128 



Prices of Live Stock. 



With a view of furnishing a means of contrasting the 

 current values of cattle per cwl. with the averages for the 

 first quarter of 1896, in both cases omitting the quotations 

 of prices which are distinguished as those of store cattle^ 

 the reports from these ten markets of the sales of fat 

 stock may be compared as under: — 



Placej. 



Infbrior 



or 



Third Quality. 



Good 

 or 



Second Quality. 



Prime 



or 



Fi St Quality. 



1897. 



1896. 



1897. 



1896. 



1897. 



1896. 





Per Cwt. 



Per Cwt. 



Per Cwt. 



Per Cwt. 



Per Cwt. 



Per Cwt. 





s. d. 





J. d. 



J. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



Leeds - 



28 0 



i6 0 



29 4 



29 4 



32 6 



32 0 



Liverpool - • i 



26 3 





31 0 



28 8 



33 4 



33 0 



London 



28 6 



27 3 



34 0 



33 8 



38 6 



37 4 



Newcastle • 



26 4 



26 4 



30 0 



31 0 



35 0 



33 4 



Shrewsbury- 



25 2 



25 4 



30 0 



29 10 



34 4 



33 8 



Aberdeen - 



23 10 



23 6 



32 4 



3 6 



35 2 



34 6 



Dundee 



27 0 



24 ID 



32 4 



31 0 



34 6 



32 3 



Edinburgh - 





24 8 



34 0 



32 2 



35 4 



33 2 



Glasgow 







31 4 



32 4 



35 6 



34 3 



Perth - 



30 6 



29 6 



32 8 



31 2 



34 6 



32 8 



These comparisons, speaking roughly, indicate some im- 

 provement in values — a rise occurring in every instance in 

 the prices of prime cattle, and in seven out of ten cases in 

 second grade cattle — while changes in the opposite direction 

 only come from markets of minor importance. The highest 

 average price per cwt. for prime cattle in the first quarter 

 of 1897 was that of London at 386-. 6<^., and the lowest at 

 Leeds was 32^". 6^. These markets returned also the 

 highest and lowest prices in 1896. 



The number of instances in which fat stock were sold in 

 the scheduled markets by an actual rate per live cwt. were 

 reported to be 878 in this quarter as compared with 779 

 cases in the same quarter of 1896 and the quotations ascer- 

 tained in this way ranged from ^os, 2d, per cwt. at Glasgow, 

 to 34^. td. at London for second class stock, and from 

 335. 4</. per cwt. at Liverpool to 38.5-. id. per cwt. at London 

 for such prime cattle as were disposed of in this manner. 



The customary table, giving details of the extent of 

 weighing at each scheduled place, is appended : — 



