222 



PRICES OF LIVE STOCK. 



[Sept. 189G. 



PRICES OF LIVE STOCK AS RETURNED UNDER 

 THE WEIGHING OF CATTLE ACT. 



The returns of prices under the Markets and Fairs (Weighing 

 of Cattle) Act, 1891, for the second quarter of 1896 are now 

 available. From the detailed particulars rendered to the Board 

 of Agriculture by the market authorities and auctioneers, 

 respecting the actual number of animals entering, the number of 

 these which were weighed, and the values current at the markets 

 or auction marts of the 19 places scheduled by the statute in 

 Great Britain, it appears that the numbers of animals whereof 

 the weight was ascertained, and the current prices per live 

 stone or live cwt. calculated, continue to show an increase. 

 This improvement in the case of cattle is still more marked than 

 the absolute figures show, when it is noted that the total number 

 entering the scheduled places was considerably below the figures 

 of the like quarters of previous years. 



The comparison stands as under : — 



Animals. 



2nd Quarter, 



2nd Quarter, 



2nd Quarter, 



1896. 



1895. 



1894. 



Cattle : 



No. 



No. 



No. 



Entering markets 



268,864 



298,040 



294,821 



Weighed - 



28,859 



26,063 



25,324 



Prices returned - 



27,201 



23,505 



23,332 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



19,737 



15,996 



15,809 



tinguished. 









Sheep : 









Entering markets 



1,136,350 



1,131,996 



1,332,162 



Weighed - - - 



13,130 



10,929 



14,901 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



11,425 



5,583 



9,503 



tinguished. 









Swine : 









Entering markets 



58,670 



58,943 



28,110 



Weighed - 



1,634 



636 



395 



Prices returned - 



620 



301 



37 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



620 





10 



tinguished. 









These data show that the practice of weighing swine, which 

 has hitherto been comparatively rare, and is still practically 

 confined to three markets only — Leeds, Newcastle, and Perth- 

 has made further progress, the total weighed being 1,634 against 

 636 in the same months of 1895, and against 395 in those of 

 1894. Prices of weighed swine were reported in twice as many 

 instances as in the like quarter of 1895, but nearly the whole of 

 the price quotations came from Newcastle alone. 



The numbers of sheep weighed were considerably more than 

 in the same period of 1895, though not so numerous as in 1894 



