COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1675, 20 December 1887, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS’ REPORT, TIMARU. Messrs Grade, Maclean and Adam report for tbe fortnight ending Saturday as follows : Horses—Sales are completely at a standstill, and not much prospect of improvement till harvest, On the 10th met. we entered over 30 head, and about the same number to-day. The quality in both cases, with one or two exceptions, was inferior, and only a small amount of business was done. We have several inquiries for good young draughts, and have sold privately at up to £24, Cattle—At Pleasant Point, Makikihi. and Washdyke sales there have been average entries of fat cattle, but transactions have not been numerous, and best quality cannot be quoted at over 18s per 1001 b, at which we have sold 33 head. There has been good inquiry fer store steers and heifers from 2 to 3 years old. We have disposed of 157 head at for calves 17s to 2ls ; yearlings, 26s to 375; two-year-old steers and heifers, at £2 3s fid to £2 15s; three-year-olds, at np to £5 2s fid ; dry cows, from 20s to 52s fid. Milkers and calvers are not in request. Our sales are up to £5 12s fid. Sheep—At Pleasant Point sale, on the sth inst,, there was a large entry of fat and stores, and every line on the ground changed hands at satisfactory prices. There is at present a demand for young store sheep, and any lets coming to hand would command good values. We sold at Pleasant Point 150 fat ewes and wethers at 8s 5d ; 31 do, 8s fid ; 50 fat ewes, 7s fid ; 32 at 7s 3d ; 18 hoggets, 6s 3d ; 120 ewes at 4s to 4s fid. At Washdyke on the Btb, tbe entry ot fat and stores was small, and still smaller on tbe 15tb. We disposed of for various owners, 120 fat ewes and wethers at 8s 3d ; 53 ewes at 7s fid ; 63 ewes at 5s Id ; 37 ewes, 7s fid ; 26 ewes at 7i 3d ; 10 lambs at 6s; and privately 348 store ewes and wethers at a satisfactory price.

pigs—At auction we sold 18 at from 11s to 17s for slips; sows, 20s to 25s ; porkers, 24s ; and privately we have placed 150 mixed stores. Skins—Oar catalogue this week was composed almost entirely of dry skins, which wo sold at from to per lb, and lambskins 10d to Is each, Land At our rooms to-day, we offered several town and suburban sections, but our only transaction was the sale of 10 acres about a mile from Fairlie Creek at £4 per acre.

Mr E. R, Guinnes (for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited), reports ; Wool —Our annual opening sale of the season was held on Tuesday, 13th inst. There was a very Urge attendance of buyers and owners present. Prices ruled rather belter than was anticipated, which was an agreeable surprise to the sellers. Biddings were spirited and prices obtained were as follow Best greasy half-bred, B|d to 9£d ; do crossbred, 7|d to 8^1; three-quarter-bred and seven-eighth-bred, 7£d to 8d ; merino, 7|d to B£d ; best pieces, 6£d to 6d ; locks, 2d to 2-^d. CHRISTCHURCH COEN EXCHANGE' The Corn Exchange reports for the week ending Friday evening, the 16lb inst. : The improvement in the grain and produce market is so slight as to be barely perceptible, values remaining much the same as last week, and inquiry purely local and limited. Home freights still militate against any important shipments being made. Repor s from country districts on the whole are favorable, in general, crops only requiring a continuation of the present warm weather to bring cereals to that perfection so much desired by our farmers. Quotations as follow : 'W'heat —Tuscan and pearl, 3s 3d to 3s 4d ; hunters, 3s 2d to 3s 3d ; second quality milling, 3s to 3a Id ; whole fowl feed, 2s lOd ; broken, 2s 7d to 2s Bd.

Oats Prime milling scarce at Is lOd ; short feed, Is B|d to Is 9d ; danisb, Is 8d and inferior sorts, Is 6d to Is 7d. Barley—Market bare. Beans and Peas—Very few inquiries at former rates.

Grass beed Machine dressed rye, 3s to 3s 3d ; farmers’ parcels, Is 9d to 2s 3d ; cocksfoot, 4d to 4£d for good heavy seed. Potatoes—Nominally 20s at country stations. Dairy Produce Slight inquiry no improvement in values. The above prices are those paid to farmers and delivered f.o.b, Lyttelton, sacks extra. AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. Mblbourkb, Dec. 16. At the usual weekly wool sale held by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, yesterday, 4500 bales were offered, of which 3750 bales were disposed of. Competition was very animated, and the rise in prices reported last week was well maintained in all descriptions, except lambs’ wool, which was dull of sale, ' Greasy merino realised 10£d per lb ; come buck, llsd ; crossbred, 9|d; lambs’ wool, 16|'l ; and washed fleece, 17£d. Sydstet, Dec. 16. New Zealand wheat shows an improvement of 3d per bushel eince last report, quotations to-day being 3s to 3s 3d per bushel. New Zealand oats

an; somewhat easier, inferior samples showing a decline of Id, prices rule Is 10d to 2s 2d per bushel, but the market is dull. Maize is Id to 2d per 561 b lower than last week, 1 8s 9d to 3s lid. The Sugar Company’s No. 1 is quoted £25 10s per ton. Adelaide, Dec. 16. At Adelaide old wheat firmly maintains last week’s quotations of 3s fid to 3e 7d per bushel. New wheat is fetching 3s 2d per bushel. Town flour is quoted at £9 5s per ton, and country brands at £8 5s to £8 10s, ENGLISH MARKETS. Lokdon. Deo. 15. Hides are in limited demand ; prices rule an eigth of a penny per pound lower than last auction, Dec, 16. New Zealand 4 per cent inscribed stock is at 97£. Adelaide wheat, ex store, is unchanged at 34s fid. New Zealand whea*t is 32s to 33s fid according to quality. Adelaide flour is quoted at 245. Tbe total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,600,000qr5, and for the Continent Uo,oooqrs. Australian tallow, average quality, beef 245, mutton 24s fid. Leather has decliaed a |rd and is now quoted at per lb.