Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-01-13
CATTLE MAKE GOOD SHOWING
WITH RECEIPTS LARGER
THAN EXPECTED
PORKERS TAKE JUMP
Price Shows Advance Of Ten TO
Fifteen Cents over Last Weeks
Close; Heavy BuI'cck's
Have Their Inning.

branches Of live stock, with advances III
cattle and hogs. Sheep and laInos nave
held steady to strong but the pr!Ce
changes are narrow. In hogs the move
n,ent has been greater than expected
and the advance for the week at times
has been 10 to 15c over the close laS'
week. Arrivals of sheep and Etlllps d!
a few thousand head more tfan estI
mates for the week. In cattle recelpts
have been less than the preliminary
figures and that branch OF i've s'ocN
closes at about it's best.
Buliocks in Demand.
The bar has been lifted from the
steer trade and some decided price
jumps have been made for the "eeh.
The feature of the week in the catt!e
division is the pronounced strength anu
demand of heavy bullocks which only d
few weeks ago lost money 10 the pro-
Queer One month ago heavy steei
were a drug in the trade ana 'ooir
prices far below cost of feeding. Lons
fed kinds of choice quality and dig
weight went then at sS.6O@s.75 and at
the bottom point for the DccempeI
market prime heavy steers soio al
sS.s5mS9O. Now the biggest weights are
in strongest demands and nfliisihs
prices which the trade believed a lew
weeks ago would not be possible OF
naturalization for some months aneao.
$40 which were several points lower
in quality compared with the sS.ta@
$50 sellers in December. At that tlHe
they were not wanted and too many VI
them came into the market, giving tne
yearling and handy weight steers by
far the best demand. 1t appears that
the supplies of big steers is running
snort and there is a prospect, accord
ing to some of the buyers views that
the big cattle will now have an inning.
The trade looks to next Monday TO
bring $4,000 to $4,000 cattle, though the
crop may run heavier.
Light Weights do Better.
Even the IS kinds, as we'll as some OF
tho lighter and common steers undSr
that price have gone little hlsheI
this week although these were not
looked upon by the killers last week as
having any merit in the market. Com
pairing duality with that noted month
ago the market for the majority or
beef steers Is now conservatively quot
ed 40@5Oc higher. The cattle trade
wears a healthy appearance ana no
apology has been necessary this week,
although a more liberal run would
probably have started a raid on prices
regardless of quality. Shippers nave
been on the market and even the cheap
stock has had call. The market IS
evidently inching up and is making an
encouraging display Of stability that
bears a promise of permanency. Inc
poultry season Is over and the puohc
is bound to get back to beef although
pork is the leading sale over the count
er. The corn situation too, is gradually
assuming a more favorable aspect from
the viewpoint of the feeder and with
such enormous quantities of Argentine
corn coming into the south and east
further declines in that commodity Will
be Of interest to the feeder.
The country is being advised to let
finished cattle come, but hold steers
with good quality that are doing well.
especially when followed by hogs. The
fact must not be overlooked that for
three months past the whole country
has been unsettled, but with returning
stability industrial conditions will i'm
prove, followed by increased beef con-
sumption.
Butcher Stock Active.
Butcher cattle has to certain extent
followed the advance for beef steers.
Supplies have not been in excess OF
desires and a dime advance over last
week has been scored. Medium stuff
however holds on a steady basis with
little change over last week. The stock
runs continue quite moderate and
packers strong needs at this time sug-
gest a better beef situation. Supplies
west also have been moderate.
There is little energy behind demand
for Gamer and cutter cows but never
theless they have sold on a somewhat
more active market than a week ago
and price changes Tor the better nave
been on the classy stuff.
Present beef costs, considering the
decreases in killing percentages as
compared with last month. necessitate
q higher wholesale price for the car
casses and consumer sentiment toward
advancing retail cost must, of course,
be considered as strong factor in pos
sible readjustment Of prices to little
lower basis.
There are spots in the hefer class
that are fully 1o@20c over the previous
week. There continues a relatively
short quota Of cows above s6.75 though
choice heavy corn feds are going at 81.
Steady Trade in Bulls.
The bull market has held steady
through the six days and the demand
from the east for big weight bolognas
has been a feature. Best prices Of the
season are now in force for the fat
beef and bologna grades.
In the veal calf trade the market APP
pears top-heavy though prices have
held steady. The top prices were again
boosted to S12 this week for the fancy
lots though S11.50 has stopped the bulk
OF this class. Higher prices east, due to
a good Kosher demand has been a fac
tor in the local market despite generous
supplies. The closing price is below the
Wednesday and Thursday level of $12.
Stockers and Feeders Higher.
In the stocker and feeder division
prices have made good showing this
week and the basis compared with last
week is fully 10@15c better, and ESQ
35c higher than two weeks ago. Com
mon light stocker stuff has been less
conspicuous in the run this week, and
there is also more marked scarcity Of
choicely bred steer yearlings and the
most advance in the market within the
last fortnight has been on the lighter
classes, although there is increasing
call for good fleshy feeders and every
thing is sharing in the gain.
A load Of very choicely bred selected
520-lb steers went to the county We'd
nesday at S7.65. the best price reached