COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, 2 March 1877, Page 12

COMMERCIAL.

Ms. Hsnby Deiveb (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports for the week ending February 28, as follow! :—: —

Fat Cattle. — A moderate Bupply of 150 head was yarded at the market to-day, chiefly of good to prime quality. The whole met ready sale at fully up to last week's rates. Best pens of bullocks brought £9 10a to .£l2 17s 6d ; do cows, £6 15s to .£lo— or equal to VlB 6d per lOOIbB. for prime quality. Pat Calves. — Only a few penned, which sold at from 20s to SSe each. Fat Sheep. — 2000 were penned, and all changed hands at late <juotations-ysay, for best crossbreds, 9s to lla. One lot of medium quality merinos brought 6s. We quote prime mutton at 2d to 2£d pet lb. - Fat Lambs. — The market was much over-supplied with 500, and in consequence prices receded about Is each. We quote best lambs at 6s 6d to 7s 6d ; medium, 4s to 5s 6d.

Store Cattle. — Very few transactions have taken place, although there is still a demand for quiet, well-conditioned cows and bullocks.

Store Sheep. — There is a good demand for young merino ewes and wethers, and likewise for cross-breds, but buyers are unwilling to give the prices required for the latter description. During the week wo have sold €000 at the following rates : — Merino wethers, two, four, and six-tooth, 5s to 5s 6d ; ditto full-mouthed, 3s to 4s ; merino eves, two, four, and six-tooth, 6s to 7s ; ditto full-mouthed, 2s 6d to 3# 6<i ; cross-breda, four-tooth and over, 7s to 8s ; ditto two-tooth, 6* to 7s.

Wool.— Since our last week's report the cable has brought advices of the opening of the London February eales at a decline of Id per lb on greaey and 2d on washed, bringing values on a par with April eales of lost year. Since the opening day the market has assumed a firmer tone, and possibly the opening decline may be recovered before ihe sales close. The news of receding values will be only slightly felt in this market, a verj small quantity of wool being left over unsold. At a sale of remnant parcels on Monday last prices were firmly held, considering the unsaleable descriptions which mostly comprised that catalogue. Any good lots brought up to within a fraction of late rates. We hold our next sale on Thursday, for which we are in receipt, and advised, of some superior lots to offer. Sheepskins. — The sales on Monday were dull, and late rates barely maintained. The supply consisted chiefly of bare pelts and shearlings or woolled pelts ; the former brought 3d to Is each, the latter la 5d to Is 9d.

Hides — Only a small inferior supply came to hand, one lot only being fair-conditioned medium quality, which sold at 15s, or barely 3^d ; inferior heavy weights, 12s 6d to 13s 6d each. In the absence of sailing freights market is dull. Tallow. — Market is not so brisk for inferior parcels, prices are slightly e»sier fair medium quality sold at J827 to .£2B 10s Grain. — Wheat, good sound milling qualities are in active demand, 5s 3d to 5s 6d, but scarce. Some fine samples of Southern growth are on offer. The Southern corps of this Province being later in harvesting have not suffered to the Bame extent the earlier districts have, where it is found but little really sound ■^•n'n has teen gathered. Secondary samples are saleable for present delivery at 4s to ss, according to quality. Oats, old feed, aic much wanted; farmers too busy to deliver ; prices are advancing. We sold by auction, to-day, about 4000 bushels inferior feed, 2s 5d to 2s 6d ; good feed at 2s 7d per bushel ; milling are held for 2s 9d to 3s. Barley: Malting samples are inquired for, we sold 500 bags, Riverton grown, at equal to 4s Gel per bushel here, and have farther offers pending. Me. Skenb reports for the week ending February 28, 1877 : The month of February, just closed, has been very irregular and broken, both for employees and employers. Harvest operations have been much hindered by floods in the principal grain districts. Work has ljeen plentiful enough all along ; but men could not get at it, so as to make the usual sum to put past for a dull season. Now at the close of the month everything is much improved, and every man, at all suited for out-door labor, can go to work full ewing. Town trade moves along quietly ; rather good carpenters are well employed. The iion trade seems to drag very much. Couples are more asked for ; only odd shepherds are needed at this season. Female servants, in all departments, are in brisk demand Too many city bred people, clerks, shopmen, &c, about. Wages — Coupleß, £G5 to ,£80; ploughmen, .£52, .£55, and .£6O; day labor, 7a, 8&, and 9s ; cooks, barmen, stewards, grooms, gardeners, <tc, t'ss to 50s per week ; house girls, private families, 10s to 15s ; hotel girls, 12s, 15s, and up to 30 ; boys acd girls, 6s, Bs, and 10s ; dairy hands, 15s and 20s. Mr. A. Mekceb reports as follows for the week ending Febriwry 28, 1877. retail prices only :— Fresh butter, in J- and lib prints, Is 2d to Is 4d ; fresh butter, in lumps, Is; powdered and salt butter, Is 2d ; freehbutter is again plentiful, and the shops have again resumed saltirg down ; but it will be good stock; salt butter, in kegs, has been celling well at lOfcd to lid per lb. Cheese, is very plentiful, and Provincial cheese, pood quality. Is ; English cheese, Is 4d ; eid* and rolled bocon, lOd to lid; Colonial hams, Is 2d ; English hai^a. Is 6d • fggs are very scarce, aud n great difficu'ty in supplying orders at 2a 6d per dor en. Mb. M. C. Fleming reports (wholesale price?) for the week ending February 28, 1877, us follows: — Oats (feed), per bushel 5a 4d ; milling, 2s 6d. Wheat (chicks) 4s to 4s 6d. Bailey, malt irq, 4s to 4i 6d ; feed, 2a 6d to 3s. Pollard, scarce. Bran, £5, bags imluded. Flour, large bags, £15; small, £15 10. Oatmeal, £11. Potato* s, new, 5s per cwt. Hay (new), £8 10s ; old hay, £4, per ton. Chaff, £4 103 per ton. Straw, ±2 per ton. Ms. J. Vezet reports for the week ending February 28, 1877 : — Retail : Roast beef, 6d to 8d per lb. ; boiling do., 4d to s<i per lb ; atewing do., 4d to 6d per lb.; steak, Cd to 9d per lb.; mutton, 3d to Cd

per lb.; Teal, 4d to 8d per lb.; pork, 9d to 104 per lb.; lamb, 2s 6d to 3s 6d per quarter.