9 66 



The Live and Dead Meat Trade. [march, 



advance, making the top price of Downs y\d. per lb. This lead was 

 followed in several country markets, and \d. per lb. more money was 

 obtained at Newcastle and York, while Bristol, Hereford, Ipswich, and 

 Leicester all advanced \d. The trade was also better at four leading 

 Scotch markets. Against this improvement there must be set a 

 further slight decline at Peterborough, Shrewsbury, Wellington, and 

 Wolverhampton. The minimum values touched in January at a few 

 markets were, however, levelled up, and y\d. was the lowest quotation 

 for the class of sheep which we are taking as our example, viz., prime 

 Downs of small weight. 



Perhaps the above-mentioned rally at London and other places 

 was the cause of the increased supply at Islington on the 22nd. The 

 hopes of senders were, however, again disappointed, and once more 

 the market fell back into a lifeless condition ; a large number were 

 left unsold, prices declined to their old level, and the end of the month 

 found the sheep trade still in a state of depression which is almost 

 unprecedented. 



Fat Lambs. — The lamb trade has fully shared in the heavy fall 

 of values, and the consumptive demand has been very small. The 

 cold weather has assisted in making matters worse in this respect, 

 and fine half-bred Dorsets have repeatedly failed to find buyers at 

 Islington at 8a!. per lb. dead weight. At Leicester, Wakefield, and a 

 few other places lambs have been quoted as high as is. and even is. 2d. 

 per lb., but in the southern markets, such as Bristol and Exeter, they 

 have been exceedingly cheap. 



Veal Calves. — There has been a good demand for veal calves of 

 good quality all the month, and the moderate supplies on offer have 

 made good prices, though varying considerably at different markets. 

 The London trade has been almost nominal. During the first week 

 g\d. per lb. was given at Preston, 9a 7 . at Ashford, and 8fd. at New- 

 castle and Derby, but at Bristol and Exeter the price was only *j\d. 

 The second week showed undiminished values, and g\d. per lb. was 

 realised at Leicester, the demand continuing good to the end. 



Fat Pigs. — Although there has been no great or sudden advance 

 in values, the trade has held a firm tone throughout the month, and 

 prices have gradually hardened at nearly all markets. 



Carcase Beef. — The chief feature of the early part of the month was 

 the arrival of large supplies of Danish sides in London and other 

 great centres. It has frequently happened that a rising market for 

 beef in England has been checked by a sudden influx of Danish, which 

 ceases when prices again become low. These supplies were very heavy 

 in the beginning of the month, and the effect was felt at the Central 

 market, where values at once suffered a fall of Id. per lb. for Scotch, \d. 

 for English, Id. for Deptford killed^ and fa 7 , for American chilled. 

 Prices, however, remained steady at this decline for the next week, the 

 following being those for first quality :— Scotch sides 6|a T ., English $%d., 

 port killed 5fa\, and chilled American, hind-quarters 65a'. and fore- 

 quarters 31a 7 . The best Danish ox beef fetched ^d. to 5fa\ per lb. 

 The third week brought a firm trade and a small advance in all the 

 best classes of beef, chilled and frozen remaining practically unchanged. 

 Values were well maintained in the last week, although there were 

 liberal supplies from Scotland. Butchers complain that present whole- 

 sale prices leave them no margin for profit on the first qualities of beef. 



