550 



Market Prices. 



[OCT., 



Dorchester, ys. lod. ; Bristol, ys. gd. ; Newport, ys. lod. ; Shrewsbury, 

 ys. lod. ; Denbigh, ys. yd. ; Derby, ys. lod. ; Leicester, ys. gd. ; Peter- 

 borough, Ss. 3d. ; Ipswich, Ss. 6d. ; Norwich, Ss. ; Lincoln, ys. 6d. ; Hull, 

 ys. gd. ; Leeds, ys. yd. ; Wakefield, ys. gd. ; Newcastle, ys. gd. These 

 prices are given at length, as the relatively low price obtainable at the 

 Metropolitan market is remarkable and rather uncommon, but, as already 

 stated, it is accounted for by the keen competition of Canadian port-killed 

 beef peculiar to the time of year and the inferior character of the home 

 supplies. 



In a less degree the same thing occurred with fat sheep. The top 

 quotation *for best Downs at London was Sd. per lb. against gd. at 

 Chichester, S\d. at Derby and Norwich, and &%d. at Dorchester, Bristol, 

 Shrewsbury and Ipswich. On the other hand, at Peterborough and York 

 the same class of sheep sold at y\d. and at Leicester y\d. At Hereford, 

 Newcastle, Wolverhampton and Crewe the price was the same as in London. 



The carcase trade at the Central Market was much depressed, but Scotch 

 and English beef were holding their own much better than foreign, whether 

 port-killed, chilled or frozen. The best American chilled fell to 6d. per lb. 

 for hind quarters, and ^\d. for fore quarters, or an average of /[\d. for the 

 whole side for best quality, while the best Scotch longsides were worth 6\d. 

 and English $%d. per lb. Carcase mutton again declined in value, the finest 

 Scotch being only saleable at yd. per lb. and other sorts in the usual 

 proportion. Prime veal was worth y\d. and small pork 6d. per lb., but lamb 

 was quoted at yd., or no dearer than small mutton. Dutch mutton receded 

 to 6d. per lb., but frozen was nominally unchanged. 



Second Week. — The arrival of the period when the winter feeders begin to 

 purchase stores for the Christmas markets, brought some slight relief to the 

 pressure on the trade in butchers' cattle at Islington on the 14th by with- 

 drawing at least a portion of a very undesirable supply. Still the condition 

 of the animals on offer was far below the average, while the adverse effect ot 

 the heavy offerings of low-priced Canadian carcases at the Central Market 

 was more marked than in the previous week. Consequently, although there 

 was a somewhat better attendance of buyers, prices showed no improvement. 

 It is possible that readers of the weekly price returns may sometimes notice 

 a discrepancy between the live-weight quotations and those of the ordinary 

 prices arrived at by estimate, and it may be well to remind them that the 

 instances of the former given for London in " Notes on the Markets " are 

 mostly taken in connection with animals weighed after sale, and in these cases 

 the prices per cwt. depend largely on the judgment of buyers. On the day 

 in question some Herefords, exactly similar to others nominally worth 36^. 

 per cwt., the top quotation of the day, actually realized 39.?. according to the 

 weighbridge, and as scarcely any of the cattle from the pastures this season 

 yield more 8 lb', stones after slaughter than 14 lb. stones live-weight, the 

 above-mentioned instance is only one of many which prove how badly the 

 cattle are weighing. 



The quotations for fat sheep at this particular market require a word of 

 explanation. Prices generally were lower, even including those of Cheviots 

 and Scotch half-breds. Yet it was found necessary to quote English 

 " Downs " \d. per lb. dearer lor the following reason : — Up to this point small 

 wethers of 72 lb. had been considered as the " first quality " and these had 

 been quoted the week previously at Sd per lb., but this week, the lamb season • 

 being virtually over, and fine Hampshire tegs of 64 lb. arriving, these were 



