COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1703, 25 February 1888, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH CORN EXCHANGE

The Corn Exchange reports for (he week ending Friday evening, the 2i\h in«t. : The heavy wins on Sunday night and Monday retarded harvest operations, but we have not heard that any material damage has been done. The grass and turnip crops will have greatly benefited by the rain. We regret to hare to note that the English grain advices during the week hare not been so satisfactory, prices generally having a downward tendency. Freight also is very high and difficult to obtain, consequently wheat shows a slight falling and we do not expect to see much speculation in this cereal until tho vessels now being arranged for are on the spot to receive cargo. No orders are yet to hand from Australia, except for barley, but as the maleters and brewers are operating freely shippers are unable to buy at limits named by their principals.

Wheat —Old wheat meets with fair demand from local millers and lor intercolonial trade at from 2s lOd to 3s Id, f.o.b. For new wheat buyers are not anxious to deal in, knowing it to be stook thrashed, and are only offeriag 3s 8d to 2s 9d, but as soon as the vessels are here we eipeefc to tee more speculation, if mot improved values. Chicken whole wheat is selling at 2s 3d to 2s 9d for prompt delivery. Oats —There is a disposition to speculate at Is 0d to Is 7d, but farmers are holding back. Old stocks have been nearly shipped away, and the market is fairly bare. We velue short teed at Is 6d to Is 7d ; milling, Is 8d; inferior sorts are not offering. Barley A keen competition is evinced for prime malting, and last week’s rate* of 4a to 4s 3d for choice lines have been fully maintained. Second quality malting is being quitted at 3« Qd to 3s 9d j screenings for pig feed, 2s to 2s Id. Grass Seed—Tery little i« offering. Sales of small lots have bean, mad# at 2* to 2s 4d; machine-dressed at 2s lOd to 3s. Cocksfoot is being placed at to 3f d for prime heavy seed; second quality is not much sought after at to 3d. Potatoes —Kidneys are being placed in small lots at 45s at country stations, Dairy Produce is very quiet and prices are unchanged. The above prices ar# those paid to farmers and delivered f.o.b, Lyttelton, sacks extra.

CHRISTCHURCH STOCK MARKETS. At the Addington Yards on Wednesday there were moderate entries of sheep and cattle, and about an average attendance of buyers. Fat Cattle—There was a very small supply, and quality pretty good and eveu • values improved about 10s per head. Steers were at from £5 to to per head, and heifers and cows Lrom £4 7s 6d to £5, being about from 15s to 16s 6d per 1001b.—Messrs Matson and Co. sold for a South Canterbury client 3 steers at £6. Store Cattle—A line of Ihree-year-old heifers were sold at _ £2 16s per head; small lines of yearlings at from

16s to 25a; and thirty-months-old ditto'at £2 6s.

Dairy Stock —Q-ood cows sold.at from £1 to £5 10s; ordinary ditto, £2 10s to £3. Fat Sheep—A fair entry. Values showed an improvement of about 6d per head compared with last week’s market. Crossbred wethers sold at from 8s to 9s 6d; halfbreds, 7s to 7s 7d; crossbred ewes, 5s 3d to 7s; merino Wethers, 4s to 5s 8d per head. Values per lb averaged at from 1-H to Ifd per lb, according to quality,— Messrs Miles and Co. sold for Mr Andrew Grant 70 long-wool wethers at 7s lid to 8a 4d, and 66 first cross wethers at 7s lOd to Ba.

Store Sheep.—A good number yarded, principally young sheep, for which an active healthy demand was manifested, improved values ruling.— Messrs Bennett Brothers sold aged ewes at 2a 7d to 2s 8d; and mixed crossbred wethers sold at from 6s 6d to 7s, and others at from 4s to 4s Bd.

Fat Lambs—A fair number on offer. Demand pretty good. Best sorts, 5a to 6s per head; inferior to medium, 8s 6d to 4s Bd.

Pigs—The demand for all kinds was very active, values showing a great improvement. Small pigs sold at from 6s to 9s 6d each ; stores, 14s to 225; porkers, from 23s 6d to 325; and a few heavy weights up to 40s each.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS, Stdihst, Fab. 23. New Zealand bran is dull at 6d. New South Wales bran is Pollard is 7d to 7id. Oats, bright milling sorts, 2s 2|d j horse feed, Is lOd to 2s. Maize is 3s 3d, with a downward tendency, sales being hand to month. Butter, hand-made, is Bd ; factory-made, lQ,d to lid. Cheese, loaf size, 5d ; large, Sd to 4d. There is a plentiful supply of New Zealand bacon, which is selling at 9d; homecured at lid to la. Adelaide, Feb. 23, Wheat is selling at 3s for shipping parcels, 3s for farmers’ lots, and 2s lOd for out ports. Flour, roller made, is £8 10s to £8 15«. Oats are 2s 8d to 2s lOd. Barley is 5s to 5s 6d for maltiag only. Mel»oureh. Feb. 23. The grain sales were well attended. Wheat is at 3s 4£d. Teed grain is easy. Oats, stout, 2« lOd. Barley, malting, is 5s Maize is 3s Bd. Bran is dull. Sugar is selling steadily at reduced rates, ENGLISH MARKETS. Loanou, Feb. 20. Australian wheat cargoes on passage have been sold at 32s BH. Feb. 21. At the wool sales to-day 13,000 bales were offered. Extra line washed were lower, but other sorts are unchanged. New Zealand meat is at 4d per lb. Leather is lld to lljjd. Hemp is 31s to 32a. Feb- 28. The wool sales closed briskly. Prices are unchanged. Twenty-fire thousand bales have been held over for next sales. The December rates hare been generally maintained, except for short and faulty descriptions, which have declined Id to 1-Jd. The frozen meat by the Orient is selling at B|-d, and that by the Doric at 4|-fl per lb.