125 



PRICES OF LIVE STOCK 



Returned under the Weighing of Cattle Act. 



Returns of prices collected under the Markets and Fairi 

 (Weighing of Cattle) Act, 1891, for the first three months of 

 1 897 are now available for comparison with previous data 

 similarly obtained. The total number of animals returned to 

 the Board of Agriculture as entering, weighed, and priced 

 at the 19 scheduled places in Great Britain were as 

 follows in this quarter, and in the first quarters of the two 

 preceding years : — ■ 





i?t 



1st 





Animals. 



Quarter, 



Quarter, 



Quarter, 





1S97. 



1896. 



1895. 1 



Ca ttle : 



No. 



No. 



No. 



Entering market; 



260,778 



260.823 



271,648 





26,672 



26,190 



24.771 



Prices returned - 



24,274 



23,709 



22 211 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



18,591 



17,916 



16,818 



tinguished 



Sheep : 









Entering markets - 



744,927 



738,502 



710,865 | 





8,711 



10,116 



8,881 



7,703 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



8,047 



5,279 



tinguished. 







Swine : 









Entering markets 



43,012 



6i,745 



57,5oS 



Weighed 



335 



740 



345 



Prices returned - 



168 



308 



232 



Prices returned with quality dis- 



168 



308 



4 



tinguished 









A small increase is thus exhibited in the number of cattle, 

 for which weights and prices were given, the total number 

 shown being practically the same as in the like period of 

 1896. More sheep were recorded as entering these markets, 

 but fewer seem to have been weighed, although in a rather 

 larger proportion of cases prices were quoted in respect of 

 their passing over the weighbridge. In swine there appears 

 to be a great reduction in the numbers marketed in the 19 



