Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-31
LIVE MUTTONS RAISED TO BEST
LEVELS OF YEAR; CLIPPED
STOCK is STRONGEST
CATTLE RULE DULL
Bovine Trade Shows an Irregular
Tendency; Some Hold Up to
Last Week While Others
Are Oft a Point

A healthy and higher market for
sheep and shorn lambs marks the fea-
ture in favor Of the sellers at the
Union Stock Yards this week. Wooleo
lambs touched the best figure recorded
since the first full week in January and
most Of the shorn stock shows an ad-
vance of fifty cents over week ago
Trade in hogs has been against the
producer and declines for the week
will run 1O@25c influenced in the main
by slack demand for pork products
The cattle market is still in the rut
and some lower, with the exception OF
veal Calves where the decline, so pro
nounced for the past two weeks, mas
been checked and brisk demand en-
sued at tire lower prices.
A TOP of $9.7O was registered this
week for prime beef cattle against
1856 the best last week. but this I'M
reality Is for Especially" stuff, and a
slice has been taken off to the extent
Of dime or fifteen cents.
Bulk Below Last Week.
Decline in midweek even for the
choice to prime goods, solely to the big
influx Of nearby cattle, and failure OF
general price Improvement IN the
Thursday trade, offset all the Monday
gain for the better quality classes ana
they are quotable now weak to lOc
lower than the close last week. while a
general break Of 15@20c for the rank
and file Of short-fed as we'll as strictly
good quality steers ranging in value up
to 1915 and better leaves that KIND at
least 100 15c under a week ago and
same decline is quoted for the bulk OF
common and medium stun, selling
down to So and lower, feeder buyer
competition below So probably being
sole reason for failure Of a greater
Lot
In the butcher class, last weeks
closing prices prevailed for the general
run Of offerings outside of handy
weight steers. The latter have enjoyed
popularity all week, having been
scarce and the closing prices show an
advance Of 10@15c over week ago. A
few heavy cows are also selling to a
little better advantage. Demand this
week has been materially below nor
NAL Killers have had excess to
larger quota Of plain butcher cows,
many of which have shown dairy
breeding and it Is still a discriminating
market for the latter Early week
trading for light heifer stuff Of de-
cent to best killing grade was sharply
higher. and 1emain the best sellers.
Prices in the bull trade show little
variation from those prevailing on the
close last week, little strength pos.
sibly being noted on good strong
weight bolognas and fat handy sorts.
Fat heavy bulls are still mean sellers,
bringing $6.60@675 and the prime
sorts upward from 81 to $3.50.
Gamer and cutters have not been in
profuse supply but demand is not
broad at the prices, little change being
noted. Killers continued to show abil-
ity to get along on light supplies
claiming beef demand is making no
material growth, either here or in the
east. Short runs are had west, as well
as locally. though southwest the Texas
stuff is in fair supply and as the sea-
are marketed, these may prove an in
fluence in holding local demand under
raps.
The pronounced decline in the veal
calf trade of the past three weeks ap-
pears to have been checked this week
to an extent OF 25@5Oc. Outsiders are
after prime vealers for the eastern
trade while packers are avoiding any
fancy price turns. Prime grades went
above the 50 mark this week for sew
eral lots while $S.256s.5O took the bulk
Reaction mi prices from recent low
point on a stronger packer demand for
vealers has plainly indicated a keen
killer favor for the stuff on basis OF
current relatively cheap rates. Killers
are accused of coming big money on
their recent purchases and this charge
looks consistent in view Of prevailing
eastern prices, which show marked ad-
vance over costs in the local market
Traders generally feel that prices have
hit bottom for this season, though any
material increase in supplies would
doubtless cause another break. Heavies
of good kind took $3.50 and a decent
sort of $5.5066. with rough calves
down to $4.50@5. Strong weight feed