COMMERCIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2591, 11 July 1881, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Times Office, Monday evening, Mr Moi-a Jonas reports as follows: Business still maintains its satisfactory character. * Sheep—All lots offered have met with a ready sale. On Monday at Messrs Maxwell’s clearing sale, he disposed of 300 fullmouth merino ewes at 5s 6d; 500 fat merino ewes, at Studholme Junction on Tuesday, were sold for Mr Studholme at 7a lOJd; and at Winchester Fair, on Wednesday, he sold 346 half-breds at 13s, 90 at 11s 6d, 103 at 14s 6d, 605 at 12s 3d, 200 hoggets at 10a, 900 merino wethers at at 9s, and 185 at 9s 6d. The Winchester sale was one of the most successful that he has yet held there. Cattle—His sales daring the week have principally been effected privately at prices eqnal to auction rates. At Messrs Maxwell’s sale and Winchester Fair, the following are the average, prices:—Fat cows, £9 to £8 10s; fat steers and heifers, £6 12s 6d to £8; milch oows, £6 10s; heifers; £4 15s to £5 17s 6d, and up to £6 10s for first rate springers. Horses.—The usual number were entered at his yards on Saturday, and though bidding was father slack at the commencement of the sale, a decided improvement took place towards its close. For his country sales and the sale on Saturday, the following prices may be accepted ns a fair average :—First-rate draughts, £23 to £27 10s, two first-rate mares belonging to Mr John Johnstone realising £55 ; med’um draughts, £l6 to £l9; inferior, £7los to £l6.

Skins.—His sale on Thursday was well attended by those interested, all the buyers In this district being present, as well as representatives oE Otago firms, and prices throughout were steadily maintained. The half-bred skins were scarcely so good as those submitted at his previous sale, but, taken all together, were a very nice even lot. For best lots, 4s BcL to 5s was obtained while lower grades brought from 3s lOd to 4s 2d: merinos, from 2s 9d to 3s fid, and lighter skins, from Is 4d up to 2s' 6d ; 5 bales of wood (stragglers) realised BJ, locks 2^(1; fat, from 2d to rough in bags Ifd ; hides, 4|d. Property. The favorable terms on which the Waicolo estate, In Southland, is being offered, attracts considerable attention from farmers and eraziers in this district, and from the enthusiastic terms In which those who have been down to see the land before they purchased, speak of it, it will not be very long before every acre is disposed of, as he has already sold between 2000 and 3000 acres. Miscellaneous. —His sale of furniture on Thursday was well attended, as was also his sale on Saturday, and the competition and prices obtained fully up to the mark. Ho quotes—Flour, 15s per sack; sharps, 7s; bran, 4s; fowls’ corn Os; potatoes; 5s per sack; bacon, 4d ; hams, 6d ; cheese f 4d ; butter, lOd to Is ; fowls, 2s 6d to 3s fid ; ducks, 3s fid.

Messrs Machan and Stewart report for the past fortnight Horses.—The demand for horses is still very limited. They quote present rates as follows ; —For good farm horses from £25 to £2B ; for medium sorts from £l6 to £22; for light and inferior from £l2 to £l4; ordinary hacks from £lO to £ls, Cattle—At Stud holme Junction Yards on Tuesday last they sold on behalf of Messrs McGoverinand Hardie, Hook, 78 fat steers at an average of nearly £8 per head, or about equal to from 20s to 22s fid per 1001 b. At Winchester on Wednesday last, they sold 21 fat steers at from £6 *7s fid to £9, Store Cattle—They quote values of these at from £4 to £6 15s for steers and heifers lor turnip feeding, and from £2 to £3 for 18 month old steers and heifers. For cows there is little demand, present values being from £6 to £B, according to quality. Sheep—They sold at Studholme’s Junction Yards this week, on account of M. Btudholme, Esq., 250 very prime fat merino wethers, at 10s lOd, a very low price considering their quality. Wool and Skins—They held their usual sale on Thursday last, and quitted their lots, from 3s fid to 4s 7d for heavy-woolled farmers’ skins, from 2s 2d to 2s lid for medium, and Is to Is 8d for light and inferior skins. Hides were placed at 4d per lb.

Messrs William Collins and Co., report holding their regular market and auction at their rooms, on Saturday, of produce and general merchandise. The entries of the different lines were large, more especially farm produce. They succeeded in quitting all the 'entries (owing to there being a very large attendance of buyers) at figures which must be satisfactory to the owners. The following are the actual prices obtained Potatoes 60s per ton; onions, 7s per cwt; hams,

green pork (in carcase), 3Jd to per lb ; .. cheese, 3£d to4|d ;■honey, 3d ; salt butter, ) good Bd, inferior; no demand ; farmers’ fibilri 15s per sack ; millers’, £lO per ton ; bran 80s per sack; sharps, 955; fowls’ wheat, 5s to 7s per sack ; fowls, 2s 6d to

3s per pair; turkeys, 4s to 6s each; pigeons, 6s per dozen ; fancy fowls, 20s to 25s per pair; box teas, 14s ; sugar, 4£d per lb ; currants, s£d. Household furniture, pictures, and a large assortment of sundries, moved off daring the day at rates equal to vendors’ instructions.