COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1465, 9 February 1886, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS’ REPORT.

GERALDINE. Messrs J. Mundell and Co. report sales for the week ending Saturday, 6tb Feb., 1886 At the Geraldine monthly sale of stock on Wednesday there was an average entry of stock sent forward, but owing to harvesting operations being in full swing, and the dry state of the weather, buyers were unwilling to operate at owner’s values, consequently at auction very little stock changed owners. The numbers yarded were 1161 sheep, 99 head of cattle, 23 pigs. The following prices were realised for the different lots sold, viz.: Crossbred sheep, 2-tooth, 7a ; aged Leicester rams, 10s ; forward store steers, £5 Iss ; 2-year-old steers and heifers, £1 17s; cows, springing, and in forward condition, £3 10s to £4. No pigs were sold.

At Winchester Fair, on Thursday, the sale was also a dull one. Of our entry we sold 195 £-bred sheep, 2 tooth, at 5s 9d. 4 heifers in forward condition, at £4 ss, 4 2-year-olds at £2 17s 6d, 6 yearlings at £1 3s, and 5 calves at 12s.

TIMARU. E. R. Guinness (for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited), reports for the week ended Friday last ; Cattl -—The want of rain and very hot weather has completely burnt up the feed, consequently owners of fat stock are compelled to force them into the market, which to a great extent accounts for the present low prices. They cannot quote prime beef more than 16s to 18s per lOOlbs. At Btudholme Junction ou Monday last they regret having to report the poorest sale that has been held for many years. At Winchester Fair on Thursday last an average entry came forward, of which a fair proportion changed hands. They sold prime steers at £6 ss, fat heifers at £4l2s 6d, and a line of stores at £3 7s 6d. Sheep—The market is well supplied with prime mutton at present, and l|d per lb is the outside value of prim# quality. The various sales by auction throughout the district have been principally nil. Until we get rain, and the harvest operations are over, they do not expect much alteration in values or the demand for this class of stock.

Private Sales—They have found buyers for the following linessss 4-tooth half-bred wethers, and 1425 full-mouthed merinos, at market rates, and have other lines under offer.

Skins—Although fellmongers at present are busy scouring and have not much time to attend to our fortnightly sales of skins we have succeeded in placing by auction and privately 800 to 1000. Butchers’ pelts, 5d to lOd ; do lumb-skins, 7d to lOd ; factory pelts, Is to Is 3d ; lamb skins. Is; country lots, from Is fid to 4s, according to size and quality. Hides—The market remains steady at late quotations, viz. :—Dry well-trimmed, fiOlbs and over, 4£d per lb ; 501 b to k 6olb, 4d ; light and inferior, 3d to 3Jd ; cut and slippy, 2d. At the above prices they have disposed of over 130. Pat—They have disposed of 42 bags rough at the following prices; £d for second rate and Id per lb clean.

Mr D. Maclean (for Messrs James A. Grade and Co.)reports for the past week ended Saturday as follows r Horses—O wing to harvest operations being now in full swing, there was a smaller attendance of farmers and others at their yards to-day than is usually the case, and in consequence there are fewer transactions in horses to chronicle than for some weeks past. This will no doubt be the state of the market for the next fortnight or three weeks, when, should the weather in the meantime keep fine, harvesting in South Canterbury will be well over, and an increased demand for good farm horses may reasonably be expected. Their entry today consisted of 28 heavy and medium draughts, light harness and hacks. By auction and privately they disposed of about one-third of these at from £ll to £lB for draughts and £2 to £8 for hacks.

TIMARU MARKETS.

Mr W. Evans reports ’—Business in grain so far this season shows indinations of higher values for the coming season than was had in the past year, and to all appearances the yield in South Canterbury will be good, but the ncerage not so extensive as last year. The weather so far is all that can be desired, and the few samples to hand, both wheat and oats, are unusually good. The new potatoes coming in that have been grown around Timaru are also in good condition. He quotes :—OId milling wheat, 3s 3d tt 3s 4d ; short oats, 2s to 2s Id ; long oats, Is 9d to Is lOd. The new crop is not yet being delivered except in one or two instances, but if in the market to-day he would value it at 2d to 3d per bushel less than last year’s prime quality. By the end of this month deliveries will be general should the present fine seasenable weather continue.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS,

Sydney, Feb, 5. New Zealand wheat is quoted at 8b 6d per bushel, a decline of one penny ; New Zealand oats are also one penny lower, 2s 4d ; maize, 3s 4d per 561 bu. Adelaide, Feb. 5.

Shipping wheat is steady at 4s 2d, and town flour is quoted at £8 Is per too.

ENGLISH MARKETS.

London, Feb. 4.

At to-day’s wool sales 11,700 bales were catalogued. The tone of the market was quiet, but steady, 15,000 bales have been withdrawn since the commencement of the series. Hides are in but limited demand at id to 4d lower, 4 Feb 6.

Adelaide wheat ex store is worth 36s | Adelaide flour, 24s 6d { and New

Zealand wheat ex store 25s to 345, acconiing to grade. i’lie t- ! al quantity of wheat afloat for the Uiiiu'.! Kingdom is 1,620,000 quarters. Leather, Is per lb.

At Saturday’s wool auction 10,690 bales were catalogued. The tone of the market was dull and drooping. To-day 11,590 bales were submitted. The tone was weak.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have received the following cablegram, dated London, Feb. sth, 1886

Tallow— The market is becoming gradually lower. Both beef and mutton tallow, of New Zealand welts, have declined on average about 9d per cwt. since last report.

The agricultural group of the French Chamber of Deputies hare resolved to oppose the importation of American salt meats “ in the interest alike of sanitation and French husbandry.” The necessity of maintaining, as at present, eighteen palaces, when Queen Victoria resides in but one, and that for only three mouths in the year, is likely to occupy the attention of the new Parliament.

Ebmedi fob Habd Timm —Stop spending so much on fine clothes, rich food, and style. Buy good food, cheaper and'better clothing, and stop the habit of using expensive or quack doctors, or humbug medicine that doss you only harm, but pat your trust in the greatest of all simple, pure remedies, American Cj.’b Hop Bitters, that cure always at a trifling cost, and you will see better times and good health. Bead Advt. A Dunedin paper states that a wellknown firm of Otago runholders, who are in tbe habit of sending to one sale about 500 sheep per week are likely to be serious sufferers by the lengthy drought. They have laid down 3000 acres of turnips for winter feed, but owing to the nmml dryness of the season, the seed has shows no signs of germination.

Hollowav's Pul*.— The Great Need.— The blood is the life, and on ite purity depends our health, if not our existence. These Fills thoroughly oltans this vital fluid from all contaminations, and by that power strengthen and invigorate the whole system, healthily stimulate sluggish orgaas, repress over-excited action, and establish order of circulation and secretion throughout every part of the body. The balsamic nature of Holloway’s Pills commends them to tbe favor of debilitated and nervous constitutions which they soon reousitate. They dislodge all obstructions, both in tbe bowels and elsewhere, and are on that account much sought after for promoting regularity of action in young females and persons who are naturally weak, or from some cause have become so,— [Advt,]

The mortal remains of the faithful Esther and her kinsman Mordecai rest in a little shrine at Hamad an, Persia. They are each covered by a wooden ark, on which are small pieces of paper, like labels, covered with Hebrew characters. They are placed there by the Hebrew pilgrims. All are under a dome some fifty feet high. The building is of red bricks, the wall* much patched by mud ; the blue dome is of tiles. These tombs are held sacred by the Hebrews in Persia.