COMMERCIAL.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1014, 28 March 1883, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

COLONIAL MARKETS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency report in their circular for March 22 as follow : •WOOL. Christchurch. The fifth series of auction sales for the season was held on 7th and Bth March, when out of 1,900 bales offered only about 1,000 were sold. Our catalogue comprised 1,168; bales, of which 537 found buyers :—The Mount White clip, realising 9fd, and G in triangle -9|d, were the highest prices obtained. Half-bred touched 9Jd, and crossbreds 9£d.' For coarse qualities the demand was exceedingly weak. Scoured Merino was well competed for and made Is 3d|to Is 7d. Scoured crossbred was quite neglected, and realised only to A line of scoured half-bred reached Is Id, The next and probably last sale of the season will be held about the middle of April., Dunedin.—The quantity now coming forward for sale is but : meagre, and the season may be considered closed. The number of bales catalogued during the season has been 14,000, of which 10,000 were sold. The Merino Downs clip 145 bales sold at bales at Iljd ; G O, 54 bales at 9£d, all in the grease. : The above prices indicate a sameness in values for good clean wools throughout the season, but, coarse and heavy sorts are lower since the opening by to Id per lb. ; Auckland. —The quantity to hand for local sale since our last, has been small, and has realised the following'prices : In bales, s§d to 9d ; odd lots, 4£ to s|d ; lambs, 6|d per lb. i Wellington.—The season may be said to have closed. Our last sale was held on 28th ultimo, when the bulk of the bales offered comprised coarse and inferior wools, it is therefore .not surprising that prices ruled rather low. We quote scoured lambs lid per lb. Bright lambs, in grease, to Bjd. Cross-bred, light in grease, 7-Ld to Bd. Cross-bred, dingy, 6d to Cross-bred, sandy, sdtos£d. .. . SHEEPSKINS, Christchurch, —The bulk of the offerings have consisted of butchers’ pelts and the jackets off sheep sent to the Refrigerating Works. For these; prices have ranged, from 2s to 3s. Country pelts have realised from 4d to Is 8d according to quality and condition. At last week’s sales, cross-bred skins suffered a decline of 6d to lOd.each, and in the face-of such discouraging reports from Home regarding this class of produce, the high rates of last season cannot possibly be supported. Station skins in bales have been quitted at sfd to 6£d per lb. Dunedin. Only a few full-woolled skins have been offered during the month, and these sold at very irregular prices. Green pelts and lambskins were not much sought after until this week, when competition was keener and better prices obtained. Auckland.—ln fair supply at Is to 2s 6d each. Pelts from 4d to 2s. Wellington.—Market bare, with good inquiry, GRAIN. . Christchurch.—The variable weather referred to last month resolved into persistent rain, which has wroughtincalculable damage to portions of the crops in the southern districts. ’Thousands of acres of splendid crops have grown in the stock, and in some districts there is even now a large quantity which will never be carried. Wheat. —A keen demand has been experienced throughout, the month, and in the competition to secure parcels for early delivery prices.were forced up to 4s 6d f.b.b. for farmers’ parcels. Early in the current month cablegrams announcing a decline at Home induced a suspension of operations for a few days, and rates gave, way , but millers coming into the market, and the damage to' a large area of, crop being .evident, a, reaction set in, and rates were established within a penny of the highest previously current. Prime milling parcels for April delivery are to-day worth 4s 4d to 4s 6d according to quality. Sprouted and discoloured are saleable at 3s 9d to 4s 2d f.o.b. Sound milling seconds command 3s 6d, and chick feed 3s to 3s 3d. Oats.—A good enquiry has been observable throughout the month, and rates arc well supported at Ts lOd to 2s Id for ordinary to stout feed, and 2s 2d f.o.b. for milling. Black oats and long Tartarian are exceedingly scarce, and command Id to 2d per bushel more money. Oamaru.—Wheat—A very brisk demand still exists in this market for any prime lots which were secured either in stack, or threshed out before the rain ; and we have sold at up to 4s 4|d, or equal to 4s s£d f.o.b. Oamaru Breakwater, Millers are only buying for immediate wants, in the hope that prices may recede as soon, as the shippers have got what they require. The rain has caused considerable damage to the crops.throughont the whole district, and it is rarely that a parcel is seen that has not suffered from the unfavourable weather.

• Oats,— There have-been enquiries during the past month for small lots for shipment north, and we have placed parcels at from Is lOd to 2s f.o.b. for,heavy feed, r.nd 2s to 2s Id for short. A large proportion of the crops have suffered from the ram.