St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-03
THE PROVISION MARKET.
Last Weeks Business Shows Mater
ial Falling Off and an Unset
tied Feeling.
General Export Demand and Disposition
Among Home Buyers to Purchase for
Pressing Needs Only.
Especial Telegram to the Globe. I

CHICAGO, March 2-Howard, White s. Co.
review the provision market as follows:
''There are few new features to note in the
market for hog products, and certainly none
Of any special interest. Trading in all
bran nches-speculative, shipping and dis
tributing-has slackened very materially.
The feeling, in general way, during the
past week was somewhat unsettled and the
fluctuations in prices were frequent
though not partaking of a
very wide range. Speculative buyers were
not inclined to do much business, notwith-
standing the receipts of hogs were light and
the quality poor, the manufacture of product
small, and the stocks gradually decreasing.
Sellers displayed little backbone at times,
sufficient to break down prices temporarily,
but the inquiry from the short interest was
sufficiently urgent to check any serious
decline. A good proportion of the specula-
tive trading was in settlement or in
transferring contracts ahead, and
as the difference in prices of
some of the deferred deliveries being mar
rowed considerably some operators were in
clined to take advantage of the situation.
The shipping demand was meagre in the
aggregate, and an exceedingly limited num-
Der of orders for round lots were provided
for Early in the week the market exhibited
little strength, and prices were slightly ad-
vanced on the leading speculative articles.
The offerings were increased somewhat,
being encouraged by the weakness in
the hog market and prices gradually receded
to inside figures on all the leading articles,
yet the lowest figures of the week previous
were not reached. Toward the close the
market was steadier again and finally closed
at about the medium figures of the week In
view of the large decrease in the packing of
the west-much larger than generally anti
cipated-there is less disposition manifested
to sell the product for future delivery and the
uncertainty of the supply of hogs for packing
purposes during the summer makes buyers
timid about taking hold.
Operators have been "evening up'' their
trades to some extent, and evince desire to
wait until the deliveries on March are made,
the stocks on hand made public, and the
final returns of the packing compiled. Ship
pers are not inclined to much business, the
Lenten season interfering with trading to
some extent.
The receipts from the interior were moder-
ate and the shipments were fair and widely
distributed. The exports from November
are now about 10000, 600 pounds less than
for the same time last season.
The foreign demand for hog products was
extremely high during the past week, very
few orders being received. The stocks
abroad are understood to be moderate but
this is regarded as the quiet season of the
year.
A little inquiry prevailed for lard, and few
small orders for special cuts OF bacon were
provided for Advices from Liverpool indi-
Gated weak feeling in that quarter, and
quotations were reduced Is. Sd. on lard and
Is. 01s. Cd. On bacon during the week. The
Continental markets also are weak. The
exports continue moderate, and good per-
centage of the consignments are in first
hands.
The domestic demaad for hog products was
moderate during week just closed. The
orders received were generally for small
quantities, indicating that merchants in dis
tributing markets are inclined to pursue a
conservative course and only take sufficient
product to supply necessary wants. Orders
from the south were moderate in number and
size and generally limited to figures below
the views of sellers which checked business
to some extent. The shipments in
that direction have been rather free, how
ever, but it was largely of product which had
been detained here on account OF the floods
in the Ohio valley. Trade with the Pacific
coast markets was comparatively light, and
chiefly for special articles. Orders from
Canada were rather small, but there is lit
tie more inquiry from the lnmber districts.
The demand from the eastern markets was
moderate, and orders generally from interior
points was only to meet pressing wants.