Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-01-08
RECORD Of PAST YEAR SHOWS HOW
FARM STUFF IS CLIMBING IN VALUE

!. CLIMBING IN VALUE
I cattle bulls Of decent butcher class
were big value getters all the year.
| Record Average Cor Hogs.
| Nineteen-thirteen average prices for
hogs. barring 1910, stands highest In
over thirty-two years, and thus the
year just closed will go down In his
tory as a remarkably high period.
Phenomenally high prices were main
| tanned much of the time. The year
started low and promised to finish that
| way, but a miniature boom toward the
end Of December saved the day. There
| were acres OF scent hogs and the g.
| center was in circulation much of the
time. Competition was keen local pack
ers being forced to contend with small
killers and outsiders, with the exception
| OF a few brief periods. Heavy receipts
| toward the end Of the year savored OF
liquidation owing to high cost of feed
! and during the summer and fall
| months heavy marketing Of pigs told
the story Of disease ravages eloquently.
! The December run was unexpectedly
| heavy.
While Chicago receipts were much
heavier than In 1912. Missouri River
| markets do not make such a favorable
showing despite southern liquidation,
especially Kansas owing to the drought.
Omaha shows a big shortage and to
scarcity In that quarter the high level
| measure attributable. Disease ravaged
| hog herds Of the Missouri Valley all
through the year, Iowa, Nebraska, Mis-
| souri, and South Dakota being the suf-
| ferers and the heavy summer and fall
| pig run was due to this. To what ex-
| tent it has decimated the hog crop of
1914 remains to be developed.
Top for the year at 1910 was 27hc
higher than the best price In 1912 and
stood highest since 1910. when t1f.2o
| was recorded 1t was 31.40 higher than
/ 1911 and compared with $3.50 in 1908
| the lowest year in the last six. Only
one month found the top under $500,
while there were six months when best
| sold above $500.
The biggest average drop Of the year
was from July to August and the
March. At the opening Of the year
| weighty hogs were practically selling
at a little discount, even though the
top was a shade higher than for light,
as the range on the latter was narrow
est. Not until March did the light
weights increase the premium to any
extent, and from then on brought the
|
| hogs with weight topping the market
In summer months the light-weights
were most numerous and It Is hard to
account for the light kinds holding
| the premium so long under such condi-
lions. No heavy animals sold higher
than 1856 on the high spot. against the
top Of 1910 for light. The discount for
light grades was greatest in December
Lights Average Highest.
Light hogs averaged $s.45 for the
year, while heavies made an average of
$500. Gain on light grades showed 95c
while heavy only advanced CSC COM
we'll, when the great number on sale
WAS considered, and they averaged
37.35, or 95c higher than the previous
year and stood the highest since 1910
and compared with $3.45 fifteen years
ago, when aged hogs averaged below
$500. Pigs averaged the lowest In No
vember at $6.45 and the highest in July
at $8.35, while they made 1910 in Janu-
airy, when older animals we're lowest
Jan. 10 proved the lowest day Of the
year, with a top Of $7.s5 and an average
price Of 1925. The general tendency OF
prices was upward thereafter until
with few ups and downs between
April 1. the high point Of the year was
reached, and on that day 1910 was
|
| Fluctuations after that were frequent
but average prices In July were back
to April. However. the prices gradually
slumped after July and the December
average was not only the lowest of the
last half Of the year, but figured lowest
since January.
Sales averaged the lowest during
January at s7.45, or $1.25 higher than
February, 1912. the low month that
year. Top price in January was $3.50
and the next month best sold at 1870
the highest months average, establish
ed in April, while the grand average
for the first six months was 1885
against $40 for the same period In
1912. May and June witnessed reac-
ton Of 400 SOC on the average, followed
by a gain in July, which placed the av-
erage again back to the high point, al
though the top at s9.62h was INC low
err than the April summit. In the clos
ing month the average at $40 was
$1.35 lower than the high mark.
| Sheep and Lambs High.
| Sheep receipts and shipments were
| the second largest on record at 5,902,79S
and 1,449,692, respectively. Over H.
100000 were received at Chicago in the
past three years. and that number
made a total which was never equaled
|
stand for long while. Weather was
remarkable and extensive shipping
was done until the close Of the year
Liquidation In the west, principally ir
Montana, was in force, many Of the
sheepmen going out Of the business
even though 1913 prices were generally
the most satisfactory ever known.
Aged sheep averaged within &c Of the
highest on record, while yearlings and
lambs surpassed the previous high
year. Sheep average $500, while year
lings figured $685., and lambs made
$40 average. Values were mainly 5O@
75c higher than in 1912 on fat grades
Sheep topped at $3.50, but no natives
passed $3.50. Western lambs reached
1880, and the best native and Coloradc
offerings brought .$S40. while bulk OF
all grades went at S7.0o@s.50. Yearlings
sold at s4.50@8.50, with most Of then
at $5.50G725
Export demand was of little conse.
quence, but the feeders bought more
literally than in 1912 Wisconsin ant
Minnesota men bought more feeding
stock than ever before, but compare
lively few went to Michigan.
F'eeding sheep were 2505oc higher