1908.] Live and Dead Meat Trade in October. 



635 



ordinarily includes the Black Sea ports of Russia, Roumania and Bulgaria 

 and the Aegean port of Salonica. Some fine white maize from Natal 

 meets with favour at 29s. per 480 lb. 



Pulse. — The excellent inquiry for beans and peas at Mark Lane, com- 

 bined with the small extent of foreign competition, makes it impossible not 

 to regret the limited cultivation of pulse by British farmers. During 

 October yis. per 504 lb. has been paid for English winter beans, and 

 34.$". per 504 lb. for Maple peas. Good Canadian white peas have been in 

 request at 40.?. per 504 lb. 



Oil Seeds. — Farmers now-a-days are great buyers of oil seeds, not, indeed, 

 directly but in the form of oil-cake. The price of this latter commodity 

 must needs depend on that of the fattening element in the cake, and it is 

 much to be desired that the importance of the " raw material " of oil-cake 

 should be borne in mind by the great stock or breeding interest. Thus cotton 

 seed which in mid-October was on sale at 1405. per ton has now advanced to 

 seven guineas, and, pending arrivals of the new Argentine crop, linseed also 

 shows a hardening tendency. Present prices for linseed are about 47s. for 

 Russian 98 per cent, pure, and 43 s. 6d. for Argentine of the same standard 

 of purity. The weight in either case is 416 lb. 



Farm Seeds. — The new English red clover seed is of excellent quality, 

 and is held for 70s. per cwt. France offers at 65^., and Chili offers at 60s., keenly 

 competitive samples ; in fact, red clover seed seems to have done well this 

 season wherever grown. White clover seed shows far less uniformity ; 

 60s. per cwt. may be mentioned as a fair price for a sound sample. Lucerne 

 is very dear, 78^. per cwt. being paid on October 30 for some fine samples 

 from the South of France. 



Minor Staples. — Barley meal has recently been in request at Ss. per cwt. 

 or thereabouts, malt combs at 80s. to 100.?. per ton, and malt screenings at 

 about three guineas. Rice meal has a considerable sale at 100^. per ton. 

 Dari is rather scarce, and 27s. to 28s. per 480 lb. is paid for Indian. Carobs 

 at 100s. per ton are in demand for live stock as an "appetiser." Ground 

 linseed cake has a steady sale at eight guineas per ton, and is of course 

 an extremely valuable fattening food. Pure crushed linseed makes thirteen 

 guineas per ton. 



THE LIVE AND DEAD MEAT TRADE IN OCTOBER. 

 A. T. Matthews. 



First Week. — In the first few days of the month the country experienced 

 a spell of hot weather very unusual for the time of year, which was beneficial 

 to the agricultural position in every way. The root crops grew rapidly and 

 the pastures greatly improved. These conditions had a favourable effect on 

 the live-stock markets, affording a check to the over supplies of unripe cattle 

 which for so many weeks had depressed the trade. Really good cattle had 

 become quite scarce, and such a wide range of quotations in the various 

 markets has been rarely seen. The ordinary season for grass-fed beef 

 drawing to a close and many of the cattle available having been marketed 

 prematurely, the first week saw a diminution of this class of supplies and 

 considerable improvement in the tone of most markets. The following 

 advances were officially quoted in the value of first quality Shorthorn beef : 

 — London, yd. ; Newport, 3<r/. ; Leicester, id. ; Ipswich, 3^. ; Lincoln, 3<Y. ; 

 Leeds, yl. ; Wakefield, id. and Newcastle, 2d. per 14 lb. Hull was 



