Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-16

tory" The result of free trade ha
merely had the effect of boosting Can
adam prices
Choice to prime heifers continue t
hold up in good shape. Prices for then
have been well sustained on a goo
packer demand, though the medium
and plain stalk-fed heifers are nov
down 10@15 from last week. A NOR
liberal run Of she stock is accountable
for this and the west has been receiving
liberal quota of this class.
OF choice heifers there have been few
going above 81. Some hand pickle,
have gone above 50 this week but tina
price is hardly quotable, $3.50 strik
about the average. There Is genuinel.
good call for killing heifers on tn
yearling order at prices on basis will
last week. Heavy heifers continue SLOW
and no better than steady with SOM
instances Of irregular declines Of 10 t,
zoe over the close last week.
In the bull trade there is better un
Qertone noted than earlier in the weel
and prices at about last weeks close
Primes at 81.
In Gamers and cutters a weak pack
ers demand is in force, direct arrivals
are responsible for this. Prices are any
where from Is to Csc lower than tn,
high spot Monday and late last week.
The market for calves is in excellen
shape and prices are fully fifty cents
above last Saturday for the choice t.
select vealers, the top being $11.50.
good many choice grades were dis
posed of at $11 and $11.25. The small
amount of dressed carcasses coming
the country is boosting the price OF
foot. There appears to be a scarcity O
heavy calves. .F..
In the stock and feeders division
while relatively strong the first of tn,
week, the close finds them selling at {
decline Of from 10 to 15c from las
week on the heavy stuff while thu
lighter weights are called steady tt
last weeks basis Stuff weighing AROUND
$50 to 1850 proved the weakest during
the week, being down about a quarter
from the close last week and weights
around $50 to 800 pounds getting bet
ter attention. The former selling a
$7.25@7.40, the latter at $7.15@7.5(
which is right at the prevailing aver.
age for the week The sales above ST.;
however are comparatively few, $5.50@
being in majority Of the sales. The
light and handy weights have had the
best action for the past two weeks ant
they are likely to continue, country
buyers fighting the weighty grades, be.
lieving it cheaper to grow weight thar
to buy it.
A few buyers were in attendance
from Ohio and some cattle went out tc
Pennsylvania, but there were com.
paratively narrow eastern demand, tina
section apparently being pretty wei
filled up. There is a tendency from al
quarters on the part of the country tt
neglect cattle Of class to feed out fol
nearby markets, and dealers say it is
hard to sell such grades much above
81.
Prime Lambs Scarce.
That prime lambs are scarce is evil
denced by the strength of that marke
throughout the week. While a big rur
last Saturday checked the advance fol
that week end, the decline was regain.
ed Monday. This encouraged shippers
once more and an oversupply reached
which brought on another decline Of II
to 35c. This too failed to hold and the
close Is right at the best Of the week
for the majority of arrivals. Prime
kinds are in urgent demand for the
Christmas trade and the declines thai
have come were the result of too many
immature lambs that are not needed al
this time of the year. The fact that
habitat stuff has been selling relative
ly close to top grades and that corn is
so high, is undoubtedly responsible fol
the outpouring Of such runs of imma-
ture stuff Prices paid in the east the
past week have been an important fac
tor in boosting the Chicago prices TO,
lambs, $40 being paid in Buffalo
while in the west. Kansas City SO and
a little higher, st. Louis also SO and
Omaha but 15c under.
An sS.25 top was put on the lamt
market, prime natives reaching the
price for the first time since the week
ending Nov. Is, and western lambs
making the money for the first time
lambs have sold for more money or
this market since last July. Several
other loads passed the Scent line and
IS became a right common price fol-
strictly good hand weights, nothing de-
cent, barring a few big weights, drop
ping under $3.50.
Considering local supply figures and
the condition Of the bulk of the offer
ing, it has been a rafting good market
and greater confidence in the future
stability Of the market has been in
jected into the minds of traders than
they have had at any time this season
Failure Of Buffalo and other eastern
markets to attract good supplies with
the good level Of prices that has pre-
vailed this week is taken as a good in
dication Of scarcity in territory tribu-
tary to those markets. and light runs
at Missouri river points likewise re-
veals no big surplus elsewhere as "riv-
err markets have been on a parity
with Chicago all week. The fine feed
ing weather which has prevailed
throughout the corn belt thus far this
winter has enabled feeders to avoid
the Cutting of the market at any time
and feed their holdings into the mar