FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 433 



(5) Shipping steers. T.his term applies to the animals purchased 

 in the Western markets for shipment to the large Eastern markets of the 

 United States. They are mainly of medium and good grades and range 

 in weight from eleven hundred and fifty to sixteen hundred pounds. 



(6) Dressed beef cattle. This class includes such cattle as are 

 purchased by the large packing concerns of the Middle West. The pack- 

 ers prefer medium to choice steers, weighing from twelve hundred to 

 fourteen hundred pounds, to make up the bulk of their purchases, but 

 conditions of supply and demand cause them to purchase animals of a 

 much wider range in grade and weight, the extreme range in weight 

 being from eight hundred to seventeen hundred pounds. 



Stags. This class includes such animals as have reached or at least 

 approaching maturity before castration, and hence have the general con- 

 formation of bulls. Comparatively few of these come to the general 

 markets, and they are of a wide range in quality, condition and weight. 

 A few are good enough for export, while the poorest must be sold for 

 canners. 



HOGS. 



The market does not provide so wide a classification of hogs as of 

 cattle. They are largely classed on weight and quality, as is seen in 

 the following classifications and quotations at Chicago, from the Live 

 Stock Report: 



Classes and Grade of hops on Chicago market, toith quotations 



Assorted light $6.00 to $6.40 



Good to choice medium 



weights 6.20 6.30 



Good to choice heavy.. 5.75 6.00 



Fair to good heavy. . . . 5.60 5.75 



Good to choice mixed. . 6.10 6.25 



Common to fair mixed. 5.85 6.00 



Common packers $5.40 to $5.60 



Pig?, 120 to 140 pounds 5.00 6.00 

 Pigs. 120 pounds and 



under 4.50 5.75 



Skips and culls 3.00 4.50 



Stags 4.00 4.50 



East of Indianapolis quotations on hogs usually give a class known 

 as Yorkers. These are light weights of three grades, such as are in 

 demand for cutting up on the block in New York City. Heavy Yorkers 

 range from one hundred and sixty to one hundred and eighty pounds; 

 medium, from one hundred and forty to one "hundred and sixty pounds, 

 and light from one hundred to one hundred and forty pounds. Pigs of 

 this class grade under one hundred pounds. 



The grades based on weight will not hold the same in the same 

 market, but will occasionally vary to meet the packers' demands. It 

 may be noted also that on the same date the grades based on weight 

 may differ in different markets. 



The price quotations on hogs vary more on weight than quality. 

 The latter feature, of course, always materially assists in securing the 

 highest price, but the demands for weights vary. Sometimes the market 

 quotations are highest on light hogs, and then, perhaps in a relatively 

 short time, heavy hogs command the highest price from the packer. A 

 weight of two hundred and twenty-five to two hundred and fifty pounds 

 for well fattened hogs will, under average conditions, probably be most 

 in demand. 

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