The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-05-30
LIVE STOCK MARKET

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Sheep ..........'. o,oVV
The high price of corn, its scarcity,
the rainy unreasonable weather, plus
the desire of stockmen to get rid OF
their holdings, has been instrumental
in causing liberal premature market
ing of cattle and hogs for some weeks,
and the effect of the big runs is that
the present market says down to
very unsatisfactory level, at sharp
price decline. What the immediate
future promises is naturally uncer-
tain under these conditions, but there
is one thing sure and certain, and that
is. to recover their former high levels,
receipts of both cattle and hogs Will
necessarily have to dwindle to consid,
cradle lighter proportion, ii that goal
is to be attained.
CATTLE.-A striking feature OF
the cattle situation is the fact that
Gamers, trashy stuff and common
southern yearlings have not declined
one particle, the facts are, the mar.
ket value of these has been enhanced
several points, in fact, such varieties
are around 81 per cwt. higher than
they were about month ago, while
on the other hand, the bulk of the re-
ceipts, which is made up Of short fed
steers and medium to good butcher
cattle. have gradually gone down, un-
til at this writing they are around "
per cwt. lower than the high time a
month ago. AS result OF this dr.
ference in market conditions, the
price range between top and bottom
is the narrowest it has been in many
weeks.
HOGS.-The best illustration to
realize the radical changes which is
transparent in the market, can be best
illustrated in this statement: Monday,
May 18th, a new record of $21.2O was
made for prime heavy northern corn
fed hogs. Today on the market 5000
was the top, and at the close $2O.lO
bought equally as good hogs as those
sold early this morning, or those sold
at S21.20 at the high time last week.
At the high time mentioned, guaran-
teed southern hogs sold anywhere
from 500 to $2085; today the same
class arc just as hard to sell as they
were easy then, and at a price range
of $40 to $19.75.
Present prices compared with the
high time, are fully 81 lower than the
record on the best weight hogs, while
on pigs and light weight stuff the
market will average $3.50 per cwt.
lower and in many places more. 1t is
an unusual thing at this season OF the
year to see the runs of swine as libe-
raj as they are and have been this
spring, and from all accounts and
from Government statistics, it appears
that the numbers held in farmers
hands is considerable heavier than in
former years, which shows conclusive
ly that high market values, due to the
great World War, has served as an in
ducement in the stimulating produc-
ton toward its maximum.
SHEEP.-The fact that receipts
have increased of late, has not been at
all surprising, because this is the sea-
son of the year when the movement
begins, though it will not be on in full
sway until two to three weeks dis
ltant, when the heavy runs of the sea-
son can be looked for. Market val
ues have shown a more or less erratic
tendency since the runs increased, but
taking everything into consideration,
values of most classes still maintain
q very respectable level. In fact, the
market on springers and clipped lambs
the present week has shown more I'M
lprovement, probably 25c per cwt., since
last weeks low close, but fat sheep,
usually the most regular sellers, have
not had buyers support as formerly,
particularly the heavy weights, which
buyers now prefer to pass up, and
these are around Toe lower than they
were last week, though the lighter
weight sheep, where they get down
close to lamb weights, have hardly de-
clined more than 25c per cwt. Most
lpractical plans for the sheep men to
follow, we believe, is to market his
holdings where they are strickly fat,
but do not hasten the movement Of
habitat lambs under any considera-
ttion-
National Live Stock Com. Co.