COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1395, 22 September 1885, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS’ REPORT. GERALDINE. Messrs J. Mundell and Co. report -ales for the week ending Saturday, 19th Sept, 1885 : At auction they have no sales to report, but privately several lots have through them changed owners. On Saturday, at their Salerooms, Geraldine, there was a large attendance, with good competition for all lots under offer, which sold at the following quotations, viz. Derwent potatoes, 5s per sack ; chickwheat, 9s per sack ; oats, per bushel, 2s ; flour, per sack, 15s; bran, per sack, 4s; carrots, 3s per sack ; bacou, 6-|d per lb. Box teas, sugar, etc,, at satisfactory rates.

On account of (he Geraldine Racing Club, they submitted to auction the privileges on the racecourse at the forthcoming meeting, which sold as follows : —Gates, D. Dunoon, L 65 ; Grand Stand booth, R. O. Bowden, L 26 ; No. 1 booth, D, Mcllraith, L 25 ; No. 2 booth, D. Mcllraith, L 25 ; refreshment booth, D. Mcllraith, Ll2 10s ; horse yards, J. Loach, L 8 10s ; right of games, D, Denoon, L 6. Cards of the races were passed in to tho Club. The above prices compare favorably with those obtained at previous meetings.

TIMARU. Messrs Maclean and Stewart report for the past week ending Saturday as follows : Horses.—The supply of good draught horses is at present not equal to the demand, and any of the right stamp meet with ready buyers, if young and sound. As the spring advances they recommend owners having these for sale to forward into town yards as early as possible, and they can rely on obtaining satisfactory prices. A couple of good geldings brought to-day £SO ; another good mare £23—and these quotations are the present market rates for good draughts. Hacks—A good hack is now rarely to be sesa in the yards, and when they do put in an appearance they always bring high prices; one to-day brought £l6 and another ±l4, iSheep—The weather during the last few weeks has been very unfavorable for feed, and in consequence speculation in store sheep has been almost nil and very few transactions have taken place. Lambing, they are glad to say, is getting well on, and up to the present a big percentage may be looked for, although in various quarters a number of deaths have occurred owing to the ewes not having sufficient feed. They regret to say the lung worm disease has again made its appearance, and, if precautions are not taken in time, a good many may bo carried off through it. Fat Sheep—There has been a considerable drop in the market during the last ten days, and 2£d to may be quoted as ruling prices. Cattle—Weil forward 2 and 3-year-old steers are saleable at fair prices, from £3 to £4 —but old cows and young cattle are neglected. Fat cattle are getting rather scarce, and prices are better—good beef being at present wortli about 25s per lOOlbs. Skins, Hides, and Tallow Their usual fortnightly sale was held at their rooms last Wednesday, when they cata logued about 1000 skins, 30 hides, and a few bags and casks of tallow, all of which were sold. The price of skins, owing to the wool reports from Home, suffered a considerable decline, in some classes from Gd to 9d each, from their last sale. They sold their entry at the following prices : —Butchers’ half and three-quarterbred skins, 3s lOd to 4s; do merinos, Is 6d to 2s Id ; farmers’ lots—crossbreds, 2s to 3s ; merinos, from 2s to 2s 9d. Hides— They sold at 601bs and over, 4d to per lb ; 50Jbs, at 3-|d per lb, and 40ib to 50!bs at trora 3d to per lb. Tallow, Ijd per lb.

THE TIMARU GRAIN MARKET,

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the Meek ended Friday, September as follows : —■ Wheat—A good demand still exists, and a lair limitless is being clmu in milling wheats. During the past week wo have placed 4(1'.,0 sacks red wheat at 2s 8d to 2s 9-f,-d, ex store. Locally for milling purp»**H we have also placed some lines of velvet, at 3s to 3s 3d, and Tuscan at 3s 2d, all ex store. Barley—We have sold a few lots al OS to 3s 3d, ex store, Oats We have quitted several parcels for local consumption and shipment to Northern ports at following prices:—Danish, discolored, Is 9d ; Canadians, medium, Is 10J ; do heavy bright, Is lid to 2s f o.b,

AUSTRALIAN JUNKETS, Sydney, fSept, 18. Nmv Zealand wheat 3s per bushel, New Zealand oats 2s -1,1 ; maize (561 b), 3s ]od ; Sugar Company’s No. 1'162G per ion. Adelaide, Sept. 19. The wheat market is steady at 4s lo 4s Id. Flour, town brands, £8 4s to £8 Its; country brands, £7 11s 6d lo £7 17s 6il.

ENGLISH MARKETS.

London, Sept. 19. The wheat market is firmer. Three off-coast cargoes have been sold at 34s 3d to 34s 6d ; ex ship and ex warehouse are unchanged. The flour market is depressed, and there are large supplies in stock. The bidding at the wool sales has slightly improved. The number of bales catalogued up to the present was 379,000, of which 29,000 have been withdrawn. Sept. 20. The total quantity of wheat afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,480,000 quarters, Australian tallow, fair average quality —Beet is worth 28s 6d, and mutton 29s 6d per cwt.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, London, bearing date July 81, 1885, report as follows : Wool—Very little business has been transacted since the close of the last series, only small lots withdrawn at auction having been dealt with. Reports from the manufacturing centres at Horae vary considerably as to the amount of business passing, whilst from the European Continent advices are unsatisfactory, and tell of decreased consumption. The outlook in America, on the other hand, is somewhat more hopeful, and a little enquiry has been manifested from the United Stales for suitable Australian wools, the supplies of which at this season are necessarily limited. The third series of sales at Antwerp, comprising about 24,000 bales of River Plate and 150 bales Australian wool, commenced on 28th instant. The opening catalogues embraced 1922 bales, consisting of only inferior Monte Videan and Buenos Ayres produce. The market was dull, and sales to the extent of 728 bales were effected at a decline of about Ad per lb on the former, and to Ad per lb on the latter descriptions, or say 10 per cent, lower on average as compared with the auctions held in May. With the progress of the sales a little better tone has been exhibited. Corn Market.—The market, though dull, has been fairly steady, holders showing evident reluctance to make a further reduction on the existing low range of values. The brilliant sunshine of the last two weeks has brought the growing crops to maturity much earlier than was expected, and harvest operations have already commenced in the Southern Counties of England, The result will be fairly satisfactory on heavy lands generally, but the lighter soils have suffered from the want of rain, and it is considered that the yield there will be less than an average crop. The low prices current last season baye had their effect in a diminished acreage under wheat cultivation estimated at about 10 per cent. The large fleet of wheat laden vessels off coast, referred to in our last issue, have been nearly all disposed of at fairly satisfactory prices. Avstralian wheat sold freely in (he early portion of the fortnight, but latterly the demand has fallen off. In flour only a moderate business has been transacted, the prospect of reduced supplies from America having as yet been without effect on the market. The imperial average of wheat for the week ended 18th instant was 33s lid per quarter, os compared with 87s Id at a corresponding date m 1884. Supplies on passage and shipping to the United Kingdom are given as 2,109,000 quarters, as against 2,353,000 quarters on the 16th instant, and 1,508,090 quarters at the corresponding date last year. The “ visible supply ” in America is now 36,975,000 bushels as compared with 37,375,000 bushels on 16th instant, and 12,425,000 bushels at same time in 1884. Recent arrivals of New Zealand Wheat of good quality have found a steady cadet at full rates. Oats are in fair request and are quoted 6d to Is per quarter higher. To-day’s quotations, ex gianary, are as follow : New Zeal'>nd Wheat —Long-berried : fine, 34s to 35s 6d ; medium, 31s to 325; inferior, 28s to 295. Short-berried ; floe, 32s 6d to 34s ; medium, 31s lo 32s ; inferior, 28s to 30s per 496 lbs. New Zealand Flour-r Patent, 24s 6d to 25s 6d ; fine, 20s to 225, per 280 lbs gross. New Zealand Barley—No. 1,34 sto 35s ; No. 2,25 s6d to 26s 6d, per 448 lbs. New Ziajand Oats—Heavy, 30s 6d to 32s ; ordinaly, 27s to 28s, per Imperial qr.