1910.] Live and Dead Meat Trade in April. 



163 



the markets extended to oilseeds, but these seeds, the basis of most 

 important feedingstuffs, are still dear enough to inconvenience many- 

 owners of live stock. The month closed with cottonseed at £10 5s. 

 per ton, linseed at 625. to 65s. per qr., brown Calcutta rapeseed at 41s. 

 per qr., and good Sesame at 155. per cwt. Shipments of linseed in 

 April were 452,000 qrs. from South America and 310,000 qrs. from 

 India. On the last day of the month 250,000 qrs. of linseed, 16,000 qrs. 

 of rapeseed, and 79,000 tons of cottonseed were on passage to this 

 country. 



Oilcake. — The demand of late has been small, cottonseed cake in 

 especial being out of favour. There has also been an appreciable lull 

 in the inquiry for soy bean cake. Prices at the close of the month 

 included £9 per ton for the best linseed cake, £6 12s. 6d. for the best 

 cottonseed cake, and six guineas for the best soy bean cake. 



Various Feedingstuffs. — Beet sugar at 145. 6d. per cwt. is in steady 

 request on spot, but is offered for November delivery at substantially 

 lower quotations. A fluctuation of 25. per cwt., or say, 15 per cent., 

 is normal in this trade over the period of any given year. Value is 

 usually highest at about this season, and lowest in the last nine or 

 ten weeks of the year. The month closed with feeding rice at js. gd. 

 to 85. per cwt., with rye at 26s. to 285. per qr., and with Indian Dari 

 at 265. per qr. Bran, middlings, sharps, and pollard were somewhat 

 cheaper from the quotations with which the month commenced. 



THE LIVE AND DEAD MEAT TRADE IN 

 APRIL. 

 A. T. Matthews. 



Fat Cattle. — The general character of the supplies was good through- 

 out the month, and the numbers on offer have been about normal. 

 The demand has been remarkably steady, and prices have shown a 

 gradually hardening tendency. Very few cattle of other breeds than 

 the Shorthorn have been offered in London, but the supplies of these 

 have been excellent, as usual, from the Eastern counties, and have met 

 with ready purchasers at prices considerably above the general average 

 of the country. Up to the end of the third week prime Shorthorns 

 averaged Ss. 5!^., and second quality js. S^d. per 14 lb. stone, showing 

 an advance in about twenty-four of the principal English markets of 

 ifd. in one case and id. in the other. The trade during the last week 

 showed no signs of weakness, while in London Shorthorns easily fetched 

 7fd. per lb. for prime quality, which was the highest point touched 

 since the end of January. 



The average for Herefords in all recorded English markets was 

 Ss. Sd. and 75. nd. for first and second quality, and that of Devons, 

 Ss. 6d. and 75. nd. 



The drawbacks to stall-feeding of cattle during the past winter have 

 been the poor quality of the hay and the high price of feeding-stuffs, 

 but roots have been plentiful, and, on the whole, sellers appear very 

 well satisfied with the season's results. A period of short supplies of 

 prime cattle is generally expected before any grass-fed beasts will be 

 available. 



Veal Calves. — Calves, as usual at this time of year, have been rather 



