COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 886, 22 January 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Times Office, *' Tuesday Evening. The following are the Customs returns for— Monday, 20th Jan.

H|Mr Todd, auctioneer, reports his Cattle Sale at Sutherland's yards, Bridge Inn, yesterday, as having been very largely attended, notwithstanding the extreme inclemency of the weather, by bona fide buyers. Bidding was consequently very spirited for most of the loth put up, and of about one. hundred yarded, ninety-three were quitted at very satisfactory prices. '] he cattle were nearly all store stock ; very few being fit for the duiry Gr butcher. The- following a<-e the quotations — Steers, two years old, £11 to £12 ; do, under two years, £8 ; store cows, £10 to £13 ]0s ; heifers, £?to £8j yearlings, £i to £5. Thesj pu<ei

■were realised from the cattle in pens of from 6 to 20, the settler* in the neighborhood being the principle purchasers. The imported bulls offered were withdrawn, sufficient prices not being bid. The "Nelson Examiner," of Jan. 4, report:— Thn prospect of good omps and better prices must be fery cheering to our country friends, and if blessed with fine weather at 'harvest, some compensation will bo obtained for the misfortunes of paslTyears. While, however, oar farming population are looking.forward cheerfully <o the next yfiar, the fall in th& price of wool will he a serious blow to sheep-farmers. The returns of last sales indicate a falling off in price of from 3d to 4d _ a round since last year at *his season, and this, where heavy rents are pa*"d, or where runholders stand under great liabilities, really means the entire profits of a station. There is little expectation of nny immediate improvement, in the wool market that will, afford a prospect of the present clip being placed on better terms. The event of the past month most entitled to note, is the suddra and great ri'e that has taken place in flour, it having sprung up from £16 to £2 9 a ton. The partial failure o r the hardest in South Australia, where the wheat hns Puffere d severely from rust, and the almost total failure of crons in New South Wales from drought, has been the cau a c of this rise. At Adelaide by last accounts, flour was £18 a ton, and wheat. 7s a bushel, but this is regarded as «n extreme price and not likely to be maintftined. The return the harvest will vield_ in South Ausf ralia, is as yet a matter of speculation. tn some extent, for while some insist that tho damage sustained by the wheat, is vevy great. >the-s maintain tYre will be a fair average crop. South Australia being, to a great extent, the I granary of the southern hemisphere, the price of ' corn in Adelaide rule 3 the market in all the southern colonies. Should th« worst fears be realised,' Adelaide will still have a large surplus of wheat, for export ; but the price it will command at hnmp will prevent shipments being made to Great "Britain. Messrs Rod and HonnselV' quote fine flour, at £22 per ton ; Mr T>. Moore quotes Ked wood's best Wairnu at £22 a ton. Wlmat, per bushel, 4s 61 ; barley, 6s 6d ; oats, 3s 9d to 4s. Potatoes, £9 per ton ; hay, per ton, £+ to £5. A cargo of sugar, from the Mauritius lias been landed from the Lass of Gawlor, for N. Edwnrds ani Co., nnd the barque Cassma has brought n. cargo of wbear, from Adelaide, for Messrs TRo3 and Hdnnsell. A cargo of fat cattle, from Queensland, in the Island City, is also among the arrivals of the month. The Aucklan-t " Southern Cross," of Jan. 4, roporfs: — The following are the imports of grain during tho past week : — From Hobart Town : 2071 bags wheat, 400 bags flour, 200 small bags flour, and 97 bags onts. From Mahuranui: 12£ tons flour. From East Coast t 800 bushels. The importers' price, per ton, for Adelaide flour, is £17. "

Tobacco 164-lbs £20 10 0 Tuesday, 21st Jan. Tobacco, 4271bs ... £53 7 6 Tea, 630 lbs ' 15 10 0 Geneva, 23 galls . ... 17 5 0 . Whisky, 30 galls , ... 18 0 0 , Sundries 10 19 5 £115 1 11