1908.] Live and Dead Meat Trade in October. 



637 



October its price was advanced by \d. per lb., short sides fetching y\d. and 

 long sides, 6f# 7 . per lb. English was fairly firm, and there was some 

 improvement in the price of second quality. Deptford killed was firm, but 

 Birkenhead slightly declined. Argentine chilled was \d. per lb. cheaper,, 

 the best hind-quarters only making ^\d. against 6|<f. for those from the 

 United States. It was in mutton that the greatest weakness prevailed,, 

 nearly all qualities declining sharply. Scotch gave way id., English, \d., 

 and Dutch \d. per lb. ; frozen being unchanged, except Argentine, which 

 rose slightly. This fall in fresh mutton was generally attributed almost 

 entirely to the large supplies of Dutch which, at this time of year, so largely 

 influence the London trade. Veal continued scarce and dear at 8d. per lb. 

 for the best Dutch, there being no English at Smithfield good enough to be 

 classed as best quality. Pork was again very weak, the continued high 

 temperature checking consumption. 



The London October series of sales of Colonial wool were being held 

 this week and were well attended. Competition was also very brisk up to a 

 certain point, but, except for the finest cross-breds prices were lower by 5 to 

 y\ per cent. Still, as the sales progressed towards the close, there was. 

 increased animation, and wools of good body and staple finished better, and 

 recovered a good deal of the lost ground. 



Third Week. — The supplies of cattle at most markets in the third 

 week were similar to those generally available at the end of the grazing 

 season, and complaints were general of the scarcity of first quality 

 animals. There is no doubt, however, that if the markets had been 

 supplied with some good ripe cattle, they would have sold readily 

 enough at better prices, but, as things were, there was a decided check 

 to the upward movement and, in some places, an actual decline. These 

 included Newport, where there was a decided fall of 4d. per 14 lb. 

 for first quality Shorthorns, Leeds declining 3^., and Wakefield 2d. These 

 were more than counterbalanced by Bristol, Ashford, Dorchester and 

 Peterborough, all of which recorded a slight advance. At most of the 

 largest centres the trade was slow but firm at late rates, and amongst these 

 was London, where Shorthorns still sold at 7s. yd. as the top figure, in the 

 absence of any stall-fed bullocks, such as those which have been offering at 

 Ipswich and realizing considerably higher rates. Other breeds shown at 

 Islington made, relatively, more money, fine Devons fetching 8s. $d., 

 Herefords, 8s. 2d., and Runts, ys. lod. The last-mentioned breed is well 

 represented at Islington during the summer and autumn months and, as a 

 rule, they are highly appreciated by the butchers after a season's grazing in 

 the Midland pastures, and nothing could be more conclusive as to the poor 

 quality of the grass this year than the unusual want of finish so plainly 

 visible of late in this hardy and thrifty breed of cattle. 



The movements in the markets for fat sheep were somewhat similar to 

 those for cattle, but here again the majority were unchanged in value. 

 Taking the class described as "Downs" as being the most generally 

 representative, we find that at Bristol and Derby there was an advance of 

 \d. per lb., while at Shrewsbury, Leicester, Ipswich and York, there was a 

 decline of a like amount. Veal calves of good quality were scarce and 

 realized good prices, but pigs, both bacon and porkers, were very irregular 

 in demand, apparently controlled by local supply and demand. 



The dead-meat trade, which had finished very badly the preceding week 

 owing to the abnormal heat, was greatly relieved by the colder winds 



