250 The Live and Dead Meat Trades in May. [june, 



Mark Lane, where that term has also a technical application, the 

 coincident scarcity of maize and dari has been felt as a serious draw- 

 back. A relatively good market has existed for sorghum and other 

 sorts of millet, while the Indian products like Dholl, Muttor, Kasari 

 peas, and so forth would have sold well if the offerings had been at 

 all adequate. The minor staple which is most neglected in proportion 

 to its intrinsic value is perhaps rye. At 315. per 480 lb. for a good 

 selected sample, we have an excellent feeding stuff at three farthings 

 per lb. In the present state of the corn markets this is not to be 

 neglected. 



THE LIVE AND DEAD MEAT TRADE IN MAY. 

 A. T. Matthews. 



Fat Cattle. — The season for the production of grass-fed beef started 

 under unfavourable conditions. There was a great deficiency of moisture 

 in the soil, while east winds and frosty nights prevented the grass from 

 starting. Consequently, there is no doubt that a considerable number 

 of bullocks were sent to market early in the month which otherwise 

 would have been allowed a few weeks for finishing in the pastures. 

 Some markets began to show signs of the exhaustion of the supplies 

 of stall-fed cattle in the falling off of the proportion of first quality, 

 but, on the whole, there has been little to complain of on this score, and 

 the condition of the cattle exposed has been quite up to the average 

 for the time of year. The supplies of foreign cattle slaughtered at ports 

 of landing have been very moderate, especially of those of the better 

 class, which indeed were rather scarce, and this has tended to maintain 

 values for all home-bred cattle of good quality. During the first week 

 there was an average advance of about id. per 14 lb. stone, taking 25 

 of the principal markets quoting first quality Shorthorns. This, how- 

 ever, did not extend to second quality. The market at Islington on 

 May 3rd was not visibly affected by the demand for a warranty by the 

 butchers, as was feared might be the case. An arrangement was made 

 with the bankers to indemnify buyers against loss by seizure on pay- 

 ment by the sellers of one shilling per head for bullocks, but not cows. 



Very few complaints came to hand during the second week of either 

 the numbers or condition of bullocks at the larger markets, such as 

 Carlisle, Derby, Hull, Nottingham, Preston, Salford, Shrewsbury, &c, 

 while at Norwich it was the largest show of the season. At all the 

 above, to which we may add London, there were plenty of good cattle 

 of first quality, but trade was a little dragging at several of them, and 

 was reported worse at Basingstoke, Denbigh, Derby, Ipswich, London, 

 Newcastle, Norwich, Shrewsbury, Truro, Castle Douglas, Glasgow, 

 and Inverness. On the other hand, Darlington, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, 

 and others sent more cheerful reports, and, on striking an average for 

 23 markets for first quality Shorthorns, the price came out at 85. i\d. 

 per stone, or only a small fraction less than that of the first week. 

 Prices for this class of cattle were singularly even throughout the 

 country. The highest quotation was 8s. $d. at Ashford and New- 

 port, the lowest being 75. gd. at Norwich. The following week 

 there was quite a general rebound, and 29 markets out of 40 re- 

 ported improvement; best Shorthorns came out at 85. 3^., or a clear 



