COMMERCIAL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 461, 4 February 1869, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Hokxtika.—The Evening Star gives the following report of last week's business : Business lias not been very active, but a better tone seems to pervade, and one or two articles have improved in value. Flour, however, is not one of those so favored ; the s-ime old figure—Cl S—previously quoted remaining still the selling price for Hart's Adelaide. Provincial is selling at nearly the ■jam' price from Duncdin mills, but Nelson and Canterbury cannot be quoted at more than £ls. In liorsefeed, notwithstanding the bareness )f the market in outs, a higher price than 4s 4d could not bo obtained to-day for those to hand by tlie Murray. Bran is worth about 23 3d, and chaff is still unquotable, there being none in the market. Potatoes arc "jgHin improving in value, and may bo quoted at full J; 10 for good samples. Butter is worth Is 3d to Is 4d, but will be worth more, we expect, as soon as stocks are decreased, and the effect of the want of additions to stocks 'begin to be felt. There is no change whatever in other articles. "Adelaide. —An Adelaide paper gives the following calculation with regard to the probable amount of wheat for export this sea • son r Taking the population of the colony at .170,000, and allowing six bushels per head, the annual consumption will be 3,020,000 bushels, or 22,66G§ tons of breadstuff?. We cannot say how many acres were sown last year, but wc believe about the same acreage was under wheat a? in the preceding year—say 550,000 acres. If the yield should average 12 bushels per acre, allowing for our own consumption and for seed for the next harvest, we,shall have about 120,000 tons for export.