COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1344, 23 May 1885, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

TIMARTT PRODUCE MARKETS.

From the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company'B report on the Produce Markets of New Zealand, May, 21,1885, we make the'following extracts : Wool.—Only a few odd bales and bags of wool are corning to hand for local eale. We have lately placed some at following quotations .—Merinos, up to 7d : ditto pieces, 4d ; ditto locks, 2d ; crossbreds, up to 6d ; ditto pieces, 3£d ; black wool, st).

Sheepskins.—These are in fair supply, and sell readily at quotations. Tallow and Fat.—Only a small supply is coming forward, and that of inferior quality. We l.ave made sales of rough fat at l£d to 2d. Hides.— We have enquiries for hides, and can place 200 to 300 per week at our quotations. Wheat.—Wheat is coming to hand rapidly, and as owners prefer holding for a time in anticipation of higher prices, the stores are getting blocked. During the past month we have placed several lines at 2s 10J f.o.b. for prime milling winter wheata. This is the top price, and it is now difficult to effect sales. Grain buyers' present quotations are 2s 7d to' 2s 8d for red chaff, and 2s 8d to 2s 9d for 'velvet and Tuscan, ex trucks. Very little business is, however, being done at these prices, as the trade is shy of operating at present. The Norman McLeod has completed her loading and sails for London this week with a full cargo of grain (almost 1,100 tons). At our usual monthly sale at Studholme Junction on the 4th instant we submitted some 12,240 bushels, but only succeeded in placing 200 of them.

Oats.—The market for oats during the past month has been weak. Very few lots have changed hands, and a good deal is in store on owners' account. At present good bright Canadians are enquired after, and are worth Is 8d to Is 9d f.o.b. ; feed sorts are worth Is 5d to Js 7d f.o.b.

Barley.—Not much is being done in this cereal, as brewers' stocks are large. At Studholme Junction on the 4th instant we offered about 27,370 bushels, and sold the following lots :-6,400 at 3s 4d • 11,000 at 3s ; 700 at 3s ; and 800 at 2s 9d. Frozen Meat—Our local refrigerating works are being pushed on as fast as possible. The buildings are in progress and will be completed early in August. The machinery is now in a vessel bound for this port, and is due about the end of July. The capacity of the works will be 300 sheep a day, with storage for 7,000. Operations will, V7e expect, be commenced in October next,

CHRISTCHURCH CORN EXCHANGE,

The following ia the Corn Exchange report for the week ending Friday, the 22nd instant : The grain rflarket has been exceedingly quiet during the past week. There are no alterations of note in the prices, and buyers are more careful than ever in purchasing, owing to which sellers have in many instances been compelled to send into store, hoping that a more favorable opportunity may come for disposing of it Stores are becoming cramped for i jti, neither growers nor merohants being anxious to ship. Prime milling wheat finds purchasers among local millers, but second quality is offering in abundance, with very little response. Good bright oats find ready sale; discolored and inferior have only a moderate demand for local consumption. Barley, of all grades, is quiet. Potatoes—lt has been reported that 40s has been given at country stations, but we cannot vouch for over 37s 6d having been got, but no doubt the first named figure has been given for Bmall lines delivered by dray to retailers. Quotations as follow : Wheat—Sound milling, 2s 8d to 2s lOd ; second quality, 2s 2d to 2s 6d; fowl wheat, Js9d to 2s, f.o.b. Oats—Milling and bright short feed, Is 8d to Is 9d ; inferior and discolored, Is 4d to Is 6d, f.o.b. Barley—Malting, prime, 3s 6d to 3s 9d ; second quality, 2s 9d to 3s 3d ; feed, Is 9d to 2s, Christchnrch. Beans- 2s 6d to 2s 7d. Peas, Prussian blues, 3s 6d ; feed, 2s 3d to 23 6d, f.o.b. Grass seed—Farmets' parcels, well cleaned, 2s 6d to 3s 3d ; machine dressed, 3s 9d to4sf.o,b. Cocksfoot—3|d to 3£d, bright samples ; discolored from 2d, f.0.b., Lyttelton. Potatoes—Blue Derwents, 37s Gd, within twelve miles of Christchurch. Dairy produce—Butter, 9£d to lOd; cheese, 3£d to 4£d, f.o.b,

PTJNEPIN PRODUCE MARKETS.

Wheat—The market is slightly less animated, as millers are disposed to hold off with the view to bring about lower rutes, Some parcels of soft wheat have been placed on the market; but as inferior qualities are scarce and in demand, full rates have been obtained. Prime milling, velvet and Tuscan, have been sold at 3s 3£d to 3s 4Jd ; medium do and red straw, 3s 2d to 3s 3d ; inferior, 2s 9d to 3s ; fowl feed, 2s 2d to 2s 6d. Oats—As growers still manifest a desire to hold, all choice milling samples lind buyers at up to Is 9|d ; and short bright feed, Is 8d to Is 8W ; good feed, slightly discolored, Is 7M ; long and medium qualities are in full supply, and at easier rates-say, Is Gd to Is 7d per bushel. Barley—Prime qualities of malting are in fair request, but for other sor'a there is but slight enquiry, and large quantities are accumulating in stores, Choice malting is quoted at 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; good do, 2s 9d to 3,3 Id ; milling, 2s Gd to 2s 8d ; feed, 2s 3d per bushel. Ryegrass Seed—No enquiry.

Potatoes Prime Derwents in good demand at much better rates—viz., £3 to 7s 6d. kidneys bring 55s to 60s per ton, bags given in. Butter—There is a fair business doing at B£d per lb for prime quality, but any really choice lots might fetch 9d. Eggs—Supplies still short, and prices about the same as last week. Cheese—4fd per lb for best quality. Sheepskins.—Dry crossbreds, low to medium, bring Is 5d fo 2s 9rl; full-woolled 3s to ss. Merinos, low to medium, Is 6d to 3s Id ; full woolled, 3s 3d to 4s lOd ; dry pelts, l|d to Is 4d ; butchers' green skins, 2s 5d to 2s lOd ; lambs, 2s to 3s 4d. Hides—Light, 3d ; medium, 3£d to 3|d; heavy, 4d to 4|d, if in good condition and free from from cuts and offal. Tallow—Best quality brings 24s to 25s 9<i ; medium, 21s to 225; inferior and mixed, difficult of sale at 16s to 20s ; butchers' rou&h fat 14s to 16s per cwt. DUNEDIN STOCK MARKETS. At the Bui*nside "Xards on Wednesday May 20, sales were effected as follow : Fat Cattle—23s forward. The number proved much in excess of requirements, and but that several lines were turned out unsold prices would have been considerably lower. A draft of prime bullocks (heavy weights) from Canterbury brought £9 7s 6d to £lO ; others, from £6 to £9; cows from £4 to £4 10s. Mi Andrew Grant disposed of 18 head at from £6 17s 6d to £B. A lot from Mr Fergusson, of Christchurch, brought the top price, £7 to £lO. Beef from los to 20s per lOOlbs according to quality. One auctioneer quotes ordinary as low as 12s 6d. Fat Calves—6s to 30s. Fat Sheep. —3046 penned, inclusive of 500 merino welher3, the balance crossbreds. The quality ranged from good to prime. Best crossbred wethers brought 14s to 16s; medium, 10a to 13u 6d ; merinos, 7s to 9s 6d ; crossbred ewes, 13s 6d to 14s 6d; others, 9s 6d to 12s 6d ; mutton, l£d to 2d per lb for prime. Fat Lambs lis to lis 9d. Pigs—24o of all descriptions penned. Wright, Stephenson and Co. sold 216 a? follows:—Twenty-two very prime bacon pigs (too heavy weights) from Longbeach at from 53s to 57s ; Geraldine, 17 at from 40s to 66s ; South Canterbury, 59 bacon pigs at from 35s to 50s; also 36 porkers at from 22s to 355; and 62 stores at from , 13s to 335. Suckers brought 10s 6d.