COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1710, 13 March 1888, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS’ REPORT. TIMARU. Mr E. R, Guinnes (for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending Saturday, March 10 b, as follows : Cattle—Fat are plentiful throughout the country and no alterations on late quotations, which are extremely low at present. At the Washdyke small numbers have been yarded for the simple reason that our local butchers seldom buy under the hammer, preferring to get their supplies privately. Sheep—There is a plentiful supply just now of fat sheep, and few sales have been effected at the Washdyke yards. In store sheep there has been a better demand at these yards, business generally showing more spirit. The local boiling-down establishments are now in full swing. Private Sales —Since our last report we have sold over 3350 sheep of various sorts. Sheepskins—Privately we have disposed of a fair number of factory ekins at the undermentioned prices:— Best crossbreds, 2s 3d to 2s 6d; second quality, Is to Is 2d; lambskins, 2s 4d. At our next sale by auction we will offer a large catalogue of country and butchers’ lots. Hides—The market remains active. We have quitted a large number at late quotations, viz., 60lb and over, 4d; 50 to 601 b, 3f d; light and inferior, to 3d; cut and slippy, 2d per lb. CHRISTCHURCH CORN EXCHANGE, The Corn Exchange reports for the week ending Friday evening, the 9ih inst. : With a portion of the grain statistics published we are able to judge so as to form some idea as to the total quantities available. Wheat shows a large increase, being estimated at over a million and quarter bushels above last year’s returns for the three northern counties. Oats show a slight decrease, but w« may confidently expect that the southern counties will more than counterbalance this small deficit. Barley shows a small surplus and ryegrass has but little over half the quantity that was sowed last year. We do not think the publication has altered the values of the various cereals in the least. We expect a slightly easier tone in barley. Charters continue scarce, and rates are high. This greatly retards business in shipping. The bulk of grain threshed is going into store chiefly on growers’ account. The quality of grain (especially wheat) compares very favorably with that of past years. Wheat—Prime tuscan receives the best attention from buyers in anticipation of shipping to London. Pearl also is in good demand among millers. We quote them both at 2s 8d to 2s 9d, and hunters white from 2s 6d to 2s 7d; broken wheat (of which there is more offering than usual) is in firm demand at 2s 2d to 2s 3d. Oats—There is a fair business passing in this cereal. Prices named last week are fully maintained, viz., Is 6d to Is 7d for short feed, and Is 8d for prime milling. Barley—Several transactions have been concluded at a level of last week’s quotations. Prime malting still commands aitention at 4s 3d to 4s 4d; second quality, however, is not so brisk at from 3s 6d to 4s, and sellers have to make concessions in order to effect sales.

Ryegrass—Business is very slow in the absence o£ outside orders, and in spite of the decrease in this year’s crops prices ara not better. We quote 2s 3d to 2s 4d for farmers parcels, and 2s 10d to 3s for machinedressed. Cocksfoot is weaker. Prime heavy seed has been sold at 3£d and 3id; inferior ranges from to 3d, Dairy Produce—No change for the better can be recorded. Butter remains at to 6d, and cheese to 3£d, according to size and quality. The above prices are those paid to farmers and delivered f.o.b, Lyttelton, sacks extra.

DUNEDIN PRODUCE MARKETS. The following is the report for the week ending Wednesday ; Wheat —Samples of new crop are now offering freely, and already the bulk of several well-known growers is arriving daily. Prices opened early in the past week at 3s 5d to 3s 6d for prime, but they have gradually receded, and it is difficult to place prime quality at anything over 3s 2d to 3s 3d. In old grain there is absolutely nothing doing beyond sales of small lines for feeding purposes, and then at low rates. Quotations are as follow Prime milling at 3s Id to 3s 4d for really extra; medium, 2s lid to 3s; fowls’ wheat, 2s 3d to 2s lOd.

Oats—New samples have arrived, and were admired for their color and quality. There is very little outlook beyond local millers’ and dealers’ requirements, shippers standing off till the threshing becomes more general. A few trucks have been sold at Is 7£d to Is 9d for best quality, and some lines in old feed at Is 7d to Is 9d; inferior and musty are .dull and neglected at Is 3d to Is 6d. Barley —New crop suitable for malting is saleable at 4s to 4s 4d, and scarce at that. Milling and feed are both inquired for, the market being quite bare, and sell at 2s 6d to 3s 6d.

Cape barley is not much sought after at 2s 9d to 3s. Grass Seed—Machine-dressed is inquired for, and some sales have been made at 2g 6d to 2s 9d. Undressed lines, unless specially clean and oil old pasture, are quite neglected at any price. Chaff—Prime oaten is wanted and sells at 50s to 60s. Other qualities are dull at 30s to 40s per ton. Potatoes—Derwents are arriving in moderate quantity and for well grown clean skinned North potatoes 45s to 55s per ton is paid. Inferior are without buyers. Butter —6d to 7d for fresh. Nominal price for salt is 6d per lb. Eggs—lid and Is per doz. Cheese—3|d for prime Akaroa; 4d for small loaf.

Hams and Bacon—7d and 6d for best quality. Honey—3£d to 4d for run, 4jd for prime extracted.

Sheepskins —On Monday green crossbreds sold at Is 6d to 2s 6d; dry do, la to 5s 3d; green merino, Is to Is 6d; dry do, Is Id to 4s 8d; green lambs, Is lOd to 2s 9d; skins in bales, 4d to 6jd per lb. Hides—Prices have shown, a little improvement, green hides making 12s to 24s each; dry salted, well-cleaned parcels, 3d to 4|d per lb. Tallow—Prime rendered is wanted, and firm at quotations. Medium and inferior are also in better request, and all offered has been taken up at rather over late ruling prices. Butchers’ rough fat is well competed for. Prime rendered mutton, 16s to 18s ; medium, 14s to 15s lOd; inferior, 12s to 13s per cwt. Rough fat—mutton, lls to 13s; beef, 10s to lls 6d; mixed, 8s to 10s; inferior, 6s to 7s 6d per cwt. DUNEDIN STOCK MARKETS. At the Burnside Yards on Wednesday the following business was transacted : Fat Cattle—lß3 were yarded nearly all useful and prime beef, but mostly all light weight?. Competition was slack, and prices v«ry low. Bullocks sold at £3 7e 6d to £7 12 s 6d for extra heavy ; and prime cows, £2 2s6d to £5 12s 6d. Fat Sheep—B99 merino wethers of prime quality, and 2290 crossbreds, ranging from medium to prime, were yarded. Bidding was rather quieter, and prices suffered a fall of 6d to Is below last week’s ruling prices. Crossbred wethers sold at 7s to 8s 9d ; crossbred ewes, 5s 6d to 9a 9d, for aline of very hevvy threequarterbreds ; merino wetbers, at 4s to 6s 6d for prime.—Messrs Donald ReM and Co. sold for Mr Andrew Grant 67 crossbred wetbers at 8s 6d.—Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. sold tor Mr A. Grant (Willow Bank), 39 crossbreds at 7s 9d.

Fat Lambs—There was a short supply in to-day, 392 being yarded. Prices all round advanced Is to la 6d over those ruling at last week’s sale, best fetching' 7s to 8s ; others, 5s to 6s 91—Messrs bright, Stephenson and 00. sold for Mr Andrew Grant (Willow Bank), 36 at 6s 6d. Pigs—292 yarded, nearly all suckers and stores, for which there was a brisk bidding at advanced values. Bacon pigs sold at from 39s to 50s; porkers, at from 80s to 36a ; and half-grown stores at from 17s to 32s 6d.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS.

Sydney, March 9,

Maize is dull at 3s to 3a 3d. Oats, milling sorts, 2s to 2s 2d ; other sorts are quoted at Is 9d, with an upward tendency. Bran is firm at 6Jd ; New Zealand bran is Id more. New Zealand pollard, Bd. Potatoes, 60s to 655. Butter, factory made, 10d to Is ; hand made, 8d to 9d. Cheese, loaf size, dull at 6d. Haras, Is. Bacon, 9d. Cape barley, 3s. Pens, dull at 3a 9d.

Melbourne, March 9. Wheat, 3a 4id to 3a 51. Flour depressed. New Zealand oats firmer, owing to scanty arrivals. Sutiar is lively at £22 15a and £23 for finest white sorts. Cornsacka have been sold for New Zealand at 6s 3J.

Adelaide, March 9

Wheat is firmer at 3s 31, for cargoes free on board 3s, for farmers’ lots 2s lOd to 2s lid »t oh ports. Bran, Bi. Pollard, 9h Oats, 2s 9d to 2a 10(1. Mailing barley, 6a 61 for good samples. Flour, roller made, £8 10s to £8 15?, ENGLISH MARKETS. London, March 7. The butter by the Kuikoura is realising from 60s t« 100 s per cwt, and cheese 55a to 56s per cwt. March 8. A January cargo of wheat has been sold at 34s 3d. For February shipments 3Ss 9d is asked. March 9. Tallow, mstton, 26s to 275. Beef, 24s to 255. Kauri gum is unchanged. Copper in slock, 53,000 tons, 8400 quarters of Australian wheat have been sold at 33s per quarter, March 10, The wheat market is weak without any quotable change in prices. New Zealand cargoes ar i quoted at S 3?, The arrival of flour cargoes has been very large.