269 



PRICES OF LIVE STOCK. 



Returned Under the Weighing of Cattle Act. 



Returns of prices furnished to the Board of Agriculture 

 from the places scheduled under the Markets and Fairs 

 (Weighing of Cattle) Act are available for the second quarter 

 of the current year. During that period 319,826 cattle, 

 1,200,077 sheep, and 106.310 swine were returned as entering 

 the markets at the 21 places from which particulars are 

 received under the statute. The numbers weighed and 

 priced, with the comparative figures for the corresponding 

 quarter of 1898, are given in the following statement : — 



Animals. 



2nd 

 Quarter, 

 1899. 



2nd 

 Quarter, 

 1898. 



Cattle : 





No. 



No. 



Entering markets 





319,826 



323,369 



Weighed ... 





36,305 



33,484 



Prices returned - 





32,498 



30,656 



Prices returned with quality 



dis- 







tinguished .... 





25,962 



23,888 



Sheep : 









Entering markets 





1,200,077 



1,200,032 



Weighed ----- 





14,124 



16,609 



Prices returned with quality 



dis- 







tinguished - 





12,045 



13,342 



Swine : 









Entering markets 





106,310 



76,760 



Weighed - - - 





713 



298 



Prices returned with quality 



dis- 







tinguished - 





601 



251 



While the number of cattle entering- the markets was 



slightly less than during the same period last year, the num- 

 bers weighed and priced were larger. The number of sheep 

 exposed for sale was curiously similar in the two quarters 

 above compared, but the proportion weighed was not only 

 still very small, but showed a decrease from last year. 



