Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-05


current prices are the highest on rec
ord for the last week Of April For
the first time this year the market Is
on a higher basis than at the cores
ponding time In 1918. So far this
month local packers have bought only
2ss,000 hogs. against $4,000 year
ago, and only healthy eastern de-
mand has prevented the market from
being on an SC basis for months past.
Supplies this week are about 10000
In excess of estimated for the week,
totaling 121,769 against 1S2,362 for the
corresponding week q year ago.
Sheep have been the worst actors
again this week, suffering from grass
muttons at Kansas City and Fort
Worth. At the close some Of the best
handy yearlings, light weight two-year
old wethers and toppy fat native ewes,
both Of chopper and heavy grade,
show little decline, but most Of the few
western ewes have sold 15@2bc lower
and q large slice of the weeks supply
of aged wethers took 25c declines and
some Of the medium class selling down
to 1925 looked 35c lower. Feeder lambs
have been scarce. and fairly steady,
Favorable turn Of the market at
weekend is due largely to the
strengthening influence Of eastern
shipping demand, which has been
broadened this week by light receipts
on eastern markets and relatively high
prices there. This demand removed
very large quota Of the toppy wooled
lambs from packers bear tactics, as
we'll as some shorn stock, though ship
ping call still shows preference for the
handy wool skins.
There have been hardly any wooded
lots Of the feeder and shearer varieties
here OF late, and closing quotations are
nominal, but sales of that class made
on early days were generally steady
for the kind. even though the top
prices Of last week were not approached.
Springers were again lacking, but
few more aged wooded natives and
westerns were on hand.
Weeks receipts were Of good volume
and sellers did well to stop the bearish
ness Of packers as much as they did.
Offerings were as liberal as last week
and showed liberal increase compar-
ed with the same period last year and
two years ago. Wooled lambs have d.
minished in number at the eastern
markets and in the future such lots
will be even scarcer. Locally the crop
Of woolskins has been of fairly good
volume, but. according to reports from
Colorado, few more are in sight for the
various markets this season.
Packers have been about the only
competitors in this division all week
and they were in no mood to support
the market at any time. Sellers conse-
quently had a hard time getting rid of
offerings and often arrivals were not
sold on the day Of arrival. Quality has
been up to the recent standard and
wetlers formed the bulk OF the stock
In this branch Of the market. Wooded
sheep were extremely scarce. but there
was no demand for that class, so no
complaints were to be heard. Yearlings
were in limited numbers and all had
been shOrn.
Fridays frmness eliminated practi-
cally all OF the weakness noted earlier
in the week, at least the best kinds
were fully steady with the previous
Friday. Some of the less desirable kill
ers still looked weak to 10c off, Shorn
offerings ruled fully steady with a
week ago and some OF the toppy lots
ruled strong, while the medium to fair
and most weighty offerings were still
slightly lower for the week.
Colorado feeders are reteratlng their
seasonable declaration not to fill feed
lots next fall unless they can procure
lambs at least 800 per cwt. lower than
was paid last fall when the stun was
contracted at 5@5A cents on the
range, equivalent to 61a cents with
freight paid to the Missouri river. Col
orado feeders have had bad season
from several angles. Prices have ruled
SO cents per cwt lower than expected
bad December storm cost them three
weeks feed and mortality was heavy
owing to tape worms. The claim is
made that as many as $4,000 lambs
died in northern Colorado feed lots
during the winter on this account.
This weeks top of $3.50 for sheep is
thirty cents under one year ago and
$3.50 under two years ago: for lambs
the top at $3.50 is 55c under year
ago and $3.50 for the corresponding
period two years ago, the high week
for both sheep and lambs for 1912
Total arrivals this week will figure
about $4,000, against 1921 year ago
and compared with $4,000 estimated to
arrive this week.