538 



Prices of Live Stock. 



for the purpose under the Act of 1891® From the following 

 table giving in one view the numbers entering, weighed, and 

 priced in each of the five years 1 893-1897 inclusive, it is ap- 

 parent that the total number of cattle shown in these markets 

 had declined up to the end of 1896. They were again very 

 slightly more numerous in 1 897 ; but the total of that year 

 was considerably less than in 1893. Sheep were less 

 numerous by nearly three-quarters of a million than in 1893, 

 while the swine accounted for have fluctuated in number from 

 year to year. A distinct increase is nevertheless shown in 

 the number of cattle and sheep weighed alive in the last over 

 the earlier year, as also in those for which prices have been 

 obtained and returned, and in those for which the prices 

 rendered were given with sufficient distinction of grades to 

 render the statistics valuable for comparison. 



In both sheep and swine the cases of weighing are still 

 relatively very few in number, but as many as 1 1 1,700 cattle 

 out of 1,115,000, or practically 10 per cent., were passed over 

 the weighbridges of the 19 selected places in 1897, against 

 only Q2,ooo out of 1,219,000 in 1893, while the complete price 

 records were furnished for 78,000 cattle in the later, as com- 

 pared with 57,000 in the earlier year. These recorded trans- 

 actions furnish, it may be pointed out, a larger number of 

 actual price records respecting the current prices of live 

 stock than have, in any other form, been previously available. 

 The complete table is as follows : — 



Animals. 



1897. 



1896. 



1895. 



1894. 



1893- 



Cattle : 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



Entering markets 



1,115,183 



1,100,014 



1,186,149 



1,203,533 



1,219,208 



Weighed - 



111,767 



109,184 



100,033 



96,344 



92,492 



Prices returned - 



100,371 



99,537 



88,403 



84,593 



84,403 



Prices retunied with 



78,329 



75,014 



64,072 



58,559 



57,323 



quality distinguished 













Sheep : 













Entering markets 



4,194,310 



4,309,943 



4,330,256 



4,649,277 



4,854,732 



Weighed - 



41,969 



41,685 



34,886 



39,210 



38,177 



Prices returned with 



36,692 



35,048 





26,072 



28,180 



quality distinguished 









Swine : 













Entering markets 



211,613 



232,344 



233,189 



139,187 



191,376 



Weighed - 



2,333 



4,585 



2,803 



2,498 



1,450 



Prices returned - 



1,368 



1,686 



1,226 



523 



401 



Prices returned with 



1,368 



1,686 



17 



56 



6 



quality distinguished 









