COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1136, 18 August 1883, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS. Messrs Robert Wilkin and Co. report: —At the Addington yards on Wednesday, 4886 sheep and 236 head of cattle were yarded. In fat sheep a gcod supply came forward, a large proportion of which were fit for freezing purposes. The demand was fairly animated for best quality lines, and every lot offered found buyers at prices fully equal to last week's prices. Fat cattle—A limited supply to hand, the bulk composed of second and medium quality sorts, and owing to the short supply competition was keen throughout the sale. For prime quality pens there was an advance of fully 5s per lOOlbs compared to.last week's prices. We sold prime crossbred wethers, from Messrs Partridge and Edwards' estate, at from 18s to 18s 9d each. On account of other owners, good quality mixed crossbreds at from J 4s to 15s 9d ; fat merino wethers from 8s to 9s 2d ; crossbred ewes in lamb, at 14s ; prime steers at £9 each. At our sheepskin sale on Thursday a large entry came forward, including some fine lots of butchers' and frozen meat skins. A line of Mr J. Rosewarne's crossbreds realised 5s Bd, beiDg the top price for that description ; 5s 5d was the highest price for skins from the factory ; for a heavy lot of Messrs J. and R. Inwoods's, Southbridge, we catalogued 3713, and disposed of all but a few lots of dry skins, which we were compelled to pass in owing to the late hour at which our sale commenced. We sold country crossbreds at 4s 4d to 4a 7d up to 5s Id ; country meri nos, 4s lOd, 5s 4d, up to 5s 9d for a line of heavy double fleeced skins; butchers' crossbreds, 4s 6d, 4s lid, 5s 5d up to 5s 8d ; butchers' merinos, 4s, 4s sd, 4s lOd, and 5s 6d, the latter price for an exceptionally fine lot of Mr J, C. Wason's skins. Fat and tallow—We sold fat at from 2£d up to 2|d for good clean from the country. Hides—. Green, 3|d ; wet salted, 3£d ; dry salted, 3|d; cut and damaged, 2|d ; calfskins, 3|d. CHRISTOHUROH CORN EXCHANGE. Report for the week ending Friday evening,'the 17th inst. : There is no change to report in the state of the grain market ; values in all the lines of produce continue as before. Wheat.—Good malting samples, 4s to 4s 2d ; seed sample?!, 4s to 9d per bushel ; second quality 3* 3 I to 3s 9.1 per oushel ; chide wheat, 2s 31 to 2s Bd, delivered in Christchurch. Oats.—Good stout milling, 2s to 2s 21 per bushel ; feed quality, la 9J to Is lid. Barley.—First class malting, 4u 3>l to 48 Cd per bushol ; feed and second class

malting, 2a 4d to 3s 9d, delivered in Christchurch. Grass Seed —Farmers' sample, 33 3d to 3s 9d per busliol ; machine dressed, 4s to 4s 3d, delivered in Christchurch. Potatoes.—3os to 32a G.l at country stations. Cheese and Butter.—4d to 4|d for the former, 9d to 9£d for the latter. AUSIRALIAN MARKETS. Melbourne, Aug. 15, The Melbourne Manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, Limited, reports of the local grain market as follows : Shipping wheat is improving, and is quoted at 4s lid to ss. A better demand exists for malting barley at 5s 3d to 5s 6d. There is a fair demand for New Zealand oats at 2s lCd to 3s Id for feeding, and 3s 2d to 3s 3d for milling sorts. New Zealand oats, under bond, are quoted at 2s Id to 2s 4d. ENGLISH MARKETS. London, Aug. 15. The wheat market is quint. Adelaide, ex warehouse, remains at 48i, and New Zealand ditto at 44s to 48s; off coast cargoes of New Zealand wheat, 44s 3d. The tallow market for Australian best beef is unchanged at 39s 6d, and for best mutton at 40s 6d. The National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand (Limited) report under date London, June 29th, as follows .

Wool.—Of the quantity disposed of it is estimated that some 165 000 bales were purchased for export, including some 5000 bales taken for America. The fluctuations during the course of the series were but slight, and on the whole the level of prices was evenly maintained. The attendance of buyers during last week was somewhat smaller than it had been previously, and prices were rather less regular, but without any actual chaDge in values, the strongest demand—as indeed was the case throughout the fie ij e8 __ r unning on the better classes of combing wools, whether in grease or scoured states. Faulty and heavy conditioned parcels commanded less attention, and ruled, on the whole, slightly in favor of buyers. Prices for mixed and coarse crossbred showed Bigns of further weakness towards the close, and considerable quantities were withdrawn from sale. Wools bought in the colonies, with a view to sale in this market, have again this year produced very unsatisfactory results to the purchaser, in many instances the price realised in sale being under original cost price in the colonies. As already advised, the third seriep of sales is fixed to commence on the 21st August, all arivals up to that date to bo considered as available for disposal. The fourth and last series for the year will commence on the 20th JNovemberFlax.—The demand is dull, but ai holders do not press sales, prices are without material chango. Accounts from Manilla are also dull—supplies ample. At auctions held on the 20th., only two bales offered sold, say fine dressed at £3O. We quote ordinary strawy, £2O 10s to £22 15s per ton ; good clean, bright, £26 to £27.

Wheat.—Since our last, rain, which was much needed, has fallen in abundance and has greatly improved the appearance of the country. The grain crops now look very promising, and farmers are cherishfng hopes of a good Im-vest. This prospect, combinod with large arrivals and lower American quotations, has caused our markets to rule very dull, and prices must be quotsd fully Ib per quarter lower. New Zealand The arrivals at this port consist of 7180 bags per Centurion, 2383 per City of Delhi, 2910 per Westland, 4786 per Horsa, 496 per Pareora, 1677 per Ganymede, and 16,457 per Dallam Tower. They find only a moderate consumptive demand at Is per quarter below our last quotations, say 43s to 45s for fair to good quality of round berried, and 46s to 4?s for long berried ; while out-of-condition parcels sell slowly at 37s to 4ls per 4961bs ex store. Australia—Largo arrivals, comprising a total of 44,300 sacks, have been added to our stocks , they are generally firmly held, and sell slowly at 48s per 4961b5. Off coast a small cargo, per Bon Accord, sold at 46s 9d per 4801bs for Dublin.

Flour.—Flour has suffered a decline of 6d per sack, and sales are effected with difficulty thereat. We quote New Zealand, 27s 6d to 30s per 2801bs ; superfine Australian, 33s 6d to 34s 6d, ex store. Tallow.—During the last fortnight there has been a demand for Australian tallow, the sales amounting to about 2000 casks Prices, however, for the betUr descriptions have declined, and we now quote good to fine mutton 42s to 43s 3d, and fair to fine beef 41s to 42s per cwt., being about 6d per cwt lower. Low and inferior qualities continue in active request, and realise extreme rates.

An English physician says a man can stop a fit of sneezing by crawling down stairs head first. Almost anything can be cured that way if tho stairs are steep enough. A Scolding Woman—The barbarities of the ducking-stool for the cure of scolding women, though abolished by law, are now oftentimes practised by a kind of social barbarity none the less reprehensible. Women scold only when they are ill. Instead of blaming them we should prescribe Hop Bitters. The entire system will undergo a genial, pleasant change. The nerves will be quieted and acerbity of word and thought will give place to amiabilily and affection. Healthy women do not scold or fret. Heed.