Commercial.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 155, 21 January 1902, Page 2

Commercial.

. TIMARU MARKETS. The wheat market in Timaru during the past week has shown more activity than it has done for the previous few weeks, and some Bales have been made at 2s lid, f.o.b. sacks With the fillip on the wheat market, there has come an all-round firmer tendency, and Tuscan, Redchaff an*d Velvet are now firm at the price quoted. Oats are worth from 2s to 2s 2d, according to sample, but none are offering. This is for long oats, and for short Id more can be obtained, these prices being for oats on trucks, Timaru. The market for barley is at a complete standstill. Ghickwheat is still scarce, and is being eagerly enquired for. As showing itp scarcity, one or two sales of milling wheat have been made" during the past week to supply the demand for it. It is nearly equal in value to milling wheat, being worth 2s 9d, f.o.b. "This is for whole, broken being worth 2s 6d per bushel, f.o.b. HORSE SALES. The Canterbury Farmers' Co operative Association Ltd. (per Mr J. Mundell, auctioneer) report on the horse and cnfle market at Tattersall's yards at Timaru on Saturday as follows:—Our entry comprised 47 draught, light harness and hackney horses. Competition was keen, and satisfactory prices were obtained for all young draught, light harness and hackney horses. We quote values as under : Draughts,- young, with trials. £3O £33 10s, £36, £37 10s, £4l, £42 to £47 ; ditto, light and aged, £ls, £l6, £lB, £2O, £25, £2B to £29 10s ; light harness sorts. £lO, £l3, £l7. £l9 to £2l; hackneys, £6 103, £8 10s- to £9. FIGS, POULTRY AND PRODUCE. The Farmers' Exchange Company, Timaru, report holding their usual market on Saturday. There was a good attendance of buyers, and bidding was fairly brisk. There was a good entry of poultry, and prices, were as jdHows :—Hens, from Is 9d to 2s 6d ; 'roosters, up to 3b 6d per pair : ducks, 2s 9d to 3s 9d per pair ; gaose, Is 6d. nigs, 10s 6d to 12s 6d ; plums, Id per pb ; applos, Is, Is 6d to 3s per case ; egg 3, did ; ham, std; bacon, sd.

CHRISTCHURCH WOOL SALES

Christchurch, January 17. At the third series of wool sales todny a catalogue of 14,200 bales w-\s offered, and about 75 per cent. sold. English and foreign buyers attended in force, and bidding was more spirited than at the December sale. The woollen mills competed for superfine lots and merinos, as well as for fine wool. There was improved competition for light and good conditioned crossbreds. Local scourers paid full rates for locks and pieces. As compared with tlie December sale merinos jWere £d to fd higher, and good crossbreds £d tc £d higher, halfbreds were easier by £d to lid, and medium and strong wools and inferior kinds were easier by £d. Culverden merino again topped the market with 9£d ; super halfbred making up to BJd, best crossbred 6sd, while first merino pieces sold up to 7£d. CHRISTCHURCH GRAIN MARKETS. With the exception of a slight advance in wheat and an increase in the* price of flour, which has taken place in sympathy With the enhanced value of wheat locally during the last two months, there is no Btartling alteration in the grain markets to record. The looal sales of wheat have consisted of a few lines which have been in store on account of farmers, and which have been sold at prices equal to from 2s lid to 3s f.o.b. The recent increases in the price of flour do not quite equal the advance which has taken place in wheat. •» In oats, business has largely been confined to small shipments coastwise. It is understood that several farmers have commenced threshing, but up to the present nothing definite has been fixed as regards prices, and the quotations hereunder are nominal and for old oats.

So far as can be ascertained at present there are no orders in the market for oats for South Africa, but now that the Commonwealth of Australia has imposed a prohibitive duty it is certain that the only large outlet for New Zealand's surplus oats will be in South- Africa. These must bo shipped in 801 b bags, and it must be obvious that if the farmer threshes into cornsacks and the exporter has to re-bag into smaller bags, the lnss will really fall on the grower. In their own interests therefore, farmers will recognise that it is advisable that all this season's oats should be threshed into 80fb bags. The following are current prices paid to farmers,, f.0.b., Lytteltou, free of commission,

Wheat—Hunter's pearl and velvet and Tuscan, 2s lid to 3a, f.o.b.

Oats (nominal)—2s 4d to 2s 4£d. Barley (nominal)— Malting 2s 3cUo 2s 6d, Becondary Is 8d to Is lOd, at country stations. Flour (millers' quotations)—Roller £7 103.

Sharps—Jß4 ss. Pollard—£4 5s per ton. Bran— £8 10a. Oatmeal—JEl3, fob. * Hay— £2 10s to £2 15s, delivered. Grass seed—Ryegrass, prime heavy town dressed 3s tojjs 6d, cocksfoot 2Jd to 2fd, town -machine-dressed 161 b to 17ib old seed 3£d to B£d, f.0.b., cowgrass 6d to 6fd, extra choioe 7d, white clover 6d to Bd, delivered. Dairy Produce—Cheese, factory 4d to 4£d, dairy 4d ; butter, factory, local lid, North Island lOd, dairy 8d to 9d, salt (in boxes) 8d : bacon, hams s£d to 6Jd, factory bacon and haiua _£d higher, f.o.b.—Press.