1908.] 



Provision Trade in July. 



39i 



The trade for store stock during the month was much influenced by the 

 weather, which was very dry at the beginning, grass became short and 

 the root crop was threatened at a critical period. There has been little 

 doing in cattle, but some sheep fairs have been held, at which the prices 

 realized fell short of those of last year. At Dorchester, on the 6th, 12,752 

 were penned, and Downs declined is. to 3s., and Dorset Horns, \os. to \is. 

 per head from last year's figures. At Shrewsbury, on the 10th, at a special 

 sale of 934 cattle, prices declined £2 per head from the May sales. The fine 

 rains which subsequently fell refreshed the pastures and saved the root crops, 

 the demand for stores consequently improving during the latter half of the 

 month. Dairy cows have been an irregular trade, but on the whole, there 

 being no scarcity of milk, demand has not been very keen. Good cows, 

 however, have been very saleable if showing a fair promise of yield. 



Wool Prices. — The official report of the wool fairs, held in the south, up to 

 the 8th, gave a more cheerful account than was expected. At Reading, Bland- 

 ford, Dorchester, Chichester, Alton, Basingstoke, and Winchester there were 

 plenty of buyers, and biddings were brisk up to \2\d. for Southdown teg 

 wool at Chichester and I2^d. for ewe. At Alton the wool offered was chiefly 

 Hampshire, the prices for which were 3d. per lb. lower than last year. 

 At Swindon, on the 9th, Hampshire ewe made io\d. to \ \\d. for washed and 

 yd. to 8d. for unwashed. Unwashed teg, 6\d. per lb. The sales during the 

 following week at Salisbury, Devizes, Wallingford, &c, again passed off with 

 good spirit at very similar prices. The cheerful tone of the London sales 

 influenced Bradford where prices were firm. At Lewes, on the 17th, prices 

 were well maintained. The July series of London sales are not yet closed, 

 and there have been fluctuations, but on the whole, although there is an 

 absence of speculation, consumptive demand has been good, and the drop 

 on this year's clip has not been so disastrous as it was feared would be 

 the case. 



REVIEW OF THE PROVISION TRADE IN 



JULY. 



Hedley Stevens. 



Bacon. — At the commencement of the month the demand much improved, 

 and prices steadily advanced, especially for side meats. By the middle of 

 the month the prices for Canadian sides approached those of English and 

 Irish, and were about 2s. above the current price at the same time last year. 

 The arrivals continued to be small, although sho wing a slight increase on 

 the June importations. The arrivals of Danish were not so heavy, being 

 under 5,000 bales more than in July, 1907, with prices ranging from 2s. to 5-r. 

 per cwt. over those obtainable during the corresponding period last year. 

 The Franco-British Exhibition in London has, it is believed, helped to keep 

 up the prices of all provisions, by causing an additional demand. This 

 applies especially to mild Danish bacon, the sales of which have to be forced' 

 should the consumptive demand be small, as it cannot be held over during 

 the hot weather. 



With the favourable weather conditions, there was a much improved 

 demand for hams during the whole of the month, and prices steadily 

 advanced, in some cases showing a rise of from 3s. to 6s. per cwt., though 



