COMMERCIAL

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2565, 18 December 1888, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

The Waikato Timss Office, Monday. AUCKLAND PRODUCE MARKETS. Mil Alkx. Aitkkn's Market Report for the week ending loth December: A very largo business has been done during the week. Two sales liaye been held, both well attended, with spirited competition. Both farm and dairy produce and fruit of all seasonable kinds have been in very heavy supply—♦.he demand has been quite equal, but at slightly declined values in some lines. Potatoes: The market was rather overstocked for Friday, but, considering the very heavy supply, prices obtained were satisfactory. Onions are a glut, prices low. Vegetables sold well. Grain : Maize has declined, wheat and oats remain firm, chalf and hay have somewhat declined. Butter : Both fresh and corned in heavy supply, frosli has declined, corned unaltered at present; a butter sale was held on Tuesday, when some 73 kegs weie Hold at late values, but a slight fall might now be looked for, and if so, the fall will only bo a temporary one. Eggs were in heavy supply, slight decline in price. Bacon and hams: Nothing but inferior rubbish on hand ; good much wanted. Cheese in large supply, none unsold; this line is in particularly good demand, and is picked up as soon as received. I have one order on hand now for several tons at a high figure; makers will do well to consign as much as possible. Fruit were in large supply, and prices were very satisfactory. Poultry: The supply was very large, and although 50 extra coops have been erected there was barely sufficient accommodation. 'It is my intention to erect another 50 coops, in order to make ample room for all. Upwards of 2000 head were entered on Friday. This sale must be acknowledged to be the largest poultry sale yet held in Auckland. It took two hours to sell the poultry alone. Pigs further increased in numbers. Turkeys sold very high. Friday's sale was a lengthy one, with a good attendance, until 6 p.m. The following are the week's prices : Fowls, poor, Js to Is Id ; good ordinary fowls, Is 3d to is 7d ; rooßters, Is 5d to 2-i 9d ; fancy kind, Is Ud to 3s 3d ; ducks, Is 2d to 2s Id ; young, lOd to Is 2d ; geese, 3s 4d to os 3:1; turkeys, poor, 3s 9d to 4s ; heavy, 5s Gd to 7s 9d each ; pea fowls, 4s Id each ; canaries, 2s 6d to 4s ; chicks. 3d to lOd ; pigs, small poor breeds, 5s Gd to 7s ; good breeds, 10s to IBs 3d each ; potatoes, round kinds, £5 10s to £8 ; kidney, £0 to S 10s; onions, to ljd ; peas, 8d to Is peck ; chaff, best oaten, £3 ; Danish oats, 3s Gd, inferior, 2s 6d ; wheat, 4s Od ; maize, 4s Gd ; bran, 7s ; Bharps, (is 3d ; butter, fresh, Gd to 8d ; corned prime, 9d to 9.1 d ; medium, 8d to BAd ; poor, 7d to 7M ; inferior, 3d to sd; eggs, BJd to lOd ; lard, 5<W ; bacon, inferior, 3d to ssd ; good, 7^l; "prime ham, Od to 9jd ; gooseberries, small kinds, 2d to 2Jd ; largo kinds, 2Jd to 3d ; plums, 2d to Id ; cherries, la 2d per lb.; apricots, 8d ; lemons, Is 4d ; cocoanuts, 7s 9d; cheese, ordinary sizes, good, sil; frmall, prime, s,jd to Gd; poor, ■ljd ; inferior, 4d ; pork, 3d ; rhubarb, 2s to 3s; cabbage, Is to Is Gd; parsnips, Is; carrots, Is. Grocories, at Tuesday's salo sold at good values in order to meet the large quantities coming to hand. Two regular sales will be held weekly.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency's report under date, Brisbane, Ist December. —Up to the 28th of last month the spell of dry hot weather continued here absolutely unbroken. All descriptions of locally grown fodder have been exceedingly scarce and high in prico. Our market has had to rely almost entirely on imported produce recentlv, all lines of which have also touched very high values during the past month. Oats, oaten hay, and chaff have been almost out of supply. The season has been altogether most disappointing, and the severe effects of tho drought cannot fail to prove disastrous to agricultural and (in some instances) to squattini? interests. —Potatoes (duty, 15s per ton): Old are almost unsaleable, £7 to £8 being asked. New are in better demand at £0 to £9 10s. —Butter, (duty, -Id per lb): Prime dairy imported is now soiling at Is 4d to Is sd, and separator, Is (Jd to Is 'Jd. —Cheese (duty, 3 per lb): For trade lines of prime large to medium, we quote lOd to 10W. The market is at present quite bare of loaf sizes, and prices may be (nominally) quoted at lid to Hid for prime factory made.— Maize (duty, 8d per bushel): Local stocks are coming in more freely, and the price has receded Id this week. Present value may be quoted at 5s fid to 5s Sd. —Oats (duty, Sd per bushel) : The market is at present quite bare, and wo think prime, samples would be saleable at up to ss, and lower grades would doubtless sell at proportionally good prices.—Wheat (free): The high prices now ruling in New Zealand and tho southern markets are prohibitory of business being done in this cereal in the meantime.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, Melbourne, 28th November : —Tho latest accounts of our wheat crop are more promising, and though the patch muss of the yields is still a marked feature, on the whole there is every probability of our having a fair export surplus. On the other hand oats and barley cannot stand the dry weather liko the wheat plant, and hence unless a change occurs in the late districts, the yields will be extremely small. The New Zealand outlook, however, is very satisfactory, and Australia will doubtless in the coming year augment the supplies usually received from the sister colony by importations from California of both oats and barley, whilst we may look fur some cargoes of maize from Nitil. Under these conditions, though prices are likely t™ rale high, no aclral sc.u'uity is probable. The advance in feud grains has caused a further rise in both chiilf and hay, tlm latter crop being very light all over the colony.— Wheat: Now wheat his been sold at Wunghnu at 4s 7d, or equal to 5s in Melbourne. Old has eased a little. To-day we sold a fair milling lino at /is Id. Market closes weaker—Flour: Demand good and prices retained. We quote Stone at £11 5s to £12, and Roller at £13 to £14, according to brand and terms.—Oats : Notwithstanding the arrival of extra steamers from New Zealand with 10,312 bags, prices advanced during the week, but demand hardly so brisk to-day. We sold Calcuttas at 3s BAd, and quote stout New Zealand at 4s lOd" to 4s lid.—l'eas: Sales have been made to 4s (id, but close easier.—Maize : Supply somowhftt largo, 4s 7d to 4s 8d offered.