COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1165, 15 April 1884, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS

TIMARU MARKETS

Messrs Maclean and Stewart report for the past week ending Saturday as follows :

Horses—Over 80 horses were to-day brought forward to their yards for sale, a considerable portion of which were good useful sorts, and the balance light harness and inferior hacks. There was no great demand, although about 25 head found buyers, but at rates considerably under those ruling a few months back, in fact the feeling seems to be that with the exception of first-class stock the prices will yet be easier. They sold to-day good draughts from £23 to £29, medium sorts from £l7 to £2O, inferior sorta and screws from £6 to £lo.'

Sheep—A fair amount of business has been done during the week in store sheep, sellers being to accept current rates rather than chance the market for the next few mon'hs, although there is a feeling that prices may have a slight reaction

| and again become what they were some I little time ago. At their usual fortnightly sale at the Washdyke last Tuesday, a full entry came to hand, and they sold the following, viz.—2oo crossbred iambs at 8s 6d, 60 crossbred ewes at 8a 9d, 160 crossbred ewes at Bs, 40 cull merino ewes at 4s 3d, 100 crossbrcu ewes at 8s 6d, Privately, during the week, they have sold at satisfactory prices 3600 merino ewes, hat sheep—Present values of these may ho quoted at from 2|d to 2|-d pet lb for prime mutton, at which quotation they have placed a small line of 150 ha'.f-breds and 150 merino wethers. Cattle --There is little demand for store cattle, and the few odd lots coming forward at their auction sales are difficult to sell at anything like values. They hare no alteration in prices toreport. No large sales have taken place during the week. Fat cattle—At Studholme Junction yards at their usual monthly sale held there last Monday, a fair entry of fat came forward, but prices ruling were altogether in favor of the buyers, who were getting prime quality of beef at from 15s to 17s 6d per 1001 b. Their sales consisted of 15 heifers, light weights, at £4 17s 6d, and 25 steers at £6 ss. Wool, Skins, Tallow and Hides—Their fortnightly sale was held last Wednesday, when they catalogued 8 bales wool and 15 bags, 500 skins, 15 sacks tallow, and 35 hides, all of which were disposed of, with the exception of the hides, at the following prices, viz., mixed crossbred and merino wool at 6d, merino pieces at s£d, merino fleece wool at Gf to Bd, locks and pieces at 2-J.d ; beat merino and crossbred skins Is lOd to 3s. A few hogget full-woolled skins brought 4s 8d ; medium ftkins Is 6d to 2s ; pelts 6d to 8d ; tallow 2£d to 2%d per lb. Value of hides they quote at from 3d to 3M per lb. Sundry Sales—During the week they held a large sale of flour, bran, meal, etc., and sold about 700 sacks at the following prices : Flour from £7 7s 6d to £8 10s per ton ; bran from £3 2s 6d to £3 7s Gd per ton ; beans at lis per sack ; wheaten meal at 10s 6d per sack. Property—To-day they offered a section at Waitohi, near Temuka, comprising 305 acres, but did not succeed in selling this at auction, but they are prepared to treat privately for it.

DUNEDIN MARKETS. Messrs "Wright Stephenson, and Co. report for the week ending April 9as follows : Grain—Wheat : The market is in a very depressed state, and excepting in small parcels it is almost impossible to effect sales at anything like the prices asked by famers. Very little of the southern wheat has yet come to hand, but any samples we hare seen are more or less out of condition. We have made some small sales during the week at from 3s 9d to 3s lid per bushel for prime samples (sacks in). The latter price was obtained for pearl velvet, northern wheat. For medium quality we have got from 3s 5d to 3s Bd, and for fowls' wheat from 2s to 2s 7d. Oats : The demand for lots suitable for export is very brisk. We quote bright short oats, both feed and milling, at 2s 2d per bushel ex trucks (sacks in) ; Danish and long Tartarian?, 2s to 2s Id. We havo sold about 7000 bushels at these rates. Barley : No transactions. Mr L. Maclean, under arrangements with the British and New Zealand Mortgage and Agency Company, Limited, reports for the week ending April 9 as follows : Fat Cattle. —130 head were yarded for to-day's market. This number, although small, proved quite equal to trade requirements, and prices for prime lots ruled about same as last week ; medium and inferior quality was almost unsaleable, Best bullocks brought from £8 to £ll ; medium, £5 to £7 ; cows up to £7. Fat Sheep.—24s4 were penned to day, nearly all of which were crossbreds from good to prime quality, and owing to the largo number forward prices suffered a slight decline on last week's rates. Fat Lambs. —445 penned, and sold at from 5s Gd to lis. Sheepskins. —At my sale on Monday I offered a email catalogue of butchers' green skins, when there was the usual attendance of the trade. Crossbreds realised from Is 8d to Is lid ; merino 3, Is 6d to Is 8d ; lambskins, Is Gd.to Is 7d.

Hides. —During the week all lots to hand have been placed at from 3d to 4d per lb for well salted, and from 16s to 20s for green, according to size and quality. Grain,—Wheat: Ae yet there are very few samples of southern-grown in the market, but northern lots are coming to hand freely, and for the most part are in good milling condition. 1 quote prime milling, 3s 9d to 3a lOd ; medium, 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; fowl feed, 2s to 3s (bags weighed in). During the week I have placed 800 sacks northern-grown at quotations. Oats : There is still a good demand, with few samples offering. Quotations unaltered. Barley may be quoted at 4s for prime malting samples, but there is very little offering. CHRISTCHURCH MARKETS. Messrs Robert Wilkin and Co. report : Sheepskins, Fat, Tallow, eto.—At our usual weekly sale held on Thursday, 10th inst., the trade was well represented, and biddings were quite up to late quotations for every line offered. Our catalogue was made up of about 900 skins and 50 bags fat and tallow, which we cleared at the following prices : —Merinos, from Is 5d to 5s ; do pelts, foom 3d to Is 5d ; crossbreds, from Is to 3s 2d for fairly woolled skins ; do pelts, from 3d to Is 2d; ordinary dry country skins, from 3d to Is 9d ; lambskins, from 5d to Is 9d ; tallow, 2|dto 3d per lb ; fat from Ijd to 2Ad per lb for well saved ; hides, unsold.

ordinary ruling prices. The demand for rye grass seed has somewhat slackened, but holders are disinclined to moderate prices, consequently little business bus transpired in the line. There is a steady inquiry for cocksfoot, at a shade higher than former rates. Quotations as follows : Wheat—(Sound and dry), Tuscan, 3s 6d ; pearl, 3s 4d; Hunter's 3s 3d, f.o.h. Oats—Milling, 2s 3d ; bright short feed, 2s Id to 2s 2d ; Tartar and Danish up to 2s, f.o.b. Barley—Malting, 3s 9d to 4s ; for extra fine quality 4s 3d can be obtained in Christchurch. Grass Seed—Farmers’ cleaned, 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; machine dressed, 4s ; cocksfoot, bright samples of machine dressed, 3gd to 4d per lb f.0.b., Lyttelton. Potatoes—Sales have [been made for forward delivery when ripe and fit for digging at 30s to 32s 6d, delivered at country stations within a radius of twelve miles. Butter and Cheese—The former is still inquired for at from 9d to lOd ; the latter quiet at 3Jd to per lb. AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. Melbourne, April 9. The Melbourne Manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand (Limited) reports of the grain market as follows : Wheat, per bushel, 4s to 4s Id ; market steady. Malting barley is firm at 4s 3d to 4s 9d. New Zealand oats, feeding qualities, 2s 6d to 2s 9d, market improving ; milling sorts in good demand at 2s lOd to 2s lid.