Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-28
COMPETITIVE BIDS
BOOST HOG PRICES
ACTIVE DEMAND FROM BOTH
SPECTATORS AND
SHIPPERS.
SOME SALES MADE AT
ADVANCES oF15 CENTS
Demand For Cattle Proved Slow
Range Considerably Narrowed Dur
ing Past Week-suPply OF Sheep and
Lambs Observation-Disclosures of Mar.
ket Conditions.

spectators. Prices went TO higher
! levels.
/ All indications point 10 g heavy hog
run for the next sixty Gays, and no
&! material enhancement OF prices is ex :
pected during that period, but posi-
bility exists that in their easerness 10
get big share OF the crop pacheEs
NAV force values up. \ $. 10 $3.50
market IS expected all thru January
with 8 gradual rise during the latter
part OF the winter.
Receipts OF hogs at Chicago for me
week aggregated 2oS,200, a decrease o.
o.. 100 compared with the previous
week. an increase OF $500 compared
With same week last year and 1920
COMPARED with corresponding week TWO
years ago.
Estimated average weight OF hogs at
Chicago for the week was 22S pounds.
or ! pound lighter than the previous
week. 20 pounds heavier than same
week last year and 9 pounds heavier
than corresponding week two years
ago. Scarcity of pigs at this time Is
responsible for the average weight be-
ing heavier than corresponding weeks
of other years.
Top for hogs at Chicago fer the week
was s727A. against s7.45 the previous
week. IS year ago and 1910 two
years ago, while three years ago the
top fell down to $3.50. Average price
figured at $40. or cents lower than
the previous week. s5 cents lower than
year ago and 80 cents lower than
two years ago.
Eleven markets received $1,000 hogs
Saturday. making $4,000 for the week.
or $4,000 less than the previous week.
IS, 900 more than same week last year
and 2o7 900 more than corresponding
week two years ago. Total for 1914 TO
date 2s.055.o0o or 100000 less than
same period 1913 and 1.l7e boo less than
corresponding time 1912
Cattle.
Demand for cattle proved slow.
Killers had tremendous amount Of
beef on hand at the outset last week.
but. facing a very meager supply OF
fresh cattle. they forthwith began to
boost values Whether a higher price
basis for steers would help to hold
prices for the cheap-h bought beef of the
week before UP TO high levels may well
be seen. The demand for beef. helped
some by cold weather. was fairly good.
despite poultry competition, and while
killers still have heavy beef stocks in
their coolers. there is no regret over
this fact.
Shifting qualities are seasonable. 1t
is the period now when short feds are
practically all that are available for
the trade and as result of this there
lis expectancy of narraw spread in
values for some weeks ahead Due
to the scarcity OF the choice grades
killers and a few shippers were forced
TO take as substitutes lot OF steers
which were far below in intrinsic value
the kinds that went as choice last
week Tops landing at 1915 in both
the open and quarantine divisions OF
the trade were kinds that could not
have made $500 at the finish last week,
bu, the class of stuff that sold at ss.25
Il 900 showed even more advance than
this
The price gain last week should serve
TO influence owners of unfinished steers
to keep them back and make them
good There are small available sup
plies of really good steers and the
quarantine situation which has barred
a feeder movement from market to feed
yards in the past two months can only
have effect in shortening fat beef sup
plies a few months hence, and that
ought TO mean high prices then.
; Another short run of cattle will be
needed this week The period between
Christmas and New Years always
marks q small movement of beef in the
trade due to the poultry competition
Of the holiday season. and given a
generous crop, the trade can only look
fcr e severe reaction ii values from
current levels
Sheep.
Supply Of sheep and lambs proved
inadequate.
Scarcity of natives. both sheep and
lambs, has been 4 notable but not un-
expected Isl. development. Farmers
| east of the Missouri river have been
getting in high and getting out low for
three decades past and liquida ton that
eliminated in 1918 left the corn belt
and the east practically bare Of sheep
| in a commercial sense. the 1914 lamo
| crop being the smallest in many years.
a result was that deprived of their for
mer supply of bucky. wormy, runty.
and otherwise cheap natives, packers
were compelled TO compete with feed
| ers for second cut and thin ends OF
! western lamb bands and In such COM
petition the feeder IS ;nyaria bly, worst
| ed. The 1914 scarcity of native lambs
is by no means ephemeral The eastern
| half of the United States is out of
!. sheep and while efforts to restock may
| be made. they will be costly and rec
essariIy slow. Any wool and mutton
production on a considerable scale east
| OF the Missouri river for years to come
| will imply handling western stock
which means a broad market for the
breeder.
Chicago Livestock.