CHRISTCHURCH.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 45, 13 September 1864, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

The Press of 6th inst. has the following report : — With the exception of an inquiry for seed samples, the grain trade may, bo said to bo at a com- • plete standstill. Spring wheat, for seed, is in demand, and readily realises lis. to lis. 6d. per bushel. Good seed oats are scarce, and fetch from r 6d. to Is. por bushel over ordinary feed samples, for which there appears no demand. Barley and peas come to hand in small quantities, for -which I there is only a retail demand, without any alteration in price. Potatobs. — Importations continue to come to hand readily. £10 is still demanded, at which price they move off steadily. Hay. — A large quantity of hay still remains unsold, and unless the spring is very backward, will not be required this season — prices as before, £S „ to £4 par ton. Cattle — Milch cows and small mobs of store * cattle are still on demand, and sell readily at good '. prices, especially the former, as will be seen from the following report : — About 20 cows aud spriug--1 in" heifers were yarded at Messrs. Aikman and Wilson's sale to-day, which sold as follows — cows, ; on the eve of calving, £20 to £22 each ; springing i heifers, £8 10s. to £14 each. Mr. W. D. Barnard reports that the Repository " was numerously attended to-day, and upwards of 60 horses were* entered for 3aie. The demand for first-class hacks, light harness horses, and packers i seemsto be rather more active than the fevr preceding weeks, but the supply is still unequal to the demand. The following quotations represent the current , rates : — First-class draught stock, none in the market, but in good demand ; medium do., from £45 to £55 ; first-class hacks, none offering ; medium do., from £25 to £42 ; inferior do,, from £15 to £25. Medium milch cows, from £8 to £13 13s. o The Otago Mail of same date has the following : — Two auction sales of tea " on account of whom it may concern," were held to-day at Messrs Royse, Mudie and Go's Bonded Stores. The first parcel offered was 33 half-chests of inferior congou ex Jane, which realised Is l_d per lb in bond. The damage appeared to be confined to broken ' packages, and the price obtained was fair, when tHe condition of the parcel is considered. The second lot 55 chests, ex Bulgaria, •"-»_ soia oa behalf of the trustees of Messrs. Maning and Whitton, of Invercargill. In this case also, though no guarantee was given, the damage appeared to be solely the result of various transhipment-., all the packages being in bad order. The same price (Is. lid. in bond) was realized for this as for the previous lot, although the tea itself was superior in quality. The difference in the size of the lots appeared to be the only reason of this difference in the result of the sale. A case of some interest has arisen in connection with the Lorenzo Sabine, whose arrival from Melbourne, after a rery protracted passage, we lately noted. The accident which occurred to her at Port Philip Heads has already been alluded to in our shipping columns. A claim for general average being now made by the shipowner, various consignees of goods by her have shown a disposition to dispute it. By an advertisement which appears in onr columns, it will be seen that a deposit of seven per cent, on the value of the cargo is demanded, pending a statement of the average. This iB we believe the first General Average which has required to be stated at this port, and an impression seems to be abroad that it will be necessary to send the documents to Melbourne for this purpose, as was lately done from a neighboring port, in the case of another vessel. Au objection to this has also been raised by the consignees. We understand, however, that a gentleman of experience resident here has offered his services on this occasion. The subject of G-eneral Average is, as our mercantile readers are aware, often a complicated one. In the present instance the difference of opinion refers rather to details than to the claim itself. It is probable, however, that these differences will be settled without litigation. ■■ ■ - . . -