COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2033, 15 April 1890, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS’ REPORTS. TIMARU. William Collins and Co,, auctioneers and produce merchants, report a good attendance of buyers and sellers at their first corn exchange held on Saturday, The entries of all classes of grain were large, showing that farmers intend to encourage the exchange during the season. For a line of red lamas wheat 2s 7d was refused ; red chaff and tuscan shared the same fate by being passed in. CG 204 sacks damsh, Is 2£d bushel, were sold, and the following lines of seconds wheat were also quitted : —Y Is lid, AG 6s 6d sack (smutty), AG 5s 3d sack (smutty), Miller, Pareora, Is 5d to Is 6d. A grand sample of tartar oats was passed at Is sd, ex store. Mr E. R, Guinness (for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending April 12ih : Cattle—At various sales the entries of both fat and stores have been small, and the demand very poor, consequently no improvement in prices can be quoted. Sheep—During the last few weeks there has been an inquiry for all classes, and a considerable number changed hands. Prime sheep, fit for export, crossbreds in good condition, hoggets, and half and three-quarter-bred ewes for breeding have been selling readily. At Washdyke yards on 27th ult., we yarded 2450, and sold 1764. On the 3rd inat. only a small entry. We sold 119 crossbred ewes at 9s, 72 do at 6a 6d, and a few 2-tooth halfbreds at 10a Id. On the 10th inst. we yarded 2511, and sold 1221. The demand was slack, and prices were in favor of buyers. A t Geralddine Yards on March 19th (in conjunction with Mr A. E. Cox), we yarded 1100, and sold 722, all at good figures. At Winchester Fair on Bth inst., there was a large muster of the public and a very heavy entry. We yarded 2225 on account of the following clients :—Messrs F. Oldfield, J. A. Young, McCully Bros., G. McMillan, Newlauds Estate, A, L. Barker, EL Oldfield, J. Grant, J. P. Parkes, J. Collie, and J. Patton, and sold 1215 sheep of various sorts, 17 pigs and a few cattle, the sale being the most satisfactory one held at this fixture for a considerable time. At Pleasant Point on the 31st ult., there was an unusually large yarding, and prices good, the bulk of the stock forward changing hands. Wool and Sheepskins—Wool : On Wednesday we held our last sale of the season, and catalogued between 70 and 80 bales and 25 bags, selling the whole with the exception of a few lots. Combing merino brought 7d, 7fd, to Bd, sandy do 6d to 6?rd, first pieces and bellies 6d to 7id, locks 4d to lambs’ trimmings to s?d. Sheepskins: At Wednesday’s sale there was the usual atteudance of buyers present, but biddings were not brisk, consequently prices were easier. Privately and by auction our sales amounted to 6689 skins. The following were the prices obtained Factory skins 3s 8d to 3s lOd, butchers’ best crossbreds 3s to 3s 3d, second quality 2s 8d to 2s lOd, do merinos 2s 3d to 2s 6d, boilers (merinos) Is 3d to Is 9d. Country lots according to size and condition. Hides—The supplies consist or light weights, which are difficult to quit. We have disposed of all on hand at late quotations. Fat—A steady demand continues for all descriptions, but prices have a downward tendency. Quotations—--9s 6d to 12s per ewt. ENGLISH MARKETS. London, April 11, Four hundred and fifteen thousand bales of wool have arrived, of which 85,000 have been forwarded direct to the manufacturing districts. The decline in prices at the opening sales is attributed mainly to the large scale an which the direct purchases hayo been conducted. At the wool sales to-day 8300 bales were catalogued. There was a good attendance of buyers and competition

was fair. All merinos and crossbreds show 5 per cent, decline below February rates. The prices for good crossbred remain unchanged. Both New Zealand (Sydney frozen mutton is lower. Beef is unchanged. New Zealand hemp, good medium, £2O to £2O ss. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,700,000 quarters, and for the Continent 604,000 quarters. The American visible supply is 26,848,000 bushels. Later, Kauri gum is in good demand. One thousand cases have been sold at full rates. Pour hundred live sheep from the Argentine Republic imported into Liverpool realised double the price received for River Plate frozen mutton. At the wool sales there was good competition, and prices remained steady. Best scoured showed a decline of 2d. Consols, 97i. Leather, 7d to 9^d.