COMMERCIAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2865, 5 April 1888, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Messrs Lowes and lorns' Stock and Produce Keport for March, 1888.

Our transactions for the month shewed an increase upon the previous period, March being considered the largest sale month of the year, and moreover all sales for last month were marked by firmness, especially in sheep. The scarcity of ; good breeding stock, store wetliers, and lambs, together with the copious rainfalls, providing winter feed and establishing the turnipprops,gave graziers confidence to invest in the above classes. Good ewes ruled from

Is 'to 2s higher "than last season's prices! Store wethers also sold freely and at an advance, but fat stock has. only very lately shewed any appreciable rise, and that very slight—a fact due to the very low rate of mutton ruling in the home marpW Cattle, wo regret to report, have not advanced at all, and those sold were very limited, and at prices which must result in great loss to the breeders. Mostly all young cattle sold were for the Bush settlements. Beef remains at about previous month's quotations, any sales effected being for local trade. In sheep, our sales totalled upwards of 12,000, being principally r breeding ewes, store wethers, and young sheep. Fat sheep have advanced a trifle, with a tendency to rise, wethers making 7s 6d, for heavy longwoolled breeds, to 6s 9d and 7s; for medium crossbreds from If d per lb; while fat ewes ranged from 4s 9d for medium to 5s Od for heavy, or a trifle over Id per lb, all coming forward finding ready sale. Strong crossbreds, for fattening, made 5s 6d to 6s 6d, while small stores and a halfbreds ranged as low as 4s 9d to 5s i Bd. Young ewes ruled from 4s 8d to 4s Od, good breeding ewes from 3s to 4s, ordinary .ewes 2s Gd to 3s, old culls Is 3d to Is 9d. Lambs, according to size and quality, ranged from 2s 01... to 5s 3d. Inranis.wesoldinconneW tion with our sheep sales some 200T embracing Lincoln andEomney Marsh, the former ranging from £3 for young to 10s for aged, the latter being hard to : quit and bringing from 20s to 10s. We managed to quit all cattle which • came forward during the month, although with great difficulty. Our sales totalled some 500 head of all all classes. Beef did not exceed 10s to 12s for lOOlbs; bullocks selling from £4 to M 15s; fat cows at a less rate per lOOlbs, their figures being from £3 to £8 15s; good forward 'steers made £3 to £3 10s; medium steers 50s to 55s'; good speyed cows 40s; store cows 25s to 30s; heifers 25s to 355; dairy stock, according to quality, from £3 to £4' 10s; yearlings i| ranged from 20s to 22s Gd; calves, " 15s. We trust the efforts of our principal beef producers in sending Home frozen beef will be successful, and that an increased demand for all classes of cattle will follow. In Horses,' we have few sales ta report, anything selling being of/SL good useful sort, when good payable figures were obtained. At one sale, young draughts, broken in and very staunch, made up to £2O, and a few ' young harness horses for farm and express work, reached from £l2los to £lB. Ordinary light harness horses were little enquired for, a few changing hands at from £6 to £9, while all kinds of hacks, in view of the > approaching whiter were neglected, a few selling at very low figures. In Pigs, wo have little business to report. At all sales pigs have been very poorly represented, any penned selling freely, small weaners making 6s to Bs, and medium 12s to 14s. In sheep and rabbit skins, we have ■ "t done very little business, but with the advent of colder weather, and the' season more advanced, we expect to quote sales. In grain our transactions have been-, considerably in advance of preyvMjy seasons.' Fortunately, for holders, air old stocks in this district are disposed of. In wheat, millers are offering 8s Gd for prime samples, and 3s for inferior ; our sales have been at the above rates., A few large growers are holding out for 8s 9d. In oats the market has been literally glutted, and buyers are laying off with a Yi6w to purchase cheaply. We placed several prime samples of Canadians at 2s, but could only obtain from Is 9d to Is 10s for best black sorts and Danish greys, while poor light and lean kinds are unsaleable.

Peas.—We obtained 3s 3d for these, being for crushing for coach, farm and waggon horses. Chaff is rather a drug, Wellington obtaining her supplies from Blenheim bv water carriage, the price landed at Wellington wharf being 40s[per ton, at which rate Wairarapa cannot compete. Iu grass seeds, the markets are quite paralysed owing to the quantities offering. Bye grass as yet has not reached a figure that would the cost of harvesting, owing toitsW being out of favor. The two last dry. seasons and severe winters proved most disastrous to it, the result being a verdict iu favor of cocksfoot, which seed has not reached previous season's rates by Id per lb, the best price obtainable being from 3d per lb for medium to 3|d for prime pure seed. In potatoes, the market has been understocked, the late crops being hardly out of the ground, the rates ranging from &i to £4los per ton, with a tendency to decline 20s per ton with the advent of late crops. From reports throughout the district the crops are light, in which case the prices will remain firm. Our sales have been confined to small parcels locally grown. With the disposal of surplus stocks, we feel assured that prices will harden, and we anticipate trade in all branches will be carried on upon a much sounder basis than last season.

Messrs Freeman E. Jackson and Co. reported from Johnsonville yesterday as follows :-The beef entered for sale to-day was only of medium quality, We had not a single bullocjc of prime quality, and many pens were very, plain. The bidding was dull for ;V cattle, but brisker for sheep?and pigs. Yeal calves were good and well fattened, but sold at low rates. The pig pens were full of all sorts and conditions. The following are the prices realised ;—Cattle—Bullocks from £4 10s to £5 7s (Id, the average for the different lines being £5, U 19s 2d, • £4 16s 9d, and U 12s Cd. Veal calves lis to 14s each. Sheep-No wethers came forward; ewes 7s to 8s Id. Pigs-Baconers 80s to 40s, others 23s to 275, porkers 14s to 10s, stores 8s to lis, small pigs from 2s 3d to 2s 9d. Beef made 14sto 13s 6dthe , lOOlbs, and ewe mutton one penny Jk and three-eights per lb. f