KEPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 215 



Cattle products. — Butter : Dealers found the last commercial year 

 unsatisfactory. During the fall and winter prices were low and the 

 market sluc^gish. Holders were so anxious to get rid of their stocks, 

 that early in March it was discovered that the country was generally 

 bare of all grades of butter. The Northwest and other outside districts 

 were drawn upon to supply the deficiency, and prices steadily advanced 

 almost up to the appearance of new butter in May, which came in with 

 a good demand, choice Central Ohio briuging 25 ® 26 cents per pound 

 and common 18 ® 20. Buyers, however, became cautious and prices 

 began to recede until, in the middle of July, choice Central Ohio brought 

 only 14 ^ 17 cents, the demand from the South having given way; but 

 by the close of August this class of butter had advanced to 18 © 20. 

 The average price of this grade for the whole year was 23.10 cents 

 per pound, against 25| in 1874-75 and 27 in 1873-'74. The quality of 

 butter marketed in Cmcinnati is constantly improving, a result trace- 

 able mostly to the creameries of Northeastern Ohio. The distinction 

 between Western Reserve and Central Ohio is fast fadiug away, as the 

 latter is closely approximating the market qualities of the former. 

 Creamery butter sustains its price better than other kinds under a strong 

 competitive demand from the eastern cities. The idea of refrigerating 

 butter-cars has been started amoug the market-men of Cincinnati, and 

 would doubtless greatly benefit the butter trade of this city. The 

 receipts and shipments are still indicated in the unmeaning general term 

 ''packages" instead of "pounds," which renders it impossible to give the 

 real movement of the trade. The annual average price of choice Central 

 Ohio during nineteen commercial years was as follows: 1857-'58, 15 

 cents: 1858-'59, 19; 1859-'G0, 141 ; 18G0-'61,13i; 1861-'G2,12i; 1862-'63, 

 lU; i863-'G4, 29; 18G4-'G5, 35; 18G5-'G6, 3Gi ; 18GG-'G7, 2Gi; 1867-'G8, 

 36^; 18G8-'G9, 321 ; 1869-'70,28i-; 1870-'71, 24 ; 1871-'72,20; 1872-^73, 

 23 ; 1873-'74, 27 ; 1874-'75, 25^ ; 1875- 7G, 231. 



Cheese. — The cheese business shows an increased receipt and shipment, 

 the former embracing 183,745 boxes, and the latter 128,214 boxes. The 

 receipts increased 10,G01 boxes, or G per cent. ; the shipments 9,927 boxes, 

 or nearly 9 per cent. The annual average prices of factory cheese for 

 the last six commercial years were as follows: 1870-71, 13| cents per 

 pound ; 1871-72, 14^ ; 1872-'73, 141 ; 1873-'74, 14f ; 1874-75, 14 ; 1875-76, 

 11.4 cents. The manufacture of cheese during the season was very 

 large. Pasturage was very luxuriant during the milking season and 

 cheese factories more numerous than during the previous year. The 

 market was supplied with a good class of cheese, but the demand was 

 only fair. 



Talloic. — The trade presented no very remarkable feature during the 

 year. In the fall of 1875 a temporary foreign demand depleted the 

 stocks in the country, but the effect was soon lost sight of. Prices were 

 somewhat higher than during the previous year, but the receipts show 

 a falling off, being 28,009 tierces, against 33,397; the shipments were 

 5,490 tierces, an increase of 1,686. Prime city rendered fallow was quot- 

 able at the beginning of the year at SJ cents per pound, but under the 

 stimulus of the foreign demand before alluded to it advanced to 9 to 9i 

 in October. After November, prices shrunk until the close of the year. 

 The average of this class of tallow for the year was 8.77 cents per pound, 

 against ^ in 1874-'75, 7.4 in 1873-74, and 8.4 in 1872-73. 



Hides. — Heavy competition during the year rendered the margin of 

 profits in hides very narrow, and cousequently gave rise to great dissat- 

 isfaction among dealers. The receipts of dry hides were not equal to 

 previous years, but green hides show a considerable increase. The in- 



