COMMERCIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2585, 4 July 1881, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Times Office, Monday evening. Mr Mof s Jonas reports as follows: General activity and a healthy tone still characterise our local market.

Horses. —Since his last report he has held two very successful Saturday sales at his yards, on both occasions there being a large number of entries, of which fully seventy per cent were sold. The greate r number offering are medium to good, with but few superior animals; farmers and carriers indeed seldom, unless they are selling out, place their fancy stock in the market, but when they do they are generally rewarded by obtaining the top prices, as was instanced at his sale of Saturday week, when several excellent draught mares and geldings realised better figures than have been obtained for some tine

Cattle—The market for fat stock is firm, With prices at last quotations. For milch cows there is but little demand just now and figures obtained are slightly lower, but it is to be expected that an improvement will take place within the next two months, He has placed a number of young steers and heifers at owners’ rates, and on Thursday, at Saltwater Creek, seld by auction, 15 head of cows, heifers, and calves in one lot at £4 15s per head. Sheep—The market is somewhat easier. Prime fat sheep are still at top rate?, but transactions are limited, as the local demand is fairly well supplied for present requirements.

Wool and Skins.—At his sale on Thursday, June 23, a very heavy catalogue was gone through most satisfactorily. Owing to the inclemency of the weather on this occasion few buyers from outside the district put in an appearance, but prices were well up to tin mark, and the result of the sale as a whole extremely good. He quotes heavy cross-bred skins from 5s to 6s; medium, 3s fid to 4s fid ; merino, 3s fid to 4s 2d, and 2s fid to 3s 3d ; inferior, Is fid to 3s 3d.

Property.—He reports the sale of one acre and a quarter, leasehold, in Burgess’ paddock, at £7O, one-eighth acre freehold in Attenburrow at £45, and one-eighth acre freehold in Charles street, part of section No. 312, with cottage thereon, at £215. He has several enquiries for improved leasehold farms near Timaru,

Miscellaneous His various furniture sales have been well attended, and the results uniformly satisfactory to vendors. At Pleasant Point on Monday a sale of cattle, furniture, and sundries attracted a large number of buyers. At Saltwater Creek on Thursday he sold one-third share in the bricks stacked in the brick yards for £94, and one-third share in the yards for £lB3, also a number of horses, cattle, and sundries at equally fair rates. His Saturday’s produce sales have drawn together a large number of buyers, and very large consignments of bacon, cheese, &c., have been cleared out at full rates. He also sold a number of canaries, fancy pigeons, and fowls at prices that must yield the greatest satisfaction to breeders of pure strains of these birds. He quotes:—Flour, 15s per sack ; bran, 4s; sharps, 6s ; fowls’ corn, 5s to 6s; potatoes, os per sack; onions, $d per lb; bacon, 4d to od; hams, fid to 7d; cheese, 4d; butter, Is; fowls, 3s fid to 4s; geese, 4s.

Messrs William Collins and Co., report holding their regular market and auction at their rooms, on Saturday last, of produce, furniture, and general merchandise. The attendance was large, with a good percentage of buyers for all lines submitted during the day. They quote Derwent potatoes, £3 ; bran, £4; sharps, £5 ; onions, 7s per owt; cheese, 3Jd to 4Jd butter, salted, 7£d; do, fresh, lOd ; hams, 8d; and bacon, 5d to 7d; carcase pork, 3Jd to 4d per lb; fowl wheat, 4s te 7s per sack; oats, damaged, Is fid per bushel. Poultry was in great supply, the lot being quitted at 3s per pair ; geese, 9s per couple; oranges, 9s per case; box teas, 14s ; kerosene, 17s per case. Women’s boots, a quantity of superior household furniture, and a general assortment of sundries moved off at figures equal to owners’ instructions.

Messrs George Priest and Co. report hold.ng their sale of produce, fruit and forest trees, this day, when they had a good attendance, and quote as follows : Flour (millers’) £9 per ton : bran, 80s per ton ; sharps, 100 s per ton ; potato.s, 4s to 6s per sack ; onions, Id per lb ; bacon, 4d to (id per lb ; bains, per lb ; cheese, 4d per lb ; candles. per lb ; soap 7s per box ; tea, in boxes, 13s to 16s 6d each* fowls, -s 6d to 4s 6d per pair ; crocke;y and sundries, fair rates. Fruit and forest trees —Apple trees, brought from Is to Is 4d each ; peach, Is 3d each ; plum, Is each ; cherry, Is to Is 3d each ; cupressus macrocarpa, from 4s 3d to 5s per doss; pinus insignis, 15s to

20s per 100; Other-varieties brought fair values. ,

Wool and sheepskins.—Since last report they held a sale of wool and sheepskins, the former being pdd lots, brought from 6d to 8d per lb. Sheepskins, merino,'from Is Id to 3s 7d each ; crossbreds, from Is 6d to 3s medium, full-wooled, up to 5s each. Grain,—Wheat is enquired for, with very little offering. Prices remain at about last quotations; viz., for Tuscan and velvet, 8s 5,1 to 3s 9d ; for red, 3s 5d to 3s 7d per bushel. Oats arc in fair demand, and may be quoted at, for feed, Is 7d to Is 10c milling, 2s per bushel ; barley is still neglected, except realy prime samples.

.Grass Seed is enquired for, and any good lots, well cleaned and free of weeds, are easily placed at from 4s to 4s 6d per bushels.