552 



Live Weight Prices of Cattle. 



in 1902 it reached 8*62 per cent. At Liverpool the advance has 

 been more substantial, 16 per cent, being weighed in 1902 com- 

 pared with an average of 6^ percent, in the three years 1893-95. 

 The number weighed in 1902 at Shrewsbury was much in excess 

 of any previous year, and in the three years 1 899-1901 the pro- 

 portion was 26 per cent, as against 8*8 1 percent, in 1893-95. 

 At Wakefield, also, considerable progress in the direction of a 

 more frequent use of the weighbridge appears to have been 

 made. Among the Scotch markets the most striking advance 

 was apparent at Glasgow, where from 2 per cent, in 1 893-95 the 

 proportion has risen to nearly 20 per cent, in 1902. Aberdeen 

 also shows a steady increase, but at Falkirk and Dundee the 

 numbers have recently showed some signs of diminution. 



So far as the collection of information concerning prices is 

 concerned, in addition to the six markets named above as not 

 making any appreciable use of the weighing machine, no suffi- 

 cient particulars are obtained from the two markets of Salford 

 and Wakefield, although 4,004 head were weighed at the former 

 in the past year and 7,364 head at the latter. Comparative 

 details relating to prices are, therefore, available only from the 

 thirteen markets shown in the table below, seven of which are 

 in England and six in Scotland. From the returns supplied 

 by these market authorities the average live weight prices for 

 three grades of cattle have been calculated for 1902 as in 

 previous years. The number of animals on which the price is 

 based is given in each case, but it will be seen that as regards 

 third quality beasts in two instances the numbers returned are 

 too small to afford a basis for statistical comparison. 



Prime quality cattle ranged in price from 35s. 6d. per cwt. 

 at Carlisle to 40s. 6d. per cwt. at London. In Scotland the 

 maximum price was reported from Edinburgh, where 893 animals 

 averaged 5s. per stone, or 40s. per cwt., but the range of price 

 was much less than in England, the lowest average value 

 being 38s. 4d. per cwt., which was recorded both at Falkirk and 

 Glasgow. For second quality beasts, the highest price was 

 realised at Edinburgh, where 12,845 animals realised 37s. 2d. 

 per cwt., while, as was the case with prime cattle, this quality 

 fetched a less sum at Carlisle than at any of the other markets. 

 Among cattle classed as inferior or third quality, the lowest 



