Prices of Live Stock. 



127 



various markets is considerable. For prime cattle Leeds 

 had an average for the quarter of 4s. per stone (32s. per 

 cwt.), and London 4s. gd. per stone (38s. per cwt.). A 

 similar contrast is shown in the case of second quality 

 beasts, Leeds having an average of 3s. per stone 



(28s. iod. per cwt.) ; while London reached an average of 

 4s. 3M. per stone (34s. 4d. per cwt.), or considerably more 

 than the price for cattle graded at Leeds as of first quality. 



An indication of the general tendency of the price of fat 

 cattle during each month may be obtained by calculating 

 the weight and actual value of all the cattle of each grade 

 weighed and priced at the twelve places above enumerated. 

 Eliminating the third quality on account of the insuffi- 

 ciency of the data, the number of cattle weighed in the 

 "inferior" class being again, as in other years, compara- 

 tively insignificant, it is possible to quote for each month 

 of the quarter average prices, arrived at as above described, 

 for second grade and for prime cattle respectively as 

 under : — 







Average 



Prices. 





Months. 



Good 



Prime 



or Second Quality. 



or First Quality. 





Per Stone. 



Per Cwt. 



Per Stone. 



Per Cwt. 





s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



January - 



4 of 



32 6 



4 31 



34 6 



February - 



4 of 



32 6 



4 4 



34 8 



March 



4 *i 



•32 10 



4 41 



34 10 



The tendency of the markets, as indicated by these figures, 

 has been a rising one during the first quarter of the year, and 

 it may be noted that the prices represent the mean results 

 of a number of specific transactions and the prices at which 

 they actually took place. Notwithstanding the comparatively 

 limited number of animals for which these records are avail- 

 able, it may fairly be claimed that averages based upon the 

 recorded sales of nearly 21,000 cattle at 12 several widely 



