COMMERCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1351, 23 December 1870, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

H. E. Osbokue, Auctioneer, reports :— At a sale of merchandise held yesterday at the . stores of Messrs M'Pherson and Co.", there was a fair attendance, and . several r lines of tlie'perfumery submitted were placed at a. shade below invoice. The oilmen's stores, and wines and spirits, did not excite competition, and only a few lots passed the hammer.

Messrs Driver, Stewart, and Co., report for the month ending 10th December : — Fat Cattle.— The market continues well supplied, and prices are, if anything, easier. Only a few head were yarded in town, and sold at about 20s per lOOlbs ; bat at Mosgiel about 40 head changed hands at fair prices. We quote prime quality beef at 255; medium and inferior, at 18a to 223 6d. Fat Sheep. — Stocks in the hands of butchers are unusually heavy, and even for very prime quality there is but little demand, while inferior £b quite unsaleable. Our last week's quotations may be token as representing current value. Store Cattle. — Well-grown bullocks are still in good request, but we are only offering a limited number. Mixed cattle, other than really wellbred, are only .saleable at very low rates. We quote 3 to 4-year old bullocks at about £4 /mixed mobs at about £S 10s. Store Sheep,— We have no transactions to report : in this class, <but are of opinion that con-; eulerable numbers wM change hands immediately sSfter shearing. 3Jhe>vse»B of buyers and sellers ■as ite prices being apparently widely different, at the present moment we refrain from giving quotations. Pat X«nbs. — Two drafts -were yarded : one df 50 head of inferior fetching "5s 3d to 5s 63. Country Sales.— Oursale at Cl^tha oh Thursday was laigely attended, on account of the AgriculturaVShow there taking place on *at day. There were, however, but" few "buyers present, and of some 200 mixed ■catfle yarded, only *bout 80 head changed hands. Half-fat bullocks s«ld at £6 each ; 4 year old store bullocks, £4 12s 6d {2 to 3 jcnr o }^\ rr^\ rr .\ r -f?ft "IFfi-fid f (»«»«' iiii ln**—nt*n-^ dition, £3' 10s? mixed cattle, 30s -to 35s per head ; leksester -ewes, wifli lambs at foot, £2 to £3 each. WooL — No public sales have yet been held, and there is -consequently little to report in connection with this staple. The late advices from England are for the time more favorable than expected, bnt generally indicate tie pro. babDity of a decline in prices, more especially for . the finer descriptions, which chiefly would suffer from the absence of Continental buyers. The opening' sales of fee season in . Melbourne were well attended, and the competition for most descriptions good; greasy fetching s£d ito'7£d ; fleece, lldtto 13d ; and scoured, 12d tolßdper lb. .Flax.— -Some small parcels, good to fine, have changed bands at £17 10s to £20 10s. . :