COMMERCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 18829, 24 May 1920, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

THE LOCAL MARKETS. ' Times Office, Saturday. I FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.. Apples and pears have come on to the fnarnet in huge quantities, and owing to tne extremely cold weather stocks are nard to quit, resulting in low prices ruling in practically all classes. A slnpment ol pie melons by the Corinna is due on Monday, and Fiji bananas ex Monowai should reaon the market in a week's time. A direct shipment of Sydney fruits, including mandarins, oranges, passions and pines, is due by the Tarawera at the end oi the month. The following are approximate wholesale prices Apples, Delicious did to 4d, Jonathans 7/0 to 10/- per case, Scarlets 6/- to 8/- per case, Cleopatra 0/- to 7/0, cookers 5/- to 0/0; pears, choice Winter Coles 2d to 21d, Nelis 2id to 3d, others 5/- to 7/- per case, inferior quality 3/- to 4/0; local hothouse tomatoes lUd to 1/- per lb; grapes, local hothouse 1/6 to 2/-; peaches, 2d to 21d; lemons, American double case (300) £3 per case; Sydney 15/- to 20/- per case; passion fruit, 15/- to 17/per box; island oranges, repacks 25/-; bananas and pie melons to arrive next week.

VEGETABLES.—The supply has been fairly plentiful and the ruling prices are as follow:—Cabbage, 5/- to 7/- per sack; caulitlowers 8/- to 12/- per dpz; carrots, 8/per sack; parsnips, 10/- per sack; vegetable marrows, 10/- per cwt. FISH. The fish market has been well supplied during the week, and all classes were to bo had in abundance. The rough spell that has just broken will, however, unless the weather quickly recovers, make supplies short for the coming week. HARDWARE. Prices in the hardware market appear to have remained firm during the week, and quotations are about on the same level as those given in last week’s issue, as follow; G.c. iron £BO per ton, cement 7/10 per bag, black fencing wire 40/- per cwt, galvanised wire No. 8 66/- per cwt; rabbit netting, 1/3 per yard. Wire nails are being sold at prices ranging from 7d to 8d per lb according to quantity. Barbed wire is still unprocurable on the local market. THE RIALTO. Messrs William Todd and Co., Ltd., report the following sales on Saturday, May 22. Poultry'.—Hens, 1/10 to 3/4; ducks, 2/6; purebred White Leghorn roosters 4/3. Pigs.—Small entry; suckers, £1 17/-; stores, £4 1/-. Calf.—B/-. Potatoes, £8 to £8 10/- per ton; oats, £1 2/6 to £1 7/- (bags in); oat dust, 57bag; cow chaff, £5 10/- per ton. Muttonbirds—l/- each. Tea (in chests), 2/10 to 3/- lb. Horse-covers, duck, £2 12/6; cow-covers, £1 1/-. F. BOWDEN & CO.’S REPORT.

Messrs F. Bowden and Co. report heavy supplies of apples and pears during the week, but owing to cold weather sales have been slow. We have on hand 500 cases dessert apples and pears. Grapes are still coming to hand. Quinces, tomatoes, and stone fruits have about finished. We are getting some very choice lines of Nelson Delicious, Jonathans, and Sturmers. The week closed with prices ruling;— Apples, Delicious 9/- to 11/6, Jonathans 8/to 9/6 for very choice colours, Munroe’s well coloured fruit lb, large green cookers 7/6 case; pears, Winter Coles 2d to lb; others cheaper; cookers, lid to 2d can double cases 57/6; passion fruit, 7/6 to 10/- case; Island oranges, 21/- to 22/case; Sydney, 17/- case. Vegetables, Flowers, Etc.—Violets lOd to lid bunch; potatoes, 8/- cwt; onions, 12/cwt; red cabbage, 10/6 cwt; cabbage, 3/6 to 5/6 bag; beetroot, carrots, and parsnips, 3d bunch; rhubarb, 5/- to 5/6 dozen roots. BRAY BROS.’ REPORT. Messrs Bray Bros., Ltd., auctioneers, etc., report as follows for week ending May 22: — The produce market has shown considerable activity during the past week. Potatoes have arrived in large quantities, and sales are restricted to local buyers. There is a possibility of the embargo on the export of potatoes to Australia being lifted in which case values should be well maintained. Onions, wheat, chaff, oats and straw meet with a steady at market rates.

Fruit consignments have been very heavy but local seasonable fruit is now practically restricted to apples and pears. The supplies of the latter fruit have exceeded the demand and prices have shown considerable fluctuation.

Supplies of vegetables have been equal to the demand. We secured the following prices for our consignors. Potatoes—£B to £8 10/-, Onions —13/- cwt. Wheat—3s/- to 37/- sack. Chaff —Prime quality to £S 10/- per ton. Oaten Straw —To £5 10/- per ton. Oats (for fowl feed)—s/6 per bushel.

Meggitt’s Linseed Meal—2s/- per sack. Oatdust —5/- per bag. Bran —10/6 per bag. Wheat Pollard—l 2/6 per 1001b bag. Barley Pollard—22/6 per 2001b bag. Fruit —Quinces, 3d per lb; apples (dessert), 21d to 31d per lb; apples (cooking), 2d to 2*d per lb; pears, lid to 3d per lb, according to variety and grade. Tomatoes, 4ld lb.

Vegetables—Cabbages, 4/- dozen; cauliflowers, 5/- dozen; marrows, 9/- to 10/cwt; carrots, 4/- per bag; parsnips, 5/bag; pumpkins, 9/- to 10/- per cwt. Lepp Salt Lick (containing free sulphur), 2/3 per brick. Cow-covers —Lined. 21/6; unlined, 19/-. j Horse-covers —£2 15/- to £3 each.

Sundries—Muttonbirds (in kits containing 24 to 40 birds), 1/- per bird; honey, in 101b tins, 10/-. Men's boots, 35/- per pair. Furniture.—Our Furniture Department in Spey street report brisk business in all furnishing lines. We make a speciality of oak and rimu house furniture made to order to any design. CLEARING SALE AT ORETL The National Mortgage and Agency Go., Ltd., report having held a highly successful clearing sale on account of Mr George Horner, Oreti, on May 19. Although the weather was rough and cold there was a large attendance of buyers, and the bidding throughout was very spirited. Every lot coming under the hammer brought full values. The following are some of the prices —Horses: £36, £32 10/-, £3O 10/-, £29, £25, £25, £23 10/-, £22, £2l, £2O, £18; ponies, £l4,' £l3 10/-. Cattle—3l steers £8 2/-, 30 steers and heifers £4; 6 steers, £4 ; tows, £l2 10/-, £l2 5/-, £8 o/-. Sheep—97s lambs 21/10, 375 lambs 17/-, 281 f. and f. ewes 13/10, 272 2 and 4-tooth ewes 26/10, 229 4 and 6-tooth wethers-29/5, 487 s.m. ewes 21/3, 629 6-tooth ewes 27/6. Implements —Lime-sower £33 10/-, broadcast sower £24, plough £ls 10/-, milk-cart £ls 10/-, 2 sheaf stacks at £SB, buggy £l4. Harness and sundries realised full market values. CLEARING SALE AT LOCH I EL. The National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd., report having held a most successful clearing sale on account of Mr Alex. Morrison, Lochiel, on May 21. The weather was very rough, but the attendance of buyers was not affected. The following are some of the prices:—Horses—Geldings £32 £3l £2B 10/-; mares, £24, £lB. Sheep—l7B lambs 24/-, 8 fat sheep 29/-. Cattle—lo steers £7 10/-; cows, £ll 10/-, £l7 5/-, £7 12/6, £8 10/-, £6 15/- and £5 5/-. Implements —Ridger £23, dray £3O, drill £l3 10/-, plough £26 5/-, disc harrows £lO 12/6, dray £9, plough £6, cart £9. Harness and sundries realised top market values.