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3 



THE FUTURE OF PRICES 



I 



THERE is general faith in the future 

 of prices for com and wheat. 

 Bankers and syndicates are advancing 

 means to farmers and stock raisers in 

 the West so that they may be enabled to 

 hold their stock for a time. Something 

 agriculturists should know is the fact 

 that an Eastern company is buying up 

 corn in the West at the cheap .prices to 

 liold it for a rise. 



Prices of beef cattle at the Union Stock 

 Yards in Chicago have been weak and 

 lower all around. Country holders, just 

 now, seem to be rushing their stock in. 

 In a single week the receipts were 76,000 

 head. Of hogs, the receipts the same 

 week were 240,000, an increase of nearly 

 50,000 over the preceding week, prices 

 ranging at $3.50 to $3.65 for all weights. 

 As to the future of prices for cattle and 

 hogs no good prediction can be made. 

 The bulls claimed that there must be an 

 advance after the holidays, while the bears 

 ''explained" why prices should rule 

 lower. A steady market for sheep is 

 likely during the winter. 



Receipts of cattle in Chicago for the 

 year up to Dec. 1, show a decrease from 

 1894 of 395,352 head. Notwithstanding 

 this great shortage and the alleged com- 

 bine of the "Big Four," prices went 

 down to the present low figures. Re- 

 ceipts of hogs for the eleven months show 

 an increase of 356,171 head. Receipts of 

 sheep show an increase of 333,967. The 

 increase of horses was 17,511 head. 



The trolley and bicycle have certainly 

 ruined the market value of their pre- 

 decessors. An auction sale of horses 

 from the Chino ranch at San Barnardino 

 developed the fact that there is less de- 

 mand than ever for such animals. The 

 ^prices ranged from $2.00 to $17.50 and 

 some of the horses sold were ones which 

 a few years ago would have been in de- 

 mand at $100. Richard Gird has made 

 the raising of horses one of the features 

 of his ranch, but since there is no longer 

 any profit in the business he determined 

 \to dispose of them, which accounts for the 

 M 



auction. One splendid looking gray 

 mare, with good style, went for $6.50. 

 Another pretty bay was knocked off for 

 $2.00, and so the prices went throughout 

 the sale. A team of beautifully matched 

 bays, with splendid black mane and tails, 

 finally went for $35.00, $17.50 each. 

 This was the best price obtained for any 

 of the horses sold. 



Of wool Dunn's latest report says: "The 

 market has not advanced with London 

 sales as was expected, and 5,536,100 

 pounds have been sold; 2,303,700 pounds 

 foreign against 5,479,300 in the same 

 week of 1891, of which 1,413,500 were 

 foreign. The slow market for goods 

 hinders dealings. Manufacturers have 

 had a profitable season though trade is 

 dull now." 



Of the future of the flour market at 

 Minneapolis, a reliable correspondent 

 says: "Lake shipments have closed for 

 the season, but the prospect is that the 

 production will be maintained at a com- 

 paratively large figure during the winter. 

 If reports coming in to local millers are 

 true, trade is getting back to the de- 

 moralized shape that it was in before the 

 advent of the new crop. The latest net 

 quotations at the Minneapolis mills for 

 car or round lots were: 



Per 196 Ibs. 



Present. Year ago. 



First patent, in wood . . . $2.85@3.30 $3.15@3.50 



Second patent, in wood.. 2.65@2.85 2.90@3.05 



Fancy clear, in wood . . . 2.15@2.45 2.15@2.30 



Second clear, in bags. . 1.60@1.70 @ 



Low-grade, in bags.... 1.40@1.50 1.80@1.90 



Red-dog, in bags 1.05@1.10 1.40@1.50 



Local prices at Minneapolis on flour to 

 grocers and retailers are, per 196 Ibs. in 

 sacks, $3.30 for patent and $3.20 for 

 straight. Most grocers, in selling to 

 consumers, add 50c per bbl. as their 

 profit. 



The output of flour at three mill points 

 Minneapolis, Superior-Duluth and 

 Milwaukee for the week ending Dec. 

 14 was twice as much as during the same 

 week in 1894, or 360,635 barrels against 

 151,925 barrels. 



