Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-03

insures lack of finished grades. Afte
what happened last fall feeders hav
! not been in a mood to put on weight
nor are THEY in tina frame of mind a
/, present. A short crop Of corn never dit
| fiji the market with fat steers and prob
! ably never will. The fact Is not to b.
overlooked that many of the cattle nov
| showing up do not warrant feeding out
| They are i'll bred, many being on thu
doggy" order and their presence in thu
feed lot lays emphasis on the increas
ing difficulty feeders are experiencing
in getting raw material.
Mexican cattle are moving freely, bu
are carrying little beef The move
| ment across the gulf by steamer is eX-
panding and current receipts at Gal
weston are heavy. Most Of the Mexican
cows reaching San Antonio are selling
at y$4m4.50 ard COWS are conspicuous
in the run. Mexican steers of the s.
kind are also numerous
Eastern advices are that the Virgin
las and Kentucky are furnishing many
cattle, but the big movement out OF
until the middle of April. "A few cattle
with weight that went in early last fall
have been Jared loose recently.
Continued cold weather has improved
demand for beef and the claim is no
longer made that distributive channels
are glutted. February low temperatures
prove to have been just what the mar
ket required in the way of tonic.
Butcher consignments of Argentina
beef reached New York, but much OF
current receipts which are direct from
Buenos Aires are frozen and go into
cold storage. The proportion Of chilled
stuff suited to shop trade Is small.
While River Platte exports average be-
tween $4,000 and 100000 quarters week
ly, very little is being diverted to Unit
ed States markets.
So far this year beef equivalent to the
product of $4,000 cattle has been load
though about half Of it is still on pas
sage and will not arrive before the
middle of March. Buenos Aires is ship
ping $4,000 to 100000 quarters of beef
weekly and about 20 per cent OF 1t Is
now being diverted to the United
States.
In the butcher market packers have
put the rollers under the cow and helter
market. Things started breaking badly
after speculative activity ceased on
Wednesday, the trade losing most OF the
displayed on Monday and bar
ring strictly prime yearling heifers ana
a few fancy beef cows the week closes
on price basis 15@25c lower than the
firm level noted on the close week
ago. The top for the week on helfers
stopped at So.
The decline, which was more pro-
on the inbetween to right good
killing grades Of cows and helfers ana
il. some places not observable on can
ner and cutter stuff and few strictly
choice corn fed beef classes, carried the
market down to a barely steady to low
er basis than the close last week, most
Of the 'stuff grading above cutter ana
below choice class selling late today
about 10c lower than week ago, some
neifers at more loss.
The reaction of the market to lower
evels indicated the adverse influences
Of the lenten season and killers de-
sire to put she stock values down to a
more legitimate basis relative to steers.
butcher stuff having sold early TINS
week and late last week on relative
higher basis than steers.
Under Grades Lower.
The market for bull stock continues
to wear a poor tone, weaker prices be-
ing shown for the moderate offerings
since there were few shipping orders
and local buyers had things their own
way. The decline for the week will
nea sure up to ,15025c from the close
asst week, buying prime beef bulls
against dime more on the close last
In the Gamer and cutter division that
las been little if any price change for
he week. the supplies have been light
md anything with healthy appear
lnce held up to steady prices. !
Aside from a few sales around IS for
tockers and feeders in the 600 to 100
pound class on Tuesday the market
las shown little activity during the
week. Traffic conditions have been such
hat sales to country buyers have been
neager, causing a rather distressing
situation in all lines Of the feeder
rade. Declines OF 15025c have regis
cred and some sellers claim they were
ffered 25M30c under a week ago. Pre-
'ailing prices are the lowest for some
ime but the trade believes there will be
ONE material reaction in costs once the
ountry gets ready to do business on a
airly broad scale.
his week with the top at $11.50 against
II the close last week. More LIBERAL
eceipts for the midweek however soon
hecked the advance and an Irregular
rade followed. The demand from out
iders has been good but local packers
ave set the limit at s11.
The unofficial cattle receipts this
'eek not including calves is 51,l67,
gainst $4,000 estimated for the week
|
he same period a year ago and 52,177
asst week. A year ago the top of prime
eeves was 50 for the same period and
S.S5 two years ago.
Hog Receipts Shy.
Shippers and packers have given lib
raj support to the hog market this
eek but in spite of shortage Of more
han 10000 head prices are not up to
wo weeks ago. Compared with last
an advance of 10@12hc was
cored but failed to hold and the close
oday is about on level with last Sat-
rday to shade lower. There
as been some discriminat ton against
lir to good big heavy packers which
I most instances are rejected from
,ads and sold on their merits. The de-
land for pigs, too. has been less keen
nd prices are shade lower.
While Chicago receipts were light in
he aggregate, western markets had
God runs, though not many have
hown up in the east. st. Louis is over
idding Chicago on most classes Of
ogs and the top there today was $685.
18th Kansas City under Chicago.
While current hog receipts are ex-
'emely moderate, the. storm raging all
yer the west for q week past has been
} some extent responsible This is in