SALES OF CATTLE BY WEIGHT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1665, 27 January 1904, Page 66

SALES OF CATTLE BY WEIGHT.

The ; returns furnished to the Bioard of Agriculture under the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act, are published in the Journal of the Board, and show that during the second quarter of the current year, 328.675 head of cattle, 1.067,715 sheep and 115,034 pigs were registered as entering the twenty-one statutory markets, of which fifteen are in England and six in Scotland: The number of cattle was less tbau the total for the same period in 1902, but more than that for 1901. The number weighed was 45,614. Of the tcatcle, weighing prices were returned, and the qxxality was distinguished as regards 31,420 head. Though there was a decline in the total of cattle, the percentage weighed was larger than in either 1902 or 1901. A sufficient • number of returns was obtained from thirteen of the markets to enable averages to be cadculated. These are all lower than the corresponding average prices in the preceding quarter. For fat cattle of prime quality the highest average was 38s Bdl per cwt; the 'lowest was 35s 8d per cwt. For good or second quality fat cattle, the highest average was 35s Hid per cwt; the lowest was 395. In the summer months of the present year prices were, of course, considerably lower than in the correspondingperiod of 1902. The number of sheep marketed was less than in the second quarter of. either of the two preceding years; on the other hand, the total of pigs was Larger.