Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 16, 16 January 1891, Page 13

Commercial.

The New Zkaland Loan and Mkbcantile Agency Co Limited, report for the week ended January 12th ai follows •— Fat Cattle. -269 he»d were yarded at Bnrnside for this day's sa.es medium to prime quality. We quote-best bullocks, £7 to £8 r" Ie " f.f r * !J! Je *77 oo a c « hade more : medium, £5 10s to £8 10s; light, £3 12§ 6i to £6 2i 6d ; cows in proportion. ,n dt Sb « ee Sr" Beßt crOßß °red wethers, 12a 6d to 13s 6d : medium, 10s 6d to 12* 3d ; best do ewes, 11s 3d to 12* 3d, medium 8s 8d to 11s. Lambs— 79l penned. A few pens prime brought 9s 6d to 10a 6d; medium to good, 5s 6d to 8s 6d » Pi £«~~ 167 P enned - Suckers, 6s 6<l to 10s ; Hips, 12s to 15s 6d stores, 20s to 21s; porkers, 23s to 255; baconers, 27s to 29s Store Cattle.— The market for these continues dull a few occasionally change hands, but the demand 13 far from being aotive and the number offering considerably in excess of requirements The only sorts that are in any demand are grown bulloekß half to threep&rts Ist Btore Sheep.— We hive numerous enquiries for young sheep merino and crossbred of both sexes, with but few offarinz, while 00 the other band a considerable number of old sheep are for sale more especially merino of which a few sales are being effected, and several large lots are expected to change hands during tbe next few days. **v « l ~l? y t J he San FrancißCo m » 11 we have priced catalogues of the first three days of the last series of Colonial wool sales in London which fully confirms the unsatisfactory tenor of the cablegrams previously received. Our London circular which is also to hand says that although reports from the manufacturing centres have not recently been altogether of a reassuring nature the requirements of the \\ J? ? re u , Ddoubtedl 7 considerable, and while the adoption of the McKinley Tariff Bill in America and the lately increased cost of production have for tbe time being at all events exercised a depressing influence on the market, the pre*ent position of the industry may, on the whole, be regarded as a fairly satisfactory one. The second series of local sales was held at the Chamber of Commerce Hall last Thursday and Friday when tbe attendance was larue and representative, including English. Continental, and all the local buyers, al*o representatives and owners of four woollen manufactories The improvement anticipated in business had been realised though perhaps not to the extent that might be looked for by some as satisfactory. Some of thp wools offered by us make a one-tenth to Hi per In more than was offered at our previous sale. Competition was keen for light, fine, and well-grown good combing crossbred and half bred, but while a very good demand existed for heavy and ooarse lines, also merinos of all qualities, prices obtaining f)r th* former were relatively higher. We catalogued 1125 bales, none of which showed superior quality, but were all disposed of with the exception ot a c ip of 250 biles greasy merino and a tew bales of scoured and washed wo. l. Greasy crossbred and ha'f bred m .de 911 to lUd coarse and heavy 6 1 to 9 1, quartered 7^ 1 to 10R m,rino s*l to 91, longwool Gd to 8| \, pieces 4 1 to B£ii per 10. Sheepskins.— At our weekly auction sil- on Vue«day, ws had the usual attendance of the trade, anl f >r aU good lots competition was | tdirly active, last week's prices being fully maintained, especially for green pelts and lambskins, while dr> i-kios war ■ easy. W* offered a f .II catalogue, comprising a good proportion of woolly ekins the rest preen crossbred p It? and lambskins. Cmntrydry crossbred* inferior to medium, brought Is 61 to 3s 3 1 ; do do merino, Is 51 to 3s yd ; full.woolkd crossbmle, 3s 9 I to 6s 3 1 ; do do merino 3s 8d to 5s 10) ; dry pelts, 5 1 to Is 4 I ; gre-n cossbred p-lte, Is 7d lg 61 Is 5 1 Is4d, Is 31 ; do lambskins, la 7d, la 6d, Issd, U 4 I,' Is 3d,' Ribbit«king — A very good demand prevails at the auctions whenever any are offered, but the Pupp y is very much contracted, and the number now changing hinds is necessarily to a very limited extent ; only odd lots of inferior quality as a rule now come to market, but are easily placed although at low p. ices. We offdred a smiil catalogue this week, which elicited keen competition, when full prices were obtained, quality consi iered. Hides.— There is no change to record, and prices remain unaltered Medium and light weights badly saved are still difficult to place,' except at very unsatisfactory prices, whih heavy weights are in short supply and in demand. We quote, good conditioned heavy hides, 2|i to 2fd ; extra heavy, 31 ; medium, 2d to 2|l ; light, Hi to Vi • inferior and slippy, Id to l{d per Ib. * ' Tallow.-We have the following cablegram from our London oftce dated 9 h inst. : " Market firmer, fine muttoD worth 27s 6 I ; good beef, 25s 9 i per cwr." Th- stock in the local market, except that held by manufacturers, is exceedingly light, nardly *ny bem<» in agents hands, in consequence any coming forward is readily placed at about tqual to late rates which are pretty muca in symp.thy with those current m the Home market. We quote— prime rendered mutton l'Js to 20s ; medium to good, 163 to 183 ; inferior and mixed, 12s 6d to los 6d. Rough fat continues to have a very gOldg Ol d demand at for beat mutton ciul 13s to 14s ; inferior to meiium and good, 13s to 12s 9 i prr cwt. Grim.—W heat : It will be satisfact ,ry to note that the English market ontinucs firm and sligntly advancing The Continental aUo has an upward tendency, and the Ameiicm unchanee 1. This improved tone will doubtless bj reflected in the colonial market — Locally stocks of prime milting are low, with perhaps the exception ot luscan, of which there is a moderate supply, though not more than will probibly be required for Home consumption, bte rates ara therefore are most likely to harden than otherwise. We quote— Best tuscan, :5s 91 to 3s 101 ; extra prime a shade more, medium to good, .is6dto3sßd; best red wheat, 3s 5 1 to 3s 6i ; medium, 3s 4d to 313 1 5d ; inferior 292 9 9d to 3s 3d (ex store). Oats : The market during tue past week has not been quite so lively. The specuUtive spirit

displayed lately seems to have tamed down somewhat, a few sales were fffVcted at auction this week «t np to late qiotntions, while •everal lois were p cs din unsold, buyers are disinclined to operate any further advance. Meantime we quote be*t milling, bright and stour, Is s^d to U 5f I : extra prime, U 61 ; best brght short fevid, 1b 51 to Is s^l ; medium, Is 4<i to la 4^ 1 ; inferior. Is to 1 3d ; good D-nish, Is 4d to Is 4^J, caokx extra, ex soe. Bar'ey is in fair demand, all sorts being easily pl*ced, wi h mt, however, as ye 1 any improvement in value ; but the quantity i faring is limited, and owing to the ixceeningly dry weather which has so long prevailed North, there is an idea that good malting will command enhance i values by the time the peas mis on. We quote best malting, 2s 9 I to 3s ; medium to good, 2s 4d to 2s 8d ; feed and milling, Is 9d to 2s 3d ex stor«. Grass Seed.— The market for both ryegrass s<=ed and cocksfoot is very quiet, and only smalt lots are being sold to supply farmets' orders. We quote best machine-dressed ryegrass seed 4s 3d to 4s 9a ; farmers' best dre&ned, 3s to 3s 6d ; medium, 2s 6d to 2s 9d ; cockbfoot 4d to 4}l per lb. Potatoes.— The market is over supplied, and to effect sales reduced prices have to be accepted. Best local grown, £4 to £5 : Northern, £2 10s to £3 per ton. Chaff. — The market bare, and with a moderately good demand late rates are firmly maintained. Best oaten screened, 45a to 47s (»d ; light «nd inferior to medium, 359 to 42a 6J per ton. Dairy Prod ace.— There is no improvement in the demand lor export for either cheese or butter. Some small parcels of the former are being shipped occasionally at from 4d to 4^d per lb for medium ■ize, but the quantity as yet is limited. Butter is moving off in small lots for retail purposes at from 6d to 7d for best salted in Pond's boxes ; no dtmand for inferior to medium. Flax.— We have no alteration to note in the position of the market, aDd quote properly dressed soft and bright in the fibre, £19 to £20 10s ; medium to good, £15 to £18 ; coarse and strawy. £10 to £14 10j per ton. J

Messrs. Donald Reid and Co., Dunedin, report for the week ending J.nuary 14, as follows :—: — S^pukius.— At our v ual weekly sale on Tneediy we put forward a m derate catalogue. There was only a moderate attendauce of buyt-ra. Pry crossbreds sold at 2s Id to 5, 11 I ; do merinos, Is 7d to 5< 2d ; d > p^lts find lambs, 6d lo 2s 21 ; green pelts, Is tv Is 7d ; do lambs Is 2Mo Is 71. Hides.— A fair demand ex's's for heavy, well-flayed, and clean parceiH, We will clear all forward t'.ia wetk. Tallow.— For all sorts there is a reidy sale, local manufacturers purchasing all coming in. We quote — Prime rendereJ, 19* to 20s ; medium, 15s to 17s ; inferior, 12s to 13s ; rough fat. 9i to 139. Grain— Whea< : We quote milling (prime), 3s 9i to 3i 10J ; medium. 3. 5d to 3s 8i ; fowl's wheat, 3s to 3s 4d. Oats. — There ir still a good dt mand for stout heavy milling and bright f ed, and all arriving meets with ready sale (off trucks) at quotations. Milliner, Is s£d to Is 6d sacks extra ; feed, Is 3J to la 5d sacks extra. Bar ey.— There has been a better inquiry, and as the stocks are now pret y well cleared out, tbfre is a rea ly sale for any lots offering We quote : — Malting, 23 7d to 2s lOd ; milling, 2s 2d to 2a t>d ; feed Ibßu to 2s Id. Potatoes.— Prices remain at last week's quotations, vu — Prime £5 to £6 ; medium, £4 to £5. Chaff,— ln consequence of tha short supply, prices have advanced We now quote— P;ime heavy, £2 5s to £2 12s 6d ; inferior, £1 10s

Messbs Donald Stronach and Co.. Dunedin, report for week ending Wedntsiay. January 7, hb follows :—: — Fat Cattle. — 276 were yarded The greater part were good to prime, and included some extra heavy bullocks. The supply was far beyond the dtmand, and prices were, therefore, a lutle luw*r Bullocks sold at £5 2s 6d to £9 10s for extra ; cows at £3 to £6 17s 6d for extra. We fold on accoui tof Messrs Murray. Huberts and Co. (Ringway estate) bullccks, £6 15«, £7, £7 2s 6 I, £7 10s ; heifers, £5, £6, £6 17s 6d. On account of Mr. Thomas Kirk fKast Taieri) Bmall bullecksat £4 14s: on account of Mr. D. Mitchell at quotations. Fat sheep —1998 were penned ; about half were m-iino wethers, the rest ewes from naif-fat to prime. Buyers were in full attendance, and bid spiritedly for all offered, there b ing scarcely enough to meet demands. Puces advanced Is to Is 6J a head over last week's ruling rates. Crossbr. d wethers, sh"rn, sold at 13s to 14s 9 J ; crossbred ewes sold at 9s (i ito 13s 9J. We sold crossbred wethers on account Mr. Alexander Douglas at 13s 6d. Pigs.— We gold pigs on account of Mr. W. Edwards (Broadacres) at 275. ' Fat L%mbf.— 79l were penned, mostly prime quality. There was a fair demand throughout, prices ruling about tne same as la t sale. Beßt soid at 8s lo 10s a few extra, 10s 3d to 12s ; others, os 9d to 7s 9d. We sold a draft on account of Mr. D. Mitchell, Portobfllo, at quMationp. Sheepskins. — These continue in good demand at rectnt rates. We had the usual attendance of buyers at our weekly sale on Tuesday at the Chamber of Commerce Hall, when we offered a full catalog ie comprising a number of country dry skins also a fair fbare of town and country butchers' both woolly, green skins, an 1 bare pelts. Competition wks fairly active, and all were disposed of »t tha following ra c* :— For country dry crossbr <Is, inferior t<. medium, Is 5d to 3s 2 I ; do do m nno, Is 41 to 3s; lull-woolled crossbred, 3« 8 l to 6t G i ; do do mci mo, 3^ 5d to 5s 9 I ; dry pelts 3d to Is 2J ; preen do, Is 7-1, Is 6 , Is SJ, Is 4d, Is 2 i, Is Id , green lambt-kins, Is 9d, la 7d, Is 6d, Is 51, Is 3 I, Is 2J, Is Id. Rabbitskms. — There is very little to be said about these now. Owing to the limited supply there is no business of any consequence being dour. Consignmmta bavo fallen off almt st to Dothin^, and

those coming to hind are for the moat part inferior sorts, but still ye sal. abl<-, althongh prices as a rale are lea satisfactory Oa ToesI <iay wa submitted a small catalogue, all low seinon skins, which | brought from 4^l to 9^ I ; sue em and ha f grown, U 1 »o 3d per lb. H.ies.— There is no alteration to report. The local demnnd conti. ues sufficiently active to ab* rb all the supply, and the prices j paid, nl houg , onnidered low, c ive li tie or no ro >m for exporters ">ore ate. Qu Nations for gooi to b>st. 2*l to 2J I ; extra heavy 31; medium, 2d to 2*d ; light, IJI to l}d ; inferior and slippy, Id to l^ 1 per lb. i'.ilow has a moderately fair demand for local consumption but there is hardly any prime rendered effering in ihis market, the ou k < f the consignments cuming forward being only odd lots of eounny rendered, mixed, and often inferior, but at the same time marketable at prices in aymp» by with those current at Home. Q iota' jods for prime rendered mu'ton, 19s to 20* ; medium to good, 16s to IS* ; inferior to mixed, 12t 6i to 15s 6J. Rough fat sells readily, puces being fully maintained, which are— for best mutton caul, 13s t > 149 ; inferior to medium and good, 10a to 12* 9d per cwt. Grain.— Wheat : There is a moderately fair demand for all classes of wheat, but more especially medium to good and prime milling white velvet, which seems to be low in stock ; and any lots of this class offering ia milling condition could be pUced at late current rates. The business done, however, is not extensive, the demand being confined to local millers exigencies, which are not very pressing ; still, owing to the small supplies in first hands, the market is firm, and hardly likely to become weaker before the new grain is to hand. We quote best Tuscan, 3§ 91 to 3* lOi ; best white velvet, 3g 8d to 3s 10J ; medium to good. 3s 5d to 3s 7d ; best red wheat, 3s 5d to 3* 61 ; medium, 3s 4d to 3a 5J ; broken, inferior and musty, 2s 6d to 3i 3d (ex store).— Oats : Locally there ia no improvement in th« position, and the chief business passing is in the pacing of the few small arrivals coming to hand from day to day. Old 6tocka are almost entirely out of ageuts' hands, but there ia a considerable quantity s ill lying ii store, which will have to be cleared out b«fore prices are likely to further advance. Even now buyers are not quite si keen to operate at the prices obUining duing the past two or thr c weeks, and only that th-re so fow off nn< now it is questionable if late ra'ei could be maintained, but which we again Ki»e— for prim- muling (bright »nd -tnu ), Is 5f 1 01-5^ I ; best bright short feed 1 5i t> la o£ ; mndiam la 4 i n I 4| ; i ireno<- an i musty, l-i to 1-31; good Danish, 1, 4 1 i» 1h 4$ i ( x Mtore, sacks extra;.— Barley tins a good inquiry, but he supply in tmt hands being now almost all di-posed of. the bu-in 88 done ia only to a small extent confined to the odd consignments occacinnally coming forward. Quotations— for prime milting. 2s 6 I to 2< 9 i ; medium to good, 2s 3d to 2s 5d ; fetd and milling, la 6d to 2s 2<i (ex atore). Grasq Seed — :?ome small sales of both ryegrass seed and cocksfoot have been effected during the we' k, owing to the moisture rf the weather, but the demand is not by any means brisk, and according to recent reportb considerable areas are under ryegnss in the North Island, wnich will doubtless toad to lim.t the demand for southern growth, of which large yields are expected. An idea ia therefore prevailing that it will be somewhat difficult to maintain prices ruling during the past feason. Meantime we quote best machine-diessed ryegiass seed. 43 3 i to 4<91; farmers' best dressed, 3s to 3* 6d ; medium, 2 s 6 \ t > 2s 9d (ex store) ; cocksfoot seed slow of sale at; from 4 i to 4$ 1 per lb. Potatoes.— Tne market is over-supplied, chiefly with inferior sorb-, for which there is very hit c demand, being almost unfit for use, and in cons-quenca difficult to p!aco except at very low prices, while the few good lo's coming to ban 1 are saleable at prices more in accord with reasonable value. We q.Mte inferior, £3 10i to £4 10s ; best, £5 15s to £6 10s per ton. Chaff.— Deliveries are only to a moderate extent and with a fair dema d tnere is no d fficu ty m pi icing con-i^nm 'n's immediatly on arrival at slightly mor- satisfactory price*— -ay, for best uaten. well cut and heavy. 42 6u to 45s ; extra prime, 17s t>J ; light and inferior too medium, 30s to 40s per ton. Dairy P oduce. — Tne market oontinues very sluggish for both, cheese and butter, in reap ct to tha at'er especially. Prim} saltei in Pond's boxes slow sa c at ti i to 7d ; ra dium almost unsaleable ; prime fac oiy-male cheese, medium siz.', in shipping condition, dull at 4d to 4± i per lb.

Mr. F. Meexan, King street, reports : — Wholesale prices— Oats: la 2 i to Is 5 l (bd^s • xtm), good deman i. Wheat : milling, 3s 3i to 3i 9d ; fowls', 3h 3d— Utter firm, sacks included. Chaff: Market baie— £l 15s to £2 2* 6d ; hay .oaten, £3 ; bes' rye-grass, £3. Bran, £2 10s Pollard, £3 10s. Pota'oes, old, £3 per tun ; new, 6s per cwt. Flour : roller, £10 to £10 15s ; stone, £9 5s to £9 los Fresh butter, very plentiful, value from 4 I to 8 I ; sa.t, nominal, for prime, 6J. Eggs, Bd. Oatmeal, in 25 b b^BH, i-8 10s.