COMMERCIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2798, 13 March 1882, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

S. C. Times Office, Monday Evening Mr Moss Jonas reports as follows Business during the week has shown a considerable improvement, and the state of trade must be considered as very satislotory: Horses—For Saturday’s sale about 40 horses were entered, in addition to a number of drays and traps, a quantity of harness, &c. The attendance was above the average, and the bulk of the lots submitted changed hands at very satisfactory prices, The depression is gradually giving way, and good draughts are being more sought after. He quotes good draughts, £25 to £3O; useful farm horses £lB to £23; ordinary do*, £l2 to £ls i hacks from £5 to £l2.

Cattle—Fat cattle—At Studholmc Junc- ' tion on Monday, on account of Mr M. Stndholrae, 20 head prime bullocks were sold at £7 17s sd. Beef may be quoted at 10s ‘per lOOlbs. Store cattle—There is a good demand springing up for good forward condition stores. As the time comes on for turnip feeding, this class of cattle will sell well. Privately during the week he has sold 85 bead at good values. At the South Canterbury yards on Thursday he had a very successful sale of cattle at the following prices 11 steers at £i 19s; 9 steers at £4 15s; 7 yearlings at £1 17s ; 8 steers at £5 7s 6d ; 16 steers and heifers, £2 15s; 5 fat heifers at £4 ss; 16 head mixed cattle at £3 10s ; 12 steers at £4 10s.

Sheep—Fat Sheep—The demand for prime mutton is good, and all lots offering meet with a ready sale- Store sheep—The demand for almost all descriptions stems still on the increase, the quantity of grass and stubble feed throngnout the country accounting to a certain extent for the rise. At the South Canterbury yards on Thursday he sold 250 4 and 6-tooth merino ewes at 7s each, and privately during the week he has placed a few lots at satisfactory prices. Property—He has to report having effected the sale of 270 acres of freehold land, belonging to Mr Thomas Hardcastle, and known as the Rhubarb Plat Sections, to Mr Robert Hammond of Geraldine, for £IOBO ; and also, under instructions from the trustee in an estate, the goodwill of the lease (having about five years to run) of section No 114, LeCren’s Terrace, for £4O to a local purchaser. Produce—His sale of produce, &c., on Saturday was very well attended, and the clearance of a large lot of groceries and miscellaneous goods, as well as farm produce, was effected at fair prices. He quotes—Flour, £lO to £ll per ton ; sharps, 6s; bran, 4s per sack fowls* com, none in the market; potatoes, 6s per sack; cheese, 4Jd; obions, to 1M per lb ; butter, 6d to 8d ; bacon, 6d per lb; ducks, 3s 6d to 4s per pair; turkeys, 5s each ; fowls, 3s per pair.

Messrs Maclean and Stewart report for the past week as follows Horses—On account of a line of 15 head young horses not having been sent up from Oamaru, owing to the scarcity of trucks there, a small entry was on Saturday received at their yards for sale, 26 head having been submitted by auction. They have to report an active enquiry for good young draughts; medium draughts and hacks are also more saleabie. They sold 12 head, principally light harness and Ordinary hacks, at from £l4 10s to £lB for the former, and from £7 to £lO for the latter. They quote present value of draughts, good, from £24to £2B; medium, £lB to £22.

Cattle—There is not at present a very brisk demand for store cattle, and where soles have been effected, small values re3uire to be taken. At the clearing sale of airy stock held last Tuesday attheWaiIti, they sold 14 fair milch cows from £i 15s to £7 10s; heifers at £3 and calves from 18s to 20s. At Studholme Junction on Monday they sold steers at £i 6s j cows and calves from £3 10s ) steers and heifers from' £3 12s; 24 yearling and eighteen months’ old steers and heifers from £2 15b to £3 18s 6d. Pat cattle—Present value may be quoted from 17s 6d to 20s per 1001 b. Sheep—The rise in price as reported last week has been fully maintained throughout this week, and if anything prices are somewhat better, all classes of store sheep meeting a ready sale at the different “markets. At Studholme Junction last Monday they sold 500 old merino wethers at 3s 4d; 450 4-tooth merino wethers at 5s 6d; 200 merino ewes at 4s 7d; 100 2 and 4-tooth cross-breds at 10s; and privately they have placdd a considerable number at about the above quotations. Fat sheep are selling well, and may be quoted at equal to 2d per lb; at the Junction yards they placed 500 very prime merino wethers at 7s lid.

Messrs William CoTins and Co. report holding their regular weekly market and auction at their rooms on Saturday, of farm produce and general merchandise. The attendance of buyers was above the average consequently all lines submitted were in 8 00( i Produce of all descriptions ruled high with one exception, viz.,Derwent potatoes, owing to their not being fit for digging up. It is a treat mistake •' growers to glut this market with pot' ior they are not fit for exporting. "" .aloes if Derwent potatoes 40s to f ’ x ney quote crushed oats, 8s sack; ji>g per ton ; chaff, 4s 6d sack; •' mixed oats and Timaru Railway P* cha ff, 6 0s ton, at 12s sack ; ohk oation . fo wl wheat, 8s to jnß « 9s cwfc; ¥ £ ; S. do j (id ; fresh butter, 7d to 8d ; dd ; peaches 6s case; pears, 7s ; .es, 6s ; fowls, 2s 6d to 3s pair ; ducks 6d coupP ; ferrets, 40s pair; flour, iU ton; bran, 80s; sharps 90s ton. Groceries, household furniture, chinaware, sewing machines, saddles and a great quantity ot sundries moved off during the day at satisfactory figures. Wheat is now forward more freely. They purchased for a client 12,000 bushels during the week at 3s Hid to 4s Id; several samples were shown to them which led to no business, owners asking 4s 2d to 4s 3doats, g°od , feed, 2s id to 2s 3d ; milling are worth 2s 3d to 2s 4d ; rye and cocksfoot grass seeds remain nominal.