MARKETS.

Patea Mail, 15 February 1881, Page 4

MARKETS.

THE LONDON MARKET. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, per circular via Brindisi, under date 17th December, advise that a considerable business had been done in tallow during the previous month, a much larger quantity than usual having been brought to auction. The imports of Australian and New Zealand catalogued for the four public sales reached a total of 11,516 packages, of which 8517 passed the hammer, a further number of 1500 having been placed by private contract in the intervals between the sales. The auctions of the first two wrecks gave evidence of only a moderate demand, prices of mutton tallow giving way to the extent of fully Is per cwt., while those fine brands of edible beef tallow which had shortly before been sold at extreme prices suffered a fall of from 3s to 4s per cwt. At the two more recent sales there was a much better demand, and good clearances effected, though without any appreciable improvement in values. The market closed steady at a decline of Is per cwt. on mutton, and Is 6d per cwt. on beef. Quotations at close of mail were : —P.Y.C., new, 39s to 39s 6d per cwt. ; Australian mutton, fine, 35s per cwt.; do. do., medium, 33s 6d to 34s fid ; do. do., beef, fine, 32s fid to 33s ; do. do., medium, 31s fid to 325. New Zealand wheats had not been in large supply, nor, on the other hand, had they been in much request. The only descriptions that had been readily saleable at full rates were fine pearl and Talavera, of which there was an unusual scarcity. The demand for inferior sorts had been but slight, and holders had considerable difficulty in moving their stocks except at a reduction in value, which they were unwilling to face. The demand for oats had been in’some degree over-weighted by heavy arrivals, and a decline of about 3s a quarter had occurred. NEW PLYMOUTH MARKETS. {Latest Report .) Messrs Bauchope and King report ; Cattle.— On Thursday we held our fortnightly sale at the Waiwakaiho, and had a good muster of cattle, 145 head being yarded, most of which we sold, with the exception of a pen of calves and a few cows. The following prices were obtained :—l2 calves from £1 11s to £1 13s fid ; 15 do @ £1 11s ; 17 yearlings from £2 5s to £2 17s 7d ; 16 18-month-old heifers, £2 19s to £3 10s ; 10 steers, £4 12s fid ; 2 heifers (empty), £4 2s fid and £4 ; 2 small heifers, £3 17s fid; 3 heifers, £5 12s fid, £4 10s, and £4 7s fid; some choice springing heifers, £8 12s fid, £7 10s, £6 12s fid, £5 15s, and£s 12s fid; 3 fat heifers, £5 2s fid ; 1 steer, £6 10s ; 5 fat cows, £4 10s to £5 2s fid ; heifer and calf, £5 2s fid and £3 15s ; cow and

calf, £4 16s and £G 5s ; 5 cows, £6 ss, £4 15s, £3 17s fid, £5, £4 10s ; springing cow, £6 10s ; 3 cows @ £5 ; 2 gales @ £4 ; 2 large bullocks, £7 15s ; pair do, £ls ; dray, £lB ; plough, £1 10s, WELLINGTON MARKETS. The weather has been delightful for harvesting operations. Messrs P. Cunninham & Co. report :—“ The harvest of 1881 opens under exceptional circumstances. The plentiful rains at the early season produced a stout healthly appearance in the crops, and gave the grain sufficient strength to stand the long continued dry weather which followed, the result being that the crops on all sides have had filled heads, but rather short in straw. Wheat } the samples so far to hand are very superior in quality. It is rather early to judge as to the general quality, but we fully expect that the grain will show a marked advance in this respect compared with last year. The opening price for wheat will probably be 3s 9d per bushel f.o.b. Oats have been sold during the week for very fair samples — 2s to 2s Id. Grass seeds are offering freely but without leading to business. Cocksfoot is quoted in Canterbury, also at Patea, at 3£d to 4d per lb. Flour is quoted at £ll for first class brands.

NEW PLYMOUTH RETAIL PRICES. (Corrected by latest report), Buying, Sellng, s. d. s. d. Butter (per lb.) 0 fi 0 8 Cheese (Colonial) ... 0 7 010 Eggs (per doz.) ... ... 1 0 1 2 Butchers’ Meat. — Beef, 3d to 5d ; mutton, 2£d to 5d ; pork, 6d to 7d. Mjll Prices.— Taranaki flour, 14s fid per lOOlbs ; silk-dressed (Star brand), 15s fid ; wheat meal, 13s 6s; chick’s wheat, 4s fid per bushel ; sharps, 8s per lOOlbs, or sack 10s ; bran, 4s per sack ; oats, 3s per bushel ; oatmeal, 4s fid per bag (251bs); maize (best screened), 5s 0d per bushel. AUCKLAND RETAIL PRICES (Corrected by latest report.) Roasting Beef ... 5d to 7d Boiling Beef ... ... ••• 4d to 5d Mutton, hind-quarter ... 4d to 5d ~ fore-quarter 3d to Lamb, hind-quarter ... ... 3sfid to 5s „ fore-quarter 3s (id to 5s Pork and Yeal ... ... Gd to Od Steaks... ... ... •- (>d to 8d Chops and Sausages ... ... 5d to (id Tallow wholesale, mutton 275, mixed, 20s to 255.

WELLINGTON PRICEfc. (Corrected by latest report,) Farm and Dairy Produce — "Wholesale . s. d. s, d.

DUNEDIN PRICES. Prime beef, 22sGd per lOOlbs ; mutton, 1-Jd to l|d per lb.

Milk, quart ... 0 3 to 0 0 Batter, salt, lb ... 0 4 to 0 5 Batter, fresh ... 0 5 to 0 6 Cheese, Colonial ... 0 H to 0 5 Eggs. dozen ... 1 2 to i 3 Lard, lb ... 0 3 to 0 0 Ham. lb ... 0 11 to i 0 Bacon, lb ... ... 0 9 to 0 10 Fowls, pair ... ... 4 0 to 0 0 Backs, pair... ... 4 6 to 0 0 Geese, pair ... ... 0 0 to 0 0 Tarkeys, pair ... 0 0 to 0 0

Flour Market— £ -Wholesale. s. d. £ s. d. Sharps, per ton Adelaide, per ton .. 4 0 0 to 4 10 0 13 10 0 to 14 0 0 Bran, per ton 3 0 0 to 0 0 0 Colonial Flour 11 0 0 to 11 10 0 Oatmeal 10 10 0 to 11 00 Hay and Corn Market. £ s. d. £ s. d. Maize, Sydney 0 2 G to 0 3 0 Maize, Poverty Bay 0 3 0 to 0 0 0 Oats... 0 2 2 to 0 2 3 Oats, feed 0 1 9 to 0 1 10 Wheat 0 3 0 to 0 3 3 Wheat, chick 0 2 9 to 0 0 0 Potatoes 1 5 0 to 1 10 0 Carrots 1 10 0 to 0 0 0 Hay, ton 4 10 0 to 0 0 0 Oaten, ton 4 15 0 to 0 0 0 Straw, ton ... 3 0 0 to 0 0 0 Chaff, ton 4 0 0 to o 6 o Onions 0 0 3 to o o o Seeds. s. d. s, d. Ryegrass, bushel ... ,, 3 (5 to 4 0 Cocksfoot, per lb . 0 3i to 0 4 White clover, per lb , I 3 to 0 0 Red clover, per lb Turnips, dozen ... . 0 8 to 0 9 . 1 G to 0 0 Alsyke, per lb . 1 6 to 0 0 Cow grass, per lb . 0 10 to 0 104 CHRISTCHURCH RETAIL PRICES. (Corrected by Latest Report.) Fresh butter . 8d to lOd per lb Eggs Is 3d per doz Cheese . Gd to lOd per lb Milk 4d per quart Lamb . 2s Gd and 3s Beef , 2d to Gd per lb Mutton 2d to 4d per lb Pork 7d per lb Ham Is per lb Bacon lOd and Is per lb