The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-21
HOGS SCARCE And HIGHER
THE WEEK SHOWS A GOOD GAIN IN
PRICES OF ALL GRADES.
Cattle Steady, without Important
Change in Quotations - sheep
steady-Markets Elsewhere.
Receipts and Shipments.

shipments .........-...--..'-.......'. -'.shah
SHEEP-Rece!pts ............................L Light
Shipments ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS None
UNION STOCKYARDS, INDIANAPOLIS. Feb.
2O.-The marketing Of hogs this week. although
about 1900 smaller than last week, has been
very fair for this time in the year and shows
gain OF 1850 over the same week year ago
and $500 over the corresponding week two years
ago. Thus far this year the receipts are $500
larger than the same period last year. and the
gain this month far is nearly 5000 over the
corresponding time last year. For the week end
ing yesterday the leading local packers bought
total of 22 4i9 hogs. against 800 the preceding
week and 6525 the same week year ago. Dur
ing the same period the shipments Were only
Z 4O7, against 2O527 the preceding week and $3.50
the corresponding week year ago.
So far as the choice medium TO heavy hogs
are concerned there has been rather &. remarkable
market this week. bit the light grades have
suffered. At the beginning of the week prices
of all grades advanced. and for three days the
heavy end suffered practically no change in
values. During that period, however, prices OF
light hogs grew gradually weaker, and on Thurs
day the average for this class from sc to loo
lower than on Tuesday. Subsequently moderate
supplies forced an upward movement in prices
of all kinds, but principally the medium TO heavy
grades, and near the close of the week the good
weight hogs were selling about loo higher Tor
an average as compared with the close of last
week. and light hogs 5G1Oc higher compared
with the same time. At the beginning OF the
week there spread of soc in prices and at
the close of the week 65c The small supplies
occasioned stronger local support of the market
than recently and this 10 a certain extent pro-
hibited shipping orders, which caused quite a
decrease in the volume OF this business COM
pared with last week. The records indicate that
shippers took over 5000 less hogs this week than
last, while local packers purchases for the same
period increased 1900. The quality and condition
Of the current offerings has been generally salts
factory, and the proportion of prime grades was
possibly little larger than last week
The receipts to-day were quite small; in fact
| below the average at this time in the week.
and there not many good hogs in proper
ton TO the receipts yesterday. Aside from
| top kinds, however there was not great deal
of change in the quality and condition of the
| offerings The market opened with all buyers
| in the field. and, although orders were probably
not liberal, they were apparently urgent and
the competition between buyers at once
| active. Therefore the conditions were favorable
| to statesmen, and they succeeded in realizing a
| good advance in prices over yesterday. The
| heavy grades probably did not sell TO exceed
sc higher for an average, and this amount would
| probably cover the advance in prices OF light
hogs in a general way. but there were several
instances that could be considered at least 100
higher 1t is generally believed that the strength
| of the market developed in light hogs was due
principally to the scarcity of other grades. The
| gain, however, lessened the margin between
| prices of light and heavy hogs and the difference
| now is not much more than a week ago. 1t did
not require long to exhaust the supply and there
| was no change in prices from the opening. Sales
ranged from s. to $685. and the bulk of the sup
ply sold at s5.15955O. Quotations:
Good to choice medium to heavy........s s. IS
<