Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-07
Especial to the Kennebec JournaD


market during the past year
was the outbreak of the foot ana
mouth disease, which led to the closing
of the Brighton and Watertown stock
yards on November L. The disease had
been discovered In Chicago. and had ex-
tended through part of Illinois and In
diana Cattle brought to the Brighton
market for sale November were found
on the next day to have the disease. and
all the cases in Massachusetts were
traced directly or indirectly to this con-
signment.
Strict quarantine regulations were en-
forced in this market, and stock could be
shipped only for immediate slaughter.
and directly to the slaughter-houses.
The stock yards have not yet been re-
opened, but the work Of disinfection has
been completed. so that as soon - 1t Is
deemed safe to move stock over the
roads business will be resumed at the
yards. Business under existing conol-
lions is prosecuted with great deal OF
difficulty, and the market Is restricted
to the killers located at the slaughter
houses. Practically all the stock that
has been shipped since the quarantine
was established has come to Hhe Apat-
toir at Brighton or to the plant OF the
New England Dressed Meat & Wool Co
at somerville, while western hogs have
gone to the plants Of Squire & Co. and
the North Pkg. Co.. as before
The receipts of livestock for the year
were smaller than for 1913. with the Gin
gle exception of calves, which showed
slight. increase. Much Of the decrease
was due to the restriction during the
past two months, and If the foot ana
mouth disease had not broken out the re-
ceipts would probably have been as
heavy as during the previous year The
decrease during the last quarter or the
year was in receipts from Massachusetts,
New York and the West. while Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada
increased their shipments. Vermont
showed a particularly heavy increase In
cattle for the quarter. The removal OF
the quarantine in the west. and the
modification of the regulations In Mas
sachusetts, has increased the receipts
during the past few weeks. while the
placing of a quarantine upon the lower
counties Of New Hampshire. has served
to curtail the receipts from that state
to some extent.
Prices during the past year held firm,
and averaged a little higher than during
the previous year. The supplies in the
country have been decreasing steadily.
owing to the high cost of feed, and in the
opinion of the best authorities hish
prices will rule for a long time to come
especially as the European war has
made an active demand for our grain ana
our other foodstuffs. which will tend to
maintain a high level of prices large
amount of dressed meat was received
from the Argentina, and considerable
amount from Australia. so that the east
ern markets were well supplied. without
this source of supply the prices or meat
would have been advanced to almost
prohibitive levels. Receipts have fallen
off of late. as Europe is taking the great
er part of the exportable surplus from
South America and Australia. The war
has nullified the effects of the tariff re-
auctions, which, it was feared, would DO
great injury to the raisers of livestock.
New England farmers have done little
during the past year toward increasing
their livestock, especially in beef cattle.
It is shown conclusively by the cattle
received here that New England can
raise as good cattle as are raioed IN the
west and can obtain as good prices for
them. This is believed to be the solution
of the beef problem, if New England
farmers will take hold of it properly.
Choice cattle cost no more to raise, after
dn
comprise a large part of the beef ami
mails from New England. and they COM
mand a great deal more in the market,
because they are heavier. and bring more
per pound as we'll
Choice steers and oxen have sold dur
ing the year as high as 93c. with a few
a fraction higher. Good quality cattle
have averaged from 72Gsac. In the abb
sence of steers and oxen there has been
an active demand for the best heavy fat
cows. and these have sold from 69Ssc for
good quality to 797ac. for the fancy
cows, although at present the market is
below these figures Some of the choice
fat heifers have sold at about the same
prices as good steers. Average grade
beef COWS have ranged from 546c: ordi-
nary 43G5c; and bolognas and Gamers
3sd4sc At times the demand for can
ners has been fairly active. The market
for bulls has ranged from 4aGSac. with
choice heavy bulls as high as TIC when
the market was at the top, about the
middle of August
Veal calves were in slightly larger sup
ply than during 1918, and there was lit
tie change in prices, which are more uni
form than in any other class of live
stock The general range has been from
7aQeac for good average quality. while
fancy veals have sold from logic
Coarse calves have brought sale, and
small calves from Ss@6 each. according
to age and weight. There has been no
attempt to prevent the sale Of small
calves during the year. Prices Of calves
are high enough to induce raisers to
sell rather than to hold them until ma
turity.
Receipts of hogs for the past year were
lighter than in 1913, and prices averaged
a little higher, though the difference was
not great The extreme range on live
hogs was 7Q1oac. and on dressed hogs
from 99l2asc The high prices were re-
corded in August, while prices at the end
of the year at were the bottom. New
England receipts Of hogs show no ten
dency to increase, and are very light