wheat values many growers of wheat decided to store, and this having in numerous cases been completed, holders ore now indisposed to sell at current values, holding that prices are extremely unlikely to drop below quotations, while there are good prospects of an appreciation of value?. During the week more inquiries have been received from outside mi'.leis, but as they -were iinpreTDared to give the prices asked, few transactions have taken place. Merchants speak in high t-erms of the all-round quality of the wheat, some affirming that never in the history of grain-growing i n Canterbury has this cereal b&en placed on Ik* market in such good condition. Generally speaking, there is a difference of opinion between sellers and buyers as to values of from l£d to 2d per bushel, and a-s neither party is prepared to give way little business has be-?n don*. Sales ma-dc during the week included: — 600 bushels Tuscan and pearl at 4s ljd, 100 bushels Huntera at 4s, 1150 sacks Tuscan at 4s 2d, 325 sacks Hunters at 4a 2d, all at country stations, sacks extra. Several email lines were- purchased on a basis of 4s, delivered in Christen urch. Offerings of oats have been restricted, and the volume of business has been within small compass. The remunerative prices ruling for cbaff and ther expectation that even higher values will obtain later have encouraged farmers t<> leave their grain in stack. with the intention of converting it into cli&ff during the winder. Many of the samples . offerksZ, in stionc contrast to «k£a£« are

thin and of low grade as a result of the protracted period of dry -weather during growth. At piesent the market is firm at quotations. Included among the sales were 1000 bushels of Gar-tons at 2s 2d, 500 bushels of duns at 2s Id, and a number of email lines from 2s to 2s 2d, at country stations, sacks extra. J The pr:ce of chaff remains firm, and values have advanced 2s 6d per ton during the week, the present quotations being £3 12g 6d at couivhy stations. Even at this price > few holders are disposed to sell, and in most ca^es the piice asked is from 2s Gd to 5s per ton in advance of this quotation. The b-ilk of the season's barley is now out o! groweis' hands, and a few samples of ' piirue milling quality have recently been placed en the market. Grass seed continues in demand, principally to fill orders from the Xorth Island. At present htt'e Italian ryegrass is in the I hands of farmers, the bulk having already passed into merchants' hands. There has been a fair turnover of well-markcci seed, | true to name, at prices up to 4s 9d per bushel. th"'s price having been paid for a ] line of machine-dressed seed of extra good quality. Clover seeds have reached almost i famine prices, cow-giass having touched a j p-int th*t hss net been reached for several years, n-id the market to-day, especially for co'onially-grown seed, is almost bare. New season's Canterbury-grown clover is expected to be placed on the market next month, and, desxiite the dry weather, an average yield is expected. The following quotat one are for purj chases from farmers, net cash, sacks extra, I excewt where otherwise specified : — "Wheat. — Xew season's. 4s to 4s 2d, at country ?tat ons, sacks extra. Oats. — New season's duns. 2s; Gartons. 2s Id to 2s 2d; spairowbills, 2s to 2s Id; Canadians 2s Id to 2s 2d, at country stations. j Barley. — Extra prime, 5s to 5s 3d; second quality. 4s to ss. Chaff — Oaisheaf. new season's, £3 12s 6d, at country stations. Potatoes. — Xew season's, £5 per ton. Onions, £5 ss, at country stations. Peas. — Partridge, 3s 6d and Prussian Blue, 4s nominal. Oatmeal. £14. Flour. — The New Zealand Flourmillers' Cooperative Association (Ltd.) quotes^ the following prices per ton, local or shipping: — Sacks, £11; 1001b bags. £11 10s; 501b bags, £11 13s; 251b bags, £12. Bran, £5 ss; pollard, £6. Seeds. — Xew season's ryegrass, 2s 6d to 3s 6d. sid to 5Jd per lb ; cocksfoot, 5Jd to 6d. ( Dairy Produce.— Cheese, dairy, large, 6d; loaf, 6Jd; factory, large, 6Jd to 6Jd. Butter, I fresh, loca-1 factory prints. Is 4d ; bulk, Is 3d; second 1 grade, 12id ; farm sepaiator, Is Id; farm dairy, lid. Hams. 9d. Bacon, rolled sides, 9*d ; sides, B£d. Fresh eggs, la 3d per dozen. BAXGIORA. There is very little new to report in con- | nectiofl with the Rangioia grain market. Offerings have been light, growers showing a tendency to hold off, bux any wheat obtainable at 4s per bushel at countiy stations | has found ready sale. The oat 3 market lenwins firm at 2s to 2s 2d per bushel, but the improved weather xmdiuons will, no doubt, affect prices to schio extent. Oatsheaf chaff lies been so ] d at up to £3 10s at country stations. Cowgrass seed has met with good inquiry at the advancing prices j of the London market, and sa'es have been.: I made at 9d per lb. Stocks of white clover | are apparent'y heavy, and there has been , no change in prices. There has been an I improved demand for ryegrass seed, particu- ; "laxly for Italian. Farmers' samples have a> large range in value, according to the cleanliness of the seed, quotations being from 2s 6il to 3s per bushel, and to os for machine | dressed. Partridge peas have been sold at i 3s 8d per bushel, a,', d beans are not yet on the market. Potatoes have been dealt with ! only m retail quantities. ASHBURTOX. j "Wheat. — Recent messages from England I quoting rises in the London market were , very quickly reflected at Ashburton, and , not only have buyers been eagei to pur- j chase all prime lots on offer, but prices have also risen slightly. Some heavy sales have been made during the week at prices ranging from 4s la io 4s ~2d, and there still remains good iuquiiy foi all prime quality at these prices, and even a shade highsr. Millers are somewhat at a loss to knew ! how much to stock, being still afraid of ; importations of fiour, and merchants are buying strongly. Hunters is at 4s Id. and Tuscan and p«arl 4s l£d to 4s 2d, while 4a 2&cl could piobably be obtained for any special lines of prime Tuscan. Wh.^le fowl wheat is required, but very little has been on the, market, and dealers are being forced to use milling wheat. Oats.— The quantity has been extremely email, and farmers are almost unanimous in holding what is left on their farm 3 for winter feed for sheep. Only very small quantities irdced are held in stores, and already great difficulty is being experienced m securing oats for feed and chpff for town use Pncea Irav-e lnoreue-acl slightly cturiiig the week, but evidently the bulk of coastal orders are being supplied fiom the south. Quotations on trucks are ns follow: — Milling. 2s 2d to 2s 3d; shoit feed Gartons, 2s Id to 2s 2d; duns, frcm 2s Id to 2s 3d, according to quality , Danish, 2s. Oatsheaf Chaff.— There is still a good demand, but no p,vailab'e supplies in any quantity, and £3 10s is still th» current price on trucks. TIMARU. (He-raid, 7th inst.) Wheat. — The better reports received during the past few days from London and the Australian centres have had! a harden- j ing effeot locally, and prices have advanced in sympathy with those outside. To-day's quotations for gcod milling wheat range, according to quality, from, 4s to 4s 2d on trucks at country stations, while seconds are priced at 3s Gd. A few small orders for the- Xorth Is^nd have been filled, but on the whole busines-s has not been brisk. i Oats. — The oat market is m practically the same position rs last week — that is, the ! stales have been pma'l, at prices ranging from 2s for Danish to 2s Id for duns and Gartens, on trucks at country stations. \ Barley — The demand for this cereal has I gone off completely, and no business is re- ' ported 1 . I Potatoes — Although several inquiries have been made for good Found potatoes, none are j offering at the pi ice quoted — viz . £4 10s to i £5 on trucks. TIMARU SKIX AND WOOL SALES. The usual foitnightly s«'es were held by I the se\eial auctioneering firms on Wednesday last, when pncea ranged as follows: — Lambs' Rkins, Is 9d, 2s. 2<s 2d. 2s 6d, to 2s 8d ; three-quarterbred ekins, 2s, 2s 6d, 3s 3d to 4s lid; crossbred ekins, Is 6d, 2s2d, 3s 6d, 4s to 4s 3d each; a* per lb. Meriaijs, 5d to SVI; three-quacteffbred, 4d to 4£d; crossbred, 4d*to sd; pelts, 6d, Bd, Is, la 64 2a, 2s 7d, 3s to a» 3d. Wool: 3d, 4d,

5(3, to sid per ib. Pieces, 2Jd to 4d. Fet made 17s to 20s. Hides, 3d to 3Jd per lb.