226 



Market Prices. 



[JUNE, 



advanced \d. per lb. at many markets, especially for first 

 quality. 



Sheep were much more saleable, the following markets being 

 very firm or dearer : — Carlisle, Darlington, Dorchester, Hull, 

 Leeds, Leicester, London, Newcastle, Salford, Shrewsbury, 

 Wakefield, Wolverhampton, York, Ayr, Dundee, Glasgow 

 and Inverness. Against these only the following were slow 

 or lower : — Hereford, Ipswich and Liverpool. At some few 

 markets clipped sheep made fully as much as those in the wool, 

 while at Hull the curious feature was observed that half-fed 

 sheep sold better relatively than those well finished, the former 

 being in good demand for grazing. Pigs of all classes were dull 

 and prices low. 



Following the live-stock markets and with lighter supplies 

 from America, the dead-meat market was decidedly better for 

 beef. Scotch short sides advanced to 6|^., long sides firm at 

 6\d., and English realised 5f d. to $\d. per lb. Chilled American 

 hind quarters advanced \d. per lb. and fore quarters \d., 

 the whole sides averaging $\d. to $d. per lb. Deptford killed 

 sold with readiness at 6\d. per lb. at London, which exceeded 

 the price of English by 3d. per 8 lb. Argentine chilled beef, 

 however, showed no advance, and frozen was the turn cheaper. 

 Mutton was firm, small Scotch tegs occasionally making gd. 

 per lb., and English of moderate weight as much as Sd. Lamb 

 was a quiet trade, small carcases fetching up to nji. per lb. 

 Veal was in much smaller supply, and improved to the extent 

 of id. per lb. ; and pork \d., at any rate in the Central Market. 



Third Week. — Islington market on Monday, 18th May, was 

 better supplied with fat cattle, there being 1,090 on offer, but 

 the extra 300 did not keep pace with the demand. Such an 

 increase mean's little in London when the great wholesale buyers 

 are competing, as was the case on that day. The market may 

 be described as excited, and one dealer alone had disposed of 

 130 fine cattle by 7 a.m. The market was nearly clear by 

 11 a.m., and many more might have been sold. It was, 

 undoubtedly, the best market for beef that has been held at 

 Islington during the past four years. Prices were occasionally 

 much higher a quarter of a century ago, but it is long since we 

 have seen ordinary Shorthorns fetching 5s. per 8-lb. stone, and 

 this was reached in many instances for Irish-bred cattle, whose 



