102 



The Agricultural Index Number. 



[May, 



The percentage increase during each month from January, 

 1919, as compared with the pre-war years, is shown in the 

 following table : — 



Month. 



1919. 



1920. 



1921. 



1922. 





Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Per cent- 



January ... 



148 



213 



186 



11 



February ... 



150 



205 



172 



83 



March * ... 



150 



199 



158 



82 



April 



153 



199 



141 





May 



132 



1G9 



112 





J une 



128 



164 



102 





July 



141 



174 



100 





August 



138 ... 



177 



116 





September . . . 



148 



181 



105 





October 



166 



191 



90 





November . . . 



182 



197 



84 





December . . . 



207 



194 



82 





Considerable 



changes have 



taken 



place in the 



prices oi 



certain commodities, the principal increase being in the case of 

 fat sheep. The average price of fat sheep in March was 120 per 

 cent, above the average of 1911-13, as compared with 83 per 

 cent, in February and 60 per cent, in January. Other descrip- 

 tions of fat stock also advanced, although the rise was 

 much less marked than in the case of sheep. Wheat has 

 continued to advance in price, being in March 61 per cent, above 

 the pre-war average as against 45 per cent, in February. 



The March price for milk delivered into large towns showed 

 a considerable reduction on the prices for February, while the 

 low prices offered for summer milk were reflected in the fall 

 in the price of dairy cows, which averaged about 37 per cent, 

 more than in the pre-war years as against 89 per cent, in 

 January, this decrease representing a cash difference of about £11 

 per head. Eggs showed the usual large seasonal reduction 

 and butter was also appreciably cheaper than in February. 



Feeding stuffs as a whole showed little change in price since 

 February. Millers' offals declined 7 points but this fall was 

 compensated by a rise in the price of maize, while oilcakes, 

 brewers' grains, maize meal and barley meal remained 

 practically unchanged. 



Among fertilisers, superphosphate depreciated slightly in 

 value, but nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia were 

 dearer, while basic slag remained unchanged. The general 

 average prices of feeding stuffs and fertilisers were estimated to 

 be between 50 and 60 per cent, above the pre-war average. 



