Commercial.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 319, 7 January 1874, Page 2

Commercial.

- DUNUDIN RETAIL HOUSEHOLD MARKETS. (From the "Daily Times,") The market is well supplied with butchers' meat of all kinds of the best quality, with the exception of pork, and prices remain without change. Three or four of the bakers give the best 4lb loaf for s£d cash at the counter ,• while others ask 6d, and charge for bread delivered 6£d and 7cl. One or two ask as high as Bd. A slight advance may be noticed in the retail price of fresh butter, the lowest rate for the best beingJOd. Eggs are not so plentiful, and grocers now ask 2s per dozen. The market is a little better supplied with vegetables. Old potatoes are si ill so good and cheap, that they are extensively used. 2few, principally from, Melbourne, sell at Is for lOlbs, while 71bs of Provincial grown kidneys bring Is. We have seen a fine sample of Melbourne onions, the retail price of which was 3d per lb. Caiuiflawers and white-headed cabbages come in very slowly. Five pounds of green peas bring Is. As} aragus is scarce at Is to Is 6d per bundle. Fruits of the most delicious kinds grown in the Province now make a fine display in the shop windows, and prices are becoming reasonable. Strawberries are abundant at Is per lb j eherrieSj at' Is to Is 6d ; gooseberries and currants at 4d to 6d ; apricots, from Melbourne, sell at 2s pe^ lb ; and plums at 6d to Is j apples bring 6d to 8d per lb ; and oranges 4s por dozen. Poultry are still scarce and dear* Rabbits sell at 2s 6d to 3s per pair. Owing chiefly to the holidays, deep eea fish have been very scarce during the week. Flounders have been in demand at from Is to 5s per dozen. Crayfish have been pretty plentiful at 2s to 4s per dozen. There has been a good^apply of Stewart's Island rock oysters, whicnare brogght regularly by the f,ronWthe Bluff. They are better ilagjourcd^. than the dredged oysters, which are now oufbf season,, but not so large. The price is Is- per dozen.

Messes Weight, Stbphknsost and Co, report for the week ending 3rd January, as follows :—: —

Fat Cattle.— 9o head were yarded, of wtn'eh the bulk was middling quality. Prime quality remained fircn^ but second do. receded a little. Our sales comprised 40 head on- account of Messrs Fleming and Hedley at quotations. 4BE« also, sold 30 head privately, at 30s per 3001bs. quote prime quality 24s per lOOlbs ; middling do. 18s to 20s-

Fat >heep. — 400 were penned. We sold 150 cross breds, prime quality, 135.0 d. Other sales were 350 do at Us. We also sold privately 2(10 crossbreds, at 11s each ; 700 merino wethers, at 2d to 2jt per lb : and 300 crossbreds, at 2£ per lb, which figures represent current values of prime mutton.

Pat Lambs. — 250 w.ere penned, ofgHedium to good quality. We sol<t li 2 afc from 6s 6d to 9s 6d ; and also, privately, 72 at 10s 6d. Store Cattle. — We have no transactions to report. Store sheep. — We have inquiries for crossbred and young merino sheep. We sold 2000 twes, 5 and 4-tooth, at 7s each, and 1200 crossbreds, 2-tooth" at Bs. We quote merino wethers, 4s 91 to. 5s ; do owes, 2 and 4-tooth, 6s6d to 75. ; crossbreds, 2 and 4-toojbh. 8s to 8s 6d.

Horses, — The demand for good henvy draught marea and geldings ia well maintained." We pold on account of Richard Symmons, Esq., a shipment of 40 very superior draughts, ex India, from Lannceston at from £28 to £58. At our yards on Saturday, 10th instant, we shall offer on account of Mr. William Thomj)son, a very superior shipment of draught mares and geldings, ex Claud Hamilton, from Melbourne. We quote first-class draughts at from £50 to £o0 ; •medium do, £30 to £35 ;. good hacks and light harness horses, £25 to £30 ; medium do £12 to £-16 ; light and inferior, £4 to £6 Grain.— We have little change to note since last week. Wheat continues dull of sale, and first class samples cannot be quoted over 4s 9d to os per bushel. Oats are slow of sale from 3s 9d - to 43 per bushel.