1909.] Live and Dead Meat Trade in September. 605 



pigs advanced but medium weights went up id. per stone, and the 

 market remained firm to the close. 



Carcass Beef. — The fluctuations of the month in British beef have 

 been small, trade being fairly steady throughout. The London Central 

 Market may be taken with some confidence as reflecting the condition 

 of the carcass trade of the country, and prices in the first week stood 

 there at ^\d. to J^d. per lb. for Scotch short sides, 6\d. to 6^a 7 . for 

 whole or . " long " sides, and $%d. to 5|d. for English. Port killed 

 was then fetching $%d. to 6d., whether killed at Deptford or Birken- 

 head. Chilled beef maintained to the full its reputation for those great 

 and sudden fluctuations of value for which it is difficult to account, 

 especially as regards the supply from Argentina. In the course of the 

 first week it fell from 6d. to 5^. per lb. for hind-quarters, and another 

 %d. in the second week, recovering %d. in the third week. United 

 States chilled, continuing in small supply, was steadier in value, starting 

 at 6^d. for hind-quarters, and 4§d. for fore-quarters for best quality, or 

 an average of about 53d. for the whole side. In the third week, hind- 

 quarters advanced \d. per lb., but as Canadian " Ranchers " came more 

 freely to hand, there was a fall of fully \d. per lb. in the last week. 

 Frozen beef was offered very freely, and prices were easier than in 

 August. 



The arrival of Canadian grass-fed beef usually lowers the average 

 value of port killed in our markets, and as the month advanced, the 

 quotations changed positions with those of English sides. Scotch sides 

 at Smithfield are nearly always higher than Deptford killed by \d. to 

 \d. per lb., but, as a rule, English are cheaper. On the 22nd English 

 was Id., and Scotch id., per lb. dearer than Deptford. As before 

 pointed out, the English beef sold at Smithfield is small in quantity, 

 and its quality is not fairly representative of the best quality produced. 

 This will be seen by comparing the quotations of Scotch and English 

 sides, the former frequently being the higher by f<2. per lb., but it is 

 not claimed that there is all that difference in quality between, say, a 

 well-fed Norfolk Shorthorn and the best Scotch, to say nothing of a 

 really fine Hereford or Devon. The last quotations to hand were 6-fd. 

 per lb. for prime Scotch, and 5fd. for such English as there was on 

 offer. 



Veal. — The trade for veal was very quiet in London throughout the 

 month, but remained fairly firm in value till the end of the third week 

 at 6^d. per lb. for best quality, a small quantity of Dutch frequently 

 fetching more money. About the 23rd the demand was very poor, 

 prices receding \d. per lb., and very good English veal was sold at 

 $\d. The following were the prices of best English veal at five English 

 markets during the third week : Birmingham, 58s. ^d. ; Leeds, 655. <\d. ; 

 Liverpool, 675. Sd. ; London, 565. ; Manchester, 635. per cwt. 



Carcass Mutton. — In view of the state of trade in the live-stock 

 markets, it is needless to say that carcass mutton was at a discount. 

 The price of live sheep was low, but that of mutton in the dead-meat 

 market was relatively lower still. The extreme top price of prime 

 Scotch varied from 6\d. to 6\d. per lb., and the best English never 

 exceeded 6d., while capital 80-lb. wether carcasses from the West of 

 England were offering freely at $d. per lb. Dutch fresh killed com- 



