226 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICOLTUKE. 



The range of prices at the beginning of each month of the last six 

 years was as follow : 



Mouths. 



January . . 

 Pebrnary . 



March 



April 



May 



Jnne 



Jaly 



August . . . 

 September 

 October. .. 

 November 

 December . 



Cents. 

 15J to !()* 

 15| to 24" 

 15 to 24 

 lej to 23 

 17 to 27 

 14J to 10 

 12 to 20 

 10.V to 12 

 <»i to 10 

 Idi to 14 

 14 to 154 

 14i to 15 



Cents. 

 14i to 15 

 Mi to 15 

 l(i| to 17 

 18i to 22 

 17 to 19 

 13 to 13J 

 Hi to 12J 

 lOi to tl" 

 12J to 13J 

 14i to 15J 

 15i to 16 

 14| to 15 



Cents. 

 145 to 15 

 14| to 15 

 15 to IC 

 15 to 15i 

 15 to 15i 

 15 to ISJ 

 15 to I'li 

 lO.i to 11 

 13 to 14 

 13 to 14 

 13J to 14i 

 Vii to 14' 



Cents. 



13J to 14 



15 to KiJ 



to ICi 

 to 18A 

 to 18i 

 to 184 

 to 18i 

 to 18| 

 to 18 

 to 14 

 to 13* 

 to 13.j 



Cents. 

 13 to 13i 

 to 13i 



to i:;i 

 to 13^ 

 to 13.J 

 to 13i 

 to 13i 

 to 13i 

 to 13.i 

 to 13.^ 

 12i to 14 

 13 to 14 



1876. 



Osnts. 

 13 to 14 



12J to 14 

 12i to 14 

 12i to 14 

 12.^ to 14 

 12i to 14 

 12i to 14 

 IQJ to 14 

 12i to 14 

 12^ to 14 

 12i to 14 

 12^ to 14 



The steadiness of these prices, especially during 1875 and 1876, is 

 especially remarkable. The quotations represent the better factory 

 brands of both eastern and western manufacture. Formerly a consider- 

 able amount of western cheese was marked with counterfeit eastern 

 brands and sold as eastern cheese, but the rising character of the west- 

 ern manufacture has gradually removed the motives to this fraud. 



Hides. — The receipts of hides during 187G amounted to 21,201,245 

 pounds, against 10,851,94:7 pounds in 1875 exports 29,520,487 pounds, 

 against 32,457,805 pounds in 1875. The course of the market during the 

 last year was very remarkable, on account of the singular interplay of 

 supply and demand. At the beginning of the year large supplies of 

 both hides and leather created a very dull market, and the impression 

 was widely disseminated that the business had been overdone. This 

 lasted during the winter, spring, and summer ; but in September reports 

 came from the great consuming markets of the world that the general 

 stocks of both hides and leather had been greatly reduced. A sudden 

 demand from all quarters electrified the trade, and a wild speculative 

 excitement took possession of the market, which did not culminate till 

 in December. Some classes of stock rose to prices fully 50 per cent, 

 greater than those of spring and summer. Light dry flint hides, for 

 instance, rose from 13 cents per pound in June to 21 cents in December. 

 At the close of December there was a decline of about 5 per cent, from 

 the maximum quotations, and since the year closed a still further decline 

 is noted. Commercial authorities are still undecided whether this reac- 

 tion is permanent or transitory. As it hinges to a considerable extent 

 upon the political complications in Europe, the question is likely to re- 

 main for some time an open one. The hide trade of Saint Louis is be- 

 coming quite important. The excess of shipments over receipts indi- 

 cates a very^ considerable number of hides thrown upon the market by 

 city butchers in excess of the demand of the home leather manufacture. 



^heep. — The sheep trade shows a marked increase, the receipts 

 being 157,831 head in 1870, against 125,079 in 1875, 114,913 in 1874, 

 and 86,434 in 1873 ; shipments 67,886 in 1876, 37,784 in 1875, 35,577 in 

 1874, and 18,902 in 1873. The great mass of the receipts was from 

 Missouri and the regions west and southwest. Tliree-fourths of the 

 shipments were eastward by rail, a few southward, and the remainder 

 to neighboring localities. The increased production of the trans-Missis- 

 sippi region is shown by the rapid enlargement of the Saint Louis trade. 



