COMMERCIAL. Waikato Times Office, Wednesday Evening. MELBOURNE MARKETS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1376, 28 April 1881, Page 2

COMMERCIAL. Waikato Times Office, Wednesday Evening. MELBOURNE MARKETS.

Mfssrs Gor usnuoumi report under date, Melbourne, April gth, .is follows :—: — Wool. — The quantity coming forward during the month has been limited, and confined chiefly to oddments ot clips and small lots of country scoured in ordin.iry to average condition. The demand throughout has been active, notably from the local manufacturers, and about 550 bales of all descriptions have been quitted by auction and private contract, at fully late quotations. \Ve le.irn by cablegram that the FebruaryM.irch sales 111 London closed on the 25th ult., and that 226,000 bales had been sold, and about 30,000 bales bought in and held over for next sales, in addition to which 28,000 bales were forwarded direct from ship to manufacturers. Our own ad\ ices are to the effect that the decline all round, .is compared with the rates ruling at the close of the previous November scries, is fully 7J per ccut.— th it is to s.iy it varies from 5 per cent, to 12A per <cnt. ; some of the good styles of sound, faultless Merino greasy, and fine Crossbred coming under the quotation of 5 per cent, to yk per cent., while the faulty and burry lots of medium and lower quality show a decline of 7^ to !2t. All those styles for which Yorkshire and Germany come into competition with France, sold best, but those wools which depend chiefly upon French topmakers were more difficult of sale. Reports from different pastoral districts continue favorable, hea\y rajns have fallen over most parts of the colonies, which will have the desired effect of filling the dams and tanks in the back country, and causing .1 fresh spring in the grass. Ihe prospects, therefore, of the coming dip are, so far as can be seen at present, on the whole, gratifiymg. Exchange on London continues at \ per cent, discount for draft' at sixty dajs' sight, and i per cent, extra for each month additional. Freights to London per sailing vessels are ruling at |d. per lb. for greasy, andjd. per lb. for washed ; and per steamers, via hue/. Canal, Jd per lb. for greasy, and \A. per lb. for washed. Pricks Current. — Greasy — Inferior, 6d to 8d ; ordinary to average, 8d to iod; good to superior, nd to is 2d. Fleece, washed — Infeiion, lid to is id; ordinary to average is2dtoissd; average to good, is 5d to is 8d ; superior, is gd to 2s. Scoured— lnferior, is to is 2d; ordin.iry, is 4d to is 6d : middling to good, is 6d to is gd ; superior, is gd to 2s. Sheepskins.— Current values arc :— Butchers' Green bkins, superior, 3s to 3s iod each'; do. do., average to superior, 2s to 3s each ; do. dry do., average to superior, is 6d to 2s iod each; dry skins, in bales and bundles, average to superior, 5d to 7d per lb. j ordinary to average, 3d to 5d per lb. ... Hides.— Since the date of our last circular a brisk demand at advanced rates has prevailed, and the tone of the market has been firm throughout.. New Zealand, heavy weights, in good condition, 4^d to sid per lb.; average, 4^d to 4id per lb. Tallow.— We report a depressed market generally, and find difficulty in giving accurate quotations, the following, however, arc current at present :— Best mutton, f.0.b., from £27 10s to £z8 per ton ; do. beet, f.0.b., from £25 10s to £26 per ton; mutton, ex store, £25 to £27 per ton ; beef, do., from £2+ to £2$ »os per ton ; mixed, from £22 to £26 per ton: inferior, £17 to £zz per ton. The rate of freight to London is 65s per ton. „ Wheat.— Since our last monthly xeport prices have been steadily improving, and our sales on Wednesday last, 4s sd was obtained for 25,000 bushels of good average shipping wheat. The fine rains which have lately fallen throughout the colony has been most favorable for the farmers, who have now turned their attention to ploughing, the roads being too heavy for carting, arrivals are therefore baro'.y equal to local requirements. We quote :— Prime 3hipping parcels, 43 sd ; prime milling, 4s 4d to 4s M; medium to good, 4s to 4s 3d; inferior to medium, 3s od to 3s nd per bushel. , , „ , Flour.— This market has improved, and all good country brands are saleable at from £9 to £9 ss 6d, and town-milled £9 10s sterling per ton. Oats.— Parcels have gradually improved, and since our last monthly grain report we note an advance o 3d per bushel and now qnote :— Prime seed, 3s 3d ;o 4s; prime milling, 3s 3d ; prime feed. 2s gd to zs iod ; medium to good, zs od to as 8d ; inferior to medium, 2s 3d to 2S sd per bushel. Beans. — During the month we nave sold several parcels at from 4s to 4s ?d per bushel. Pea* arc selling at from 2s 8d to 2s iod per Bran realised at our last *ale, held on 6th inst., Barley.— The demand for alt classes of barley is limited, and active business cannot be expected until the local maltstets resume operations. The only inquiry at present is for superior malting parcels, which appoar to be scarce. Inferior jtorts at* difficult tp quit. We quote :— Prime teed. 4* to 6« 1 prime maltin 3*6 d; medium to good, « iii<» jssd; inferior to medium, *t 4d to 2s iod ; C»p« 3W4 Oregon, from 2s 3d to 2 7a 1 > per bushel.