128 



Live Weight Prices of Cattle. 



markets above specified are combined month by month through 

 the quarter now reported on, and also in the later month of 

 April. These quotations give a general indication of the pre- 

 vailing live weight prices in the country as a whole. The average 

 price arrived at in the same manner for December last was 38s. 

 per cwt. for first, and 36s. for second quality beasts. By February 

 prices of both qualities appear to have fallen by a shilling per 

 cwt., while in April they stood at 37s. 2d. and 35s. 2d. per cwt. 

 respectively : — 



Month. 



Prime or Fi 



rst Quality. 



Good or Second Quality. 



1903. 



1902. 



1903 



1902. 





Per cwt. 



Per cwt. 



Per cwt. 



Per cwt. 





s. d. 



s . iL 



s. d. 



s. d. 



January 



37 8 



36 2 



36 2 



34 6 



February 



37 0 



36 4 



35 0 



34 6 



March ... .... 



37 0 



36 4 



35 4 



34 6 



April 



37 2 



37 8 



35 2 



35 10 



Although the calculated live weight price of some 29,000 beasts 

 was available for compiling the above table, only eight of the 

 scheduled markets reported actual sales of fat cattle by live 

 weight, i.e., at an agreed price per stone or per cwt., the 

 number so sold being 2,709, Glasgow furnishing about one-half 

 of these transactions. 



The number of store cattle weighed for which prices were 

 given in the first three months of 1903 was 4,083 ; of these, 

 3,843 were returned from Shrewsbury, where the practice of 

 weighing store cattle prevails to a considerable extent. The 

 other markets from which returns relating to store cattle were 

 received were Leicester, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh, but 

 the numbers in each case were inconsiderable. 



The usual table showing the numbers of cattle, sheep, and 

 swine entering the markets, with the numbers weighed and 

 priced, is given on the next page. 



