Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-21

products at severe declining price and
a sharp break in provision future on
change has helped to bring about the
week Another depressing feature is
the trade was comparatively small
outside orders, the shipments this
week being the smallest since last
June.
Present supply is running very light.
and that condition will continue until
oats seeding has been completed, when
few liberal runs may be expected.
A gradual If not marked deterioration
in quality n detected, however, and
that growers hold any large number OF
finished hogs is not generally believed.
At this season supply comes largely
from sections Of the corn belt that
were most seriously ravaged by chol-
era last fall, and that defamation pro-
cess cannot fail to curtail supply.
Seldom have the big packers been
as successful in their perennial cam
paign to repress speculation In the hog
market as Of late. Scalping, Of course,
will not become lost art, but many
OF those following that pursuit are gaz-
ing at their cash resources somewhat
ruefully Speculation on rising hog
market is cinch, but when the trade
gets into such a rut as 1t has been
travelling lately 'the boys are re-
quired to travel a rocky row. Elimin-
ating present somewhat abnormal con-
dltions packers obvious intention Is to
hold prices down at Chicago for the
purpose Of making a standard else
where. Values have had sharp
break this week. despite meager re-
ceipts. but the eastern outlet is muzz
led, competition from that quarter
havi. been eliminated to large ex
tent by country purchasing on Eastern
syndicate account With the scalpeI
eliminated and packers constantly go
ing to the country for more hogs. stock
yards reelection that the Chicago mar
ket will be mainly useful for the pur-
pose Of making quotations may reach
the verification stage.
In strenuous effort to repress spec
ulation packers are refusing even to
look at seconds" as hogs owned by
"the boys" are known in market YER
nacular. Consequently, spectators
are under the necessity Of finding 9TH
err outlets. This represses competi-
ton to some extent and renders the
path Of the competitive buyer bumpy
one.
The top this week at $685. recorded
on Monday was just shade better
than the closed last week but the de-
cline since Wednesday has been grad
ual, making the closing prices about
the lowest of the week.
Receipts unofficially reported this
week will total 97,495 against $4,000
estimated to arrive and compared with
.1(3,122 for the same period year ago.
A year ago the extreme top for hogs
was $40.
Total supplies of sheep this week
were $3.50 head, against $500 estimat-
ed and compared with 71,s7S for the
same period year ago. The top this
that of the previous year and CSC over
that of two years ago. Top of lambs for
the week at $3.50 Is Csc under that of
one year ago and 15c over for the same
period two years ago.
The market is showing a decidedly
irregular basis Of prices as compared
with a week ago. Light and handy
weight lambs show an irregular 100
Csc higher basis than late last week
and are at the highest levels Of the
year. but the prices being paid for the
Colorado Mexican wooded lambs COM
ing are not fair index to the general
lamb market. They are enjoying stiff
premium over everything else in the
wooded lamb line, very few northern
bred Colorado lambs, though many Of
them are showing as high or higher
finish than many Of the high dressing
tidy weight Mexicans, being eligible to
$40 because Of their weight and a
finished class Of 90-lb. Colorados be-
ing quotable down to So. extreme big
weights as low as $3.50. Few fed west
ern lambs coming are good enough to
reach $8.25 and hardly any Of the
handful of natives here this week have
passed $7.75, practically the only fat
native lambs arriving being weighty.
Short lambs of light and tidy weight
and good flesh condition are 10000
higher than week ago, but heavy
shorn stuff, as well as heavy wooded
lambs are selling to hardly as good
advantage as last week and taking
what looks like rtdiculously low prices
as matched against light stuff that does
not begin to show as good flesh condi-
tion lot Of fat 80 to GLIB shorn
lambs sold here this week down to
$6.45@6.65. against $7@7.30 for good
to prime light and handy weights,
Warm weather this week has failed to
narrow the wide range existing be-
tween shorn and wooded lambs, but is
expected to increase the popularity Of
the former within the near future.
Sheep and yearlings are meeting
poorer demand and are selling any
where from steady to Csc lower than
a week ago, yearlings and heavy ewes
holding up best, while Csc hardly COW
ers the loss in some cases on medium
to good wooded ewes Of chopper
weights and plain to right good wooded
wethers. Some Of the latter have sold
down to $6.10@6.50 this week, while
prime short wethers reached $3.50 and
fancy big weight wooled wethers sold
as high as S715m720, but were in a
class alone.
Colorado has loaded freely for next
weeks market. attracted by high
prices and desire to clean up. Some