COMMERCIAL.

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 30, 17 September 1896, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Waikato Argus Office, Wednesday. McNICOL AND CO.'S STOCK SALE. At Ohanpo on Tuesday, about 250 head of well-bred cattle were yarded, and as they were of good quality and breeding, a ready sale was lonnd for them, and nearly every beast was sold at satisfactory prices to the vendors. Some 50 dairy cows were penned, and for those at their profit with good prospects £4 10s to £G was obtained. Springing heifers and more backward springers made from £3 to £4, The 130 head of cattle advertised from Waitoa were a nice lot and sold freely. Eighteenmcuths to two-year-old steers, £2 15s to £3 10s ; same age heifers, 3(js to 50s ; yearling steers, up to 45s ; mixed sexes, 35s to 40s ; strong calves, up to 30s ; fresh-conditioned heilers, £2 10s to £2 loi ; fat cows, £5 to £5 ss, were of good quality. AUCKLAND MARKETS. (Dl I'ELEQRArH. —OWN CORtIESrONDHNr). Auckland, Last Night.—At Messrs Hunter and Nolau's sale of fat stock at the Junction Yards, Epsom, yesterday, there was a moderate entry of beef cattle, and prices showed a slight improvement on the previous week. Ox beef brought l'Js to 20s and eow beef ISs to 19j per 1001 b. Steers sold from £(i to £lO ; fat cows, £3 17s Gd to £0 7s Gd ; dairy cows, in little demand at £3 10s to £5 los. The sheep market was a good v one and prices remained firm. Wethers - ranged from 12s 31 to 19s ; ewes, 12s to 153 ; lambs, 8a to 13s 9d. Small pigs, 7s to 10s, and medium-sized up to 3()s. At the horse sale the entry was about the usual number at the Durham Yards on Friday last. A good demand existed tor sound animals, ar.d prices ranged : Heavy draughts, £ls to £22 10a ; medium, £9 10s to £l(i; hacks, £2 10s to £7 15s ; one light half-bred hack, 13 guineas. WOOL. The New Zealand Loan and Mek cantile Agency Company (Lim ted) report : The fourth series of Colonial wool sales for the current year, which commenced on June 30th, closed 21st July, 1896. These sales began with a fairly good spirit, the opening prices showing but little change from the rates currant at the close of the May auctions. This satisfactory commencement—and during ; the first week the tendency was rather towards improvement than otherwise—was chiefly due to the operations of representatives of the Home Trade. Unfortunately the var'ous industrial centres did not respond to the somewhat better tone which prevailed here, and the absence of sneh response exercised rather a depressing effect on (pinners, top makers and. wool dealers—more marked it is true as regards the Continent than this country—the effect of "-111011 was to impart to prices a weaker tendency. Such Weakness was becoming more accentuated when the arrangement was arrived at to terminate the auctions five days earlier than originally fixed, an arrangement which brought to light considerable requirements still remaining to be covered, and caused quite a change of tone i l the . sale room, and a considerable rally in prices. Most of the crossbred wools brought to the hammer, were in the grease, and met from first to last with keen competition. Final prices were quite equal to those current at the end of the preceding series, any change in favour of sellers, and chiefly noticeable in the finest grade. Lambs fell off a little at first, but during the latter half of the auctions regained much of the ground lost. Slipe crossbred won's, as a rule, maintained their position, but scoureds. with few exceptions, receded to the extent of id to Id per II), compared with the closing rates of the precedinc auctions. Superior merino scoured combing, id per lb lower ; medium merino scoured combing and clothing par, Id per lb lower ; interior and faulty combing, id per lb lower : greasy crossbreds of best breeds ami quality, h\ per lb h'ghcr ; all other classes of greasy crossbred, unchanged ; shpe crossbrods, unchanged ; scoured crossbreds of all kinds (except New Zealand pieces and locks), S<\ to Id per lb lower. As is evident from the figures given above, the Home trade was much the steadiest and most extensive operators. France came next, whereas neither the spinners nor the wool-dealers from Germany showed any g-eat keenness to secure supplies. A few American representatives were in tli3 market, but their operations were quite iusignificant, to which is due the neglect suffered by superior Western Victorian merino greasies, lambs' as well as fleece wools. Since the close of the sales the London market has been without activity.