1909.] The Live and Dead Meat Trade. 165 



singular and prolonged depression in the mutton trade during so many 

 months. The supply of turnip-fed tegs virtually ends with the month 

 of April, and thus the present supplies can scarcely be maintained beyond 

 the middle of May. . The fine rains and genial growing weather were 

 also greatly in favour of the trade, and the end of April was marked 

 by a restoration of confidence in sheep-farming prospects. The trade 

 at Islington scarcely kept pace with some of the country markets, but 

 on the last Monday the price of first quality clipped Down tegs advanced 

 Id. per lb., bringing the top quotation to 73d., while that for small 

 Scotch half-breds was Sd. per lb. 



Fat Lambs. — The Easter lamb trade was fairly good, but extremely 

 irregular as regards values. There was a very good show of about 

 3,000 at Islington on the 5th, but if the primest quality realised 15. 

 per lb., it was only in very exceptional cases, whereas at Carlisle as 

 much as is. qd. was reached. The best price at York was is. 2d., at 

 Hull and Leeds, 15., and at Dorchester only iold. The following week 

 prices were more normal, but there was a fair demand at is. per lb. 

 at many places, London being amongst the lowest at io|d. With a 

 smaller supply at the last market, the price rose to nd., but rougher 

 quality lambs could be purchased as low as gd. per lb. 



Fat Calves. — The calf trade is always a special feature of the markets 

 just before Easter, but, as with lambs, there was great variation this 

 year in both supplies and values. At Leicester they made from lod. 

 to is. id. per lb., while at Exeter the top quotation was Sd. At many 

 other markets it was iod., but the average top price would be about 

 gd. per lb. After Easter, the special demand being over, prices sank 

 to their former level, and g^d. was about the extreme value; but few 

 markets were quoted as low as 8d. per lb. 



Fat Pigs. — Bacon pigs have met a steady demand throughout the 

 month, but porkers have been in less request, as the season is drawing 

 to a close. Early in the month the price at Carlisle went up to js. gd. 

 per 14-lb. stone, but this market was above the average, which was 

 about 6s. 6d. to 6s. gd. At Birmingham in the third week the price for 

 prime bacon pigs was 75. 3d. per stone. 



Carcass Beef. — The trade for carcass beef, like that for live cattle, 

 was somewhat featureless. There was a general firmness, with a 

 moderate advance in most classes in the first week for the first 

 qualities of each, but the second quality and cow beef were prejudiced 

 by the large supply of Danish sides. These have to be promptly sold 

 on arrival, and during the spell of warm sunshine just before Easter 

 much had to be sold at nominal prices. To illustrate this it may be 

 mentioned that one buyer purchased 35 sides of Danish beef at if d. per 

 lb. There was a decided scarcity of port killed, and the best selected 

 Deptford sides fetched 6§d. per lb., against 5§d, for English, and 6^d. 

 for Scotch. The second week was a dull one. Home-grown beef de- 

 clined from Id. to \d. per lb., and the price continued without any 

 change during the remainder of the month at 6\d. for the best Scotch, 

 and 5|d. to 6d. for English. Towards the close of the month American 

 chilled became scarce, and advanced to 6\d. per lb. for hind-quarters, 

 and 3fd. for fore-quarters. Argentine was far more plentiful, and 

 remained at the low price of 4|d. per lb. 



Carcass Mutton. — The price of mutton at the dead-meat markets 



