1910.] Live and Dead Meat Trade in December. 869 



Christmas market values, were Derby, Dorchester, Hull, Leeds, 

 Norwich, Preston, Salford, Shrewsbury, and Wakefield, and no single 

 market was quoted higher. In the closing days of the month, there 

 was little transpiring in the live stock markets worthy of notice, but 

 there was nothing to indicate anything approaching weakness in the 

 demand for beef, which was so steady throughout the year. 



Veal Calves. — The demand for fat calves is small, as a rule, in the 

 early winter months, especially during cold weather. Supplies this 

 year, however, were small in proportion, and there was occasional sharp 

 inquiry for really good quality. Quotations varied but slightly from 

 week to week, commencing at 8 3 <i. per lb. for first and J^d. for second 

 quality in the twenty-one markets recorded during the week ending 

 December 9th; at Preston, Ruthin, Salford, and Edinburgh, prime 

 calves fetched gd. per lb. or over. In the following week, with very 

 cold w T eather, second quality advanced \&., while immediately before 

 Christmas, the average stood at %\&. and jhd. for first and second 

 quality. Preston that week was the highest market, where 9!^. per lb. 

 was obtained. 



Fat Sheep. — As the month came in, there were signs in several 

 markets that the supplies of prime mutton were beginning to diminish, 

 and in those places there was some advance in values. Leicester, 

 London, York, and Wellington, showed an upward tendency, but at 

 Derby and Shrewsbury there was a decline, and so the average prices 

 both of Downs and Longwools remained unchanged. They were for 

 Downs, *j\d., 6\d. and 5^. per lb. for first, second and third quality 

 respectively, and 6|<i., 6d. and <\\d. for Longwools. It is very 

 remarkable that the average for prime Downs should have remained 

 exactly the same for so many weeks, and that their value at so many 

 markets, widely separated, should have been so uniform. This 

 steadiness gave rise to the hope on the part of farmers that the bed- 

 rock of possible values had been reached. 



At the London Christmas market on the 13th, there was a really 

 good supply of choice mutton, the 8,750 head present being fully double 

 the ordinary numbers, while by far the larger portion were Hampshires, 

 Oxfords and Norfolks of fine quality, many of them with skins worth 

 105. each. Trade was unexpectedly good, and all got sold at a sharp 

 advance on the preceding week. In fact the quotation for Islington 

 was the highest in the reported English markets, and the best for some 

 months. Although 8^d. for prime Down tegs was a fair average for 

 the first quality, there is no doubt that individual lots made 8%d. per lb. 

 Second quality, i.e. wether sheep, of this class also advanced %d. per lb., 

 and reached 7fd. per lb. The general average of the country for the 

 week was y\d. per lb. for first, and 6^d. for second quality. Down ewes 

 also sold better and made 53d. per lb. The improvement, however, was 

 chiefly confined to the breeds of sheep classed as "Downs," and first 

 quality Longwools remained at an average of 6£cL, while second quality 

 sold Id. better and touched 6\d., and ewes improved to the same extent 

 and averaged <\%d. per lb. This comparatively greater improvement of 

 the Downs is accounted for by the fact that the Longwoolled varieties 

 are later in lambing, and tegs are seldom brought out before Christmas. 

 The good clearance of a large market at Islington as well as better 

 prices was taken as an encouraging sign, considering that sheep are 



