Prices of Live Stock. 



541 



It is to be observed that at each of the markets, for which 

 figures for both years are available, there was a fall in the 

 value of cattle of first and second qualities, amounting in one 

 case to as much as 2s. lod. per cwt. For the animals classed 

 as of third quality the tendency was not quite so uniform, 

 though seven markets showed a decline, while only two showed 

 a rise. Speaking generally, therefore, the fall in the price 

 of beef during the past year was marked. 



The fat cattle, to which the quotations above given refer, 

 include all those for which both weight and price were 

 returned. Included among them are always a certain number 

 reported as being actually sold by live weight at an agreed 

 rate per cwt. or per stone. This number in 1898 reached 

 i3j03i> thus largely exceeding the corresponding number in 

 1897, which was only 5,345. These were distributed among 

 seven places, viz., Glasgow, Falkirk, Dundee, Edinburgh, 

 London, Liverpool, and Newcastle, in the order named, more 

 than one-third of the whole number being returned at 

 Glasgow. This marked increase in the number of live 

 weight sales would appear to indicate that the method so 

 long advocated, and as yet so little used, is at length begin- 

 ning seriously to find favour. In addition to the 13,031 

 fat stock thus disposed of, there were also 1,172 store cattle 

 returned as having been sold by live weight at Edinburgh, 

 Glasgow, and Leicester. The total number of store cattle 

 returned as having been weighed and priced during the year 

 was 6,608, of which over two-thirds were sold at Shrewsbury. 

 The prices at which they were sold ranged from 4s. 3d. 

 per stone (34s. per cwt.) at Shrewsbury to 3s. ifd. per stone 

 (25s. 2d. per cwt.) at Edinburgh. 



The usual tables which have been previously referred to, 

 giving the details for the fourth quarter of 1898, and the 

 general table showing the numbers of stock entering, 

 weighed, and priced, at each scheduled place during the 

 whole year, are appended. 



