COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1306, 21 February 1885, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH CORN EXCHANGE. The Corn Exchange report for the week ending Friday evening, the 20th inst : The week’s transactions have not shown much improvement on the preceding one, doubtless owing to the continuance of favorable weather, as farmers, profiting from the experience of former years,'do not care to leave harvesting operations, which are being prosecuted with the utmost vigor, evidently preferring to cut on the green side rather than trust to the fickleness of the climate at this time of the year. Several large lines of grass seed and oats are coming forward, the latterj being generally of fine color and quality. Some very prime samples of wheat are now appearing, but the opening price is not yet definitely fixed, although for both wheat and oats the tendency is in a downward direction. Barley ia still hardly fit for market, and prices are withheld for the present. Dairy produce shows no morefavornble symptoms than during the former weeks, while stocks continue to increase, and the prospect of a rise in value is quite problematical, Quotations to date as follow : Wheat—Old wheat, Tuscan, 2s lOd ; Hunter’s and pearl, 3s to 3s 2d, f.o,b. ; new, nominally, 2s 9d, f.o.b. Oats—Bright milling, la 9d to Is 101; good seed, from Is 7d to Is Bd, f.o.b. Barley—Nominally, 3s 6d to 4j, Christchurch, Grass Seed—Rye, Is 3d to 2s; machine dressed, 3s 9d ; cocksfoot, 3d per lb, f.o.b. Butter and Cheese— 7d per lb for the former and the lattn’ 4d, f.o.b.

CHRISTCHURCH MARKETS.

Only moderate entries of stock penned for the day's supply. The fat sheep on offer were principally merino wethers of varied quality, and the few crossbreds yarded were of good quality. Market opened du’l, and throughout was tame in the extreme. Crossbred wethers sold at from lls 9d to 15s 6d, the latter price for very heavy weights and good quality ; merino wethers, from 7a 9d to 9s 9d, being an all round price of a shade under 2d per lb. The entry of store sheep met with a slow enquiry, most lines being, however, sold at late low values as follows; Two-tooth crossbreds, mixed sexes, 10s 6d ; ditto wethers, lls 3d; a line of mixed ages, crossbreds, at lls 3d ; lines of crossbred ewes at 7s fid, 9s 3d, and lls ; lines of lambt at 7s 8d and Bs. A small entry of fat lambs sold at from 7s 6d to 9s per head. The pig market was largely supplied, with principally stores, the demand for which was keen, good values ruling. Fat Cattle Market—A fairly good supply, principally good quality beef ; demand only medium, though all lots cleared, low values temoting outside buyers. Steers sold at from £5 12s 6d to £7 12s 6d ; heifers, £5 to £6 15s, being from 17s to 19s per 1001 b, But very little business done in the store cattle market.—Press.

DUNEDIN MARKETS. Fat Cattle.—For best quality there was fair competition at about last week’s rates, but other lots did not command much over store rates, Best bullocks brought £8 10s to £lO ; others, £6 10s to £8 ; inferior, £4 10s to £6. Beef, 17s 6d to 20s per lOOlbs. 6 prime cows belonging to Mr M. Quinn, brought from £6 17s 6d to £8 15s. Fat calves realised from 5s to 15s and 18s to 20s each. Fat Sheep.—s3os penned, inclusive of 1118 merino wethers —the largest number by far ever forward in one week. This enormous supply was far in excess of trade requirements, but as frozen mutton exporters and graziers bought freely, nearly every lot changed hands, although at a further decline of Is to 2s per head on last week’s reduced rates. Best crossbreds brought 13s 6d to 15s ; others, 10s to 13s; merinos, 7s to 12s Bd. Mutton, 2d to 2£d per lb. Mr W. Hartnell, Rakaia, sold 129 merino wethers at from 12s 6d to 12s 9d ; Mr M. Quinn sold 134 cossbred do. at 14s. Fat lambs realised 6s 9J to 9s 6d ; a reduction of Is fid per head on last week’s rates. Pigs.—Wright, Stephenson, and Co. sold 76 weaners at from 13s to 18s 6d ; 26 stores at from 19s to 28s ; and 6 porkers at from 34s to 395. Sheepskins.—Dry crossbreds brought Is 4d to 4s 7d ; full-wool, 4s to 4s 9d ; dry merinos (low (o medium), Is 5d to 3s fid; full-wool, 3s 9d to ss; green pelts, lid to Is 7d ; dry and inferior, 2d to 8d ; lambskins, lid to 19d. Hides.—Quotations unchanged viz., 3d for light; medium, 3£d to 3|d ; heavy (in good condition and free from cuts), 4d to 4£d. Tallow.—Mixed sells at 18s to 22s ; medium, 23s to 245; prime, 25s to 26s ; rough fat, 13s to 17s. Wheat,—During the week sales have been effected at up to 3s 7d for prime white velvet, but now 3s 5d to 3s 6d are top quotations ; medium to good range from 2s 9J to lls 3d ; fowls’ feed in demand at 2s to 2s fid. Oats.—Good milling sorts are scarce, and any coming forward sell readily at 2s 3d to 2s 4d ; short bright feed, 2s 2d to 2s 3d ; medium, 2s to 2a Id ; inferior and discolored, up to Is lOd. Barley.—Nothing doing, pending arrivals of new crop. Potatoes.—Sales of kidneys have been made at £3 to £3 10s. Horse Market. —Wright, Stephenson, and Co. quote first-class draughts at from £?0 to £34 ; medium, £l6 to £25 ; good hacks and light : harness horses, £l6 to £2O ; medium, £IQ to sl2 ; light and inferior, £llos to £5,

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS.

Melbourne, Feb. 18. 'lire Melbourne Manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, Limited, reports on the local markets as follows : Shipping wheat is quiet at 3s 7d to 3s 8d ; malting barley has slightly improved tendency at 4s to 4s 9d ; New Zealand oats are sluggish—feed 2s £|d to 8s 2d ? milling 3s S}d to 3s §d ; New Zealand bats in bond, 2s 6d to 2s 8d ; ryegrass, 3s 9d to 4s 3d, with rather npore enquiry at lower prices. ENGLISH M A London, Peb. 16, Colonial breadstuffs —Adelaide wheat, px store to-day, 36s—a decline of Is ; New Zealand wheat, ex store, remains at 28? to 84s; and Adelaide flour 255.