6o6 



The Provision Trade in September. [oct., 



peted keenly in London, and the price of Dutch " sheep " was about 

 |d. per lb. less. Dutch " lambs " on offer would, however, be more 

 correctly described as small mutton, and these were worth about the 

 same as the best home-killed English mutton. A vigorous attempt 

 was made during September to force up the price of frozen mutton, 

 and this was successful to the extent of raising the nominal quotations 

 about \d. per lb., bringing the price of the best New Zealand to qd. 

 per lb. as the highest point. 



Carcass Lamb. — As the price of British lamb was the same as that 

 of mutton, it is not necessary to give the details of the trade. New- 

 Zealand lamb was uniform in price and worth from 3d. to ^d. per lb. 

 throughout, while Australian and Argentine fetched about id. to %d. per 

 lb. less. 



Pork. — The price of British pork in London was 6d. to €>\d. per lb., 

 advancing temporarily about the 9th to yd., Dutch generally fetching 

 \d. per lb. less. A few very small dairy-fed pigs were sold as high as 

 7l<2., but the quantity of these was very limited. In the third week 

 pork was higher in Birmingham than in London by js. per cwt., and 

 by 4s. Sd. in Leeds and Liverpool. 



THE PROVISION TRADE IN SEPTEMBER. 

 Hedley Stevens. 



Bacon. — During the greater part of the month of September trading 

 was on much more satisfactory lines for the wholesale dealers, buyers 

 being more numerous than sellers, on account of considerably reduced 

 supplies from all points, and consequently advances were secured all 

 round. It is said by those in possession of reliable records that bacon 

 generally has this month reached higher prices than for over twenty 

 years past. By the end of the month a sharp reaction had set in, as, 

 with present prohibitive prices, the consumption showed a further con- 

 siderable reduction. The cooler weather has also reduced the consump- 

 tion of hams, and prices had fallen several shillings per cwt. by the 

 end of the month. 



America continues to send us very small quantities of both bacon 

 and hams, and the latest cables report that their home trade is still good ; 

 and that there is no immediate prospect of being able to increase their 

 shipments to this country. Some packers report that they are making 

 in America equivalent to 885. and 905. per hundredweight for green light 

 bellies, which are used extensively for breakfast bacon. 



Canadian bacon has shown a further falling-off in quantities, and 

 in consequence Danish and Dutch have been in good demand in districts 

 rarely handling these descriptions, which has prevented any accumula- 

 tion of stock in London. The cooler weather also enabled buyers to use 

 these mild-cured meats with greater satisfaction. 



The total imports of bacon from all points into the United Kingdom 

 for the four weeks ending September 18th were 15,427 tons, against ' 

 19,636 tons in 1908 and 21,359 tons m I 9°7- 



Prices for English and Irish bacon have been very close to imported 



