412 



PRICES OF LIVE STOCK- 

 Returned under the Weighing of Cattle Act. 



Returns for the three months ending 30th September, 1898, 

 received by the Board of Agriculture from the places 

 scheduled under the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of 

 Cattle) Act, 1891, are now available for comparison with 

 those previously published in this Journal. 



The number of stock of all kinds entering the markets at 

 the twenty- one places marking returns shows a marked 

 increase over the numbers returned in the corresponding 

 period of 1897. The comparative figures for the present 

 and two preceding years are as follows : — 



Animals. 



Quarter, 

 1898. 



3rd 

 Quarter, 

 1897. 



3rd 

 Quarter, 

 1896. 



Cattle : 



No. 



No. 



No. 



Entering markets 



^62,395 



223,323 



227,346 



Weighed ----- 



32,274 



26,024 



24,471 



Prices returned - . - - 



28,799 



23,037 



22,481 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



23,804 



18,172 



16,857 



tinguished. 









Sheep : 









Entering markets 



1,593,030 



1,380,624 



1,424,166 



Weighed 



12,878 



12,290 



11,028 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



10,956 



10,485 



8,476 



tinguished. 









Swine : * 









Entering markets 



75,125 



44,428 



46,431 



Weighed ----- 



479 



696 



1,346 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



467 



474 



503 



tinguished. 









Note. — The figures for 1898 include the returns from Carlisle and Falkirk. 



The number of cattle entering the markets was thus 39,072 

 in excess of last year. Of this increase only 12,499 are accounted 



