COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2048, 20 May 1890, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS' REPORT. TIMAKU. Messrs Gracie, Maclean and Co. report for the past fortnight, as follows: — Horses —At the Timaru Horse Bazaar, on the 10th inst,, we had a fair entry of draughts and sold most of them. To-day we entered 42, principally draughts, and sold about half that number. Young and sound horses, fit for farm work, are in good demand, and first-class weight carriers and harness horses are also enquired for. We quote medium to good draughts at from £l4 10s to £25, inferior to aged £8 to £lO. Hacks and harness horses, medium to good, £7 to £l6. At the latter price wo sold a stylish Gruy Eawkes colt, on accouut of Mr E. Simmons.

Sheep—At Pleasant Point, on the sth inst., there was a large entrv of fat and stores, and business during" the day was very active. We sold 96 fat ewes at 10s 9d to 10s lid, 3S do do at lis sd, 107 2-tooth wethers at 15s, 625 crossbred ewes at 5s 3d to 5s 7d 183 merino ewes at 3s, 364 boilers and 11 long-wooDed rams at guineas. At Winchester, on the 11th, we offered a line of merino wethers in good condition, but failed to obtain owner's value, At Washdyke yards a considerable amount of business has been done in stores at full rates. We sold 137 crossbred wethers at 14s 6d, 103 prime fat ewes at lis 4d, 141 lambs at 8s Bd, 28 ewes at 6s sd, 85 crossbred wethers at 13s 2d, 142 crossbred ewes at 7s 7d, 88 halfbred ewes at 7s, 106 do do at 7s Id. Cattle—There have been very few cattle of any description &ffering at either of the district yards lately, and no prime beef. At Pleasant Point, we sold 4 heifers at £3 10s, 1 cow at £4 10s, 8 cows at 30s to £2 10s. At Washdyke, 8 steers at £3, 1 springer at £4, 1 heifer at £2 ss, 1 cow at £4 10s, 3 do at 30s to 40s.

Pigs—Porkers and well-grown slips are in demand, and weaners are almost unsaleable. We placed 4 porkers at 20s, 20 weaners at 6s to 7s 6d, 8 porkers at 255, 6 slips at 15s. Skins —At our regular sale on Wednesday last we catalogued over 500 skins and sold best crossbreds at 2s lOd, 3s 2d, 3s 4d, 3s 6d, to 4s 2d, medium Is lOd to 2s 6d. Several small lots of wool realised full market price. Privately we placed 2000 factory skins at full rates.

Clearing Sales—On the 6th inst., we held a sale on account of Mr T.' Cronin, of Arowhenua, when every lot realised {>ood values. Draught horses sold at from £l4 to £2B 10s. On the 9th inet., in conjunction with the

N.Z.L. and M. A. Co., we submitted and sold on. account of the executors of the late Andrew Grant, the whole of. the live stock, implements, &e., on Springfield Estate. There was a large attendance of buyers, and every line was disposed of at fair prices. The English and Border Leicester flocks were a special feature of the sale,ibut the prices obtained for these were barely what the quality of the stock have- commanded. English Leicester ewes sold at from 1 to 3 guineas, do ewe hoggets from 1 to 3 guineas, Border . Leicester hoggets from 16s to 3 guineas, othec lines in proportion. Horses, cattle, and imI pletnents were keenly competed for. Land—On Saturday laßt, at our sale rooms, we offered, in conjunction with the N.Z.L. and M.A., Co., on account of the executors of the late Andrew Grant, the Springfield Estate, in lots fr©m 50 to 95 acres, but only disposed of one lot at auction and one privately. We are now in treaty for several of the remaining lots, Lillybank Station, with 13,500 sheep, belonging to the same estate, was next offered, and ultimately fell to the bid of Mr William Pringle, at £6500. Messrs William Collins and Co. report a good demand for milling wheat. If suitable bottoms could be obtained to load here for the United Kingdom we should predict au advance on present rates. Forty-eight pound oats are in good request, and all parcels offering are eagerly bought up. Other sorts are not enquired for. Prime malting barley can be placed. Potatoes are being offered freely. T'he crops in this district are yielding more than was expected. Late cables quote New Zealand potatoes at 50s per ton at Sydney, which, we think, must be an error. At the corn exchange the the entries were numerous. The auction was well attended by the trade, and all lines submitted were easily sold. JP (conjoined), broken wheat, Is 9d per bushel ; whole fowl wheat, from the top and bottom of stacks, 2s Id, 2s 3d, and 2s '4d per bushel; burnt wheat, 6s 9d per sack ; seconds oats, 4s to 4s 6d per sack, A line of danish oata brought Is to Is 3d per bushel (sacks each), on trucks in Timaru. Pigs, 8s to 10s each ; and general sundries sold well.

EN Q LIS II M ARK E I'S. London, May 15. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,675,000 quarters, and for the continent 736,000 quarters. The American visible supply is 22,753,000 bushels. Bank of New Zealand shares £9, National Bank of New Zealand £1 10s. The quotations for frozen mutton is unchanged. Beef a decline of id per lb. Best Australian tallow, mutton, 25s to 25s 6d ; beef, 24a 6d to 255. Ox hides, 3d to Sid. It is expected that few buyers will attend the nexfc ; Australian wool sales. It is stated ih-et purchasers have been severely bitten of late, their loss frequently amounting to £4 per bale. New Zealand hemp, good medium quality, £23 5s to £23 10s. May 17. The apples by the R.M.S. Tainui, from New Zealand, have arrived in inferior condition. Owing to the high rate of freight, a syndicate of fruit merchants are arranging to charter a special steamer to bring the next season's Australian fruit to England. New Zealand cheese, 4Ss to 54s : good butter, 60s to 74<s,