Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-01-06
INCREASE COMES IN SPITE or
HEAVIER RECEIPTS THAN
HAD BEEN EXPECTED
BIG DEMAND FOR VEAL
Price Reaches $11.75 Mark Which
Is Best in Many Days; I'M
ported Beef Cuts Little
Figure.


age price back to a level with the early
part Of November. Unofficially the re-
Ceipts for the five days are 10000
greater than expected but the qualify
has been better and easier clearances
have been made daily. In cattle the
market had been dull and sluggish.
though the prime grades have received
ed on the market to demand more than
1896 this week compared with $3.50
last week and $10.25 the previous week.
Receipts were within the limit looked
for, $4,000. compared with 30.671 last
week.
In sheep and lambs the market closes
steady at a decline Of 5000 from the
best level Of last Monday. new high
mark for the past six months was reg
istered this week for choice to prime
lambs that figure being nickel above
the best prices Of last week at $40.
The movement Of mutton east has been
limited this week and Buffalo boosted
it's best price to 1915. Western markets
were inclined to be bearish and have
tackled on quarter decline.
Calves in Demand.
The last day Of December registered
the best prices for the month in the
veal trade, some fancy lots taking
s1l75 which Is the highest for several
moons" The closing prices however
are not at the best but still safe ESQ
40c advance over the close week ago.
Big Boost in Bulls.
The bull trade has been Influenced
this week by the best demand noted in
weeks from the east, and advances in
best classes will amount to 2b@30c over
the close last week. and the general ad-
vance 10@15c. In the Gamer and cut
ter class the market has been a mean
one and demand has been Indifferent,
prices If anything being lower.
Pure bred cattle are coming into
their own. There is a broad market for
pedigreed bulls, and those who stuck to
their herds during the period of depres-
sion are reaping substantial reward.
A Michigan man who acquired few
Herefords five years ago retained the
increase, although his relatives ques-
toned his sanity. and last week closed
out to a Montana concern at 1915 per
head including calves over six months
old, realizing enough money to buy a
couple Of farms, and he figured most OF
it was profit. Demand for Shorthorns,
especially the milking variety. is
broadening constantly. and pure bred
Angus cattle are so scarce as to be
novelties.
Chicago received only $4,000 cattle
from Montana during the season just
closed. How many that state sent to
the Pacific coast has not yet been dis
closed. but the number was consider
a BILE. In any case the whole northwest
ern grass beef crop was woefully short
and packers were able to freeze moth
ing, consequently they will be forced to
buy a si\>nly from day to day on the
open MAJ ~. Cattle values have adj
vanced 2ool 4oc during the past two
weeks, and after January further ap-
probation will be inevitable unless in
dustrial stagnation materially reduces
beef consumption.
Stocker Arrivals Meaeer.
The past week has been no exception
to the rest Of the month in the moder
ate movement of stockers and feeders
in the fleshy weights. The country in
uuiry has been short for all grades
though a little stronger tone was noted
Monday and sales firm to 10c above last
week. The common little stock steers
and poorly bred heifers have been hard
to move though the arrivals have been
limited. The principal demand con-
TIMES for light handy feeders and
yearling stock steers.
Some Of the best sales this week
we-e made In heavy weight steers
ranging about 1900 to 1000 pounds
bringing 5000 to 1886. Few yeurling
heifers have been on the market how
ever and nothing better than $40
stuff was seen and a majority Of sales
were under that. There Is hardly
enough change in the cattle market to
comparisons with last week
Argentine Beef No Factes.
With New York in the market this
week for beef offers encouragement for
those who with the removal of duty on
Canadian cattle became frightened
statistics issued by the government as
to the immense shipments of Argentine
beef into this country is having no eff
feet on the market though the consum-
er may be led to believe he will be
benefited.
The Elstree Grange, advertised to
reach New York early last week from
Buenos Aires with 1850 tons of frozen
and chilled beef arrived yesterday. This
is acclaimed as the heaviest shipment
to reach the United States since free
trade went into effect. but that term is
wearing a hackneyed sound. Eighty
per cent Of this cargo is frozen stuff
and will go into storage to be peddled
out No more direct beef from the
River Platte is possible for three weeks
to come. Last weeks receipts at New
with 2,44O quarters last week, 17,7s4i
quarters two weeks ago, and 1911
quarters three weeks ago. New York
advices are that after the first of the
wear the direct trade with South Amer
lea is expected to be on a larger and
more settled basis. Several steamship
lines are increasing their refrigeration
space and others are transferring boats
from the British trade. One line Is
busily engaged In equipping all it's
boats with maximum cooler capacity,
but this will not be completed before
July /.
Commenting on, New York Conditions
the National Provisioner says: AS to
price there is little difference between
the imported and like domestic grades
Of beef Some noise has been made in
New York about how much cheaper the
Argentine beef sold In the shops. In
vestigation developed the fact that this
beef was sold untrmmed, and as there
is great amount of waste and fat to
it, the customer paid as much for the
meat as for the domestic beef sold at a
higher price per pound. These are de-
tails that the public may not "catch on
to" at first, but is sure to discover later
to the disadvantage Of the imported
product. There will be tendency to a
parity in the local retail markets be-
tween domestic and imported beef,