Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-30
ANNUAL LIVE STOCK MARKET
REPORT FOR 1908.
Brighton. Ma SS j

| Brighton, Mass, JAN 1.
The past year began with condi-
| tions very poor, the result of the
| business depression that was just be-
| ing felt Conditions improved quite
| steadily throughout the year, however.
| and have reached about the normal
| again. The total amount of livestock
brought to market was about the same
| as during 1907. Receipts of cattle
We're smaller, but hogs showed a large
increase. AS usual, the greater part
| of the hogs, calves, sheep and lambs
are sent directly to the slaughter
houses, but there has been a good sup
ply of beef cattle and milch cows at
the yards, Marked improvement has
been noted in the promptness of ar
rival of the trains at the market. Last
year late trains caused a great deal
OF trouble, but this year the railroads
nave not been so crowded with busi-
ness, and have been able to deliver
the stock more promptly. Altogether
it has been fairly satisfactory year
to shippers, though there have been
times when profits We're small or van
iShed entirely.
The market for milch cows has been
dull during most Of the year. The ex-
treme drought during the summer
dried UP the pastures. and farmers
sent their cows to market rather than
to purchase feed, prices of which were
very high. The same conditions that
led farmers to market their cows re-
duced the demand, and prices ruled
low in consequence. Ordinary mixers
have been hard to sell during most
h1rt hn Al,
which have been in small supply have
sold readily. There has been a dis
position on the part OF some shippers
to complain of the inspection regula-
tions, but there is no doubt that these
have resulted in benefit to the market,
by raising the grade Of the cows Many
raisers and shippers of cows have
recognized the advantage, and have
had their cows inspected before ship
ment. OF the thousands of cows that
have been tested at the yards, not one
that has been passed has been found
unsound afterwards, an excellent rec
ord, testifying to the carefulness of
the inspection.
The range. in beef cattle for the year
has not been large. Prices at the pc
ginning of the year were low, espe-
cially for the cheaper grades, the sup
ply of which has been heavy. The
operation of the pure food law has
served to reduce the demand for this
grade to some extent, but there has
been Improvement, even in this grade. |
The outbreak Of the foot and mouth
disease recently curtailed the ship
ments of cattle, as considerable
amount of cattle. chiefly milch. cows
and cheap beef cows, had been re-
ceived from New York state. which |
has been under quarantine The best |
cattle have ranged from 5h to INC!
a pound, but the receipts of this grade
have been below the average.
The export trade has been affected
by the quarantine that has been plac-
ed against cattle from all infected
districts by foreign countries. Aside
from this, the export trade has been
very good.
Hogs have shown the widest fuctua-
tlons of any class of stock. At the
beginning of the year the price was
at the lowest point in years, only Az
to &c. pound. The price advanced
quite steadily up to the middle of July
then fell back slightly, and advanced
again to 7k@7%c., about the middle
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