Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-22
PRICES DROP 10 TO IS CENTS
BECAUSE OF HEAVY RE.
cElPTs At YARDS.
RANGE FOR BULK
$14.4o TO $3.50
Trade Slow and Buyers Insist on
Concessions = Forty'siaht Thou
sand Head Reach Chicago Yards
Cattle Trade Unsettled - Sheep
Market Strong.
BY Associated Press.


Chicago, March 22.--Heavy receipts
today enabled buyers to topple prices
from the high pedestal attained at
the close last week. and values were
marked down 10 and Is cents. Bic
killers refused to buy except ut de-
clines and $4,000 head made the sell
ers rather than the buyers competit-
ors. Bulk sold within a range OF
$14.40 and $3.50. and extreme top was
Sl5.l5.
An unreasonably wide spread eX-
listed between prices for prime heavy
and light during the entire week.
Choice light butchers averaging 22v
pounds down sold fully 50 cents
higher than 250-pound weights. while
butchers weighing 800 pounds and
over were $3.50 lower and In some
cases almost 81 lower than light.
An abundance Of corn in the coun-
try and general opinion among
farmers that prices nigh work high
er have combined to cause the coun-
try to- hold back hogs and make
them heavy" The estimated average
weight Ilo5S last "tSh was
heaviest In over five months.
Choice light sold to $3.50 the last
three days Of the week, putting the
weeks top the highest in over fVe
months, 80 cents higher than the
previous week, $3.50 lower than a
year ago. s1.s5 lower than two years
ago, 1906 higher than nine years ago
r. hn nil
average top for corresponding week
from 1911 TO 1919, inclusive.
The Weeks average price was
$500, standing sc above the previous
week, $3.50 lower than year ago,
SAC lower than two years ago, equal
to three years ago, sS.42 higher than
nine years ago and 1885 higher than
the nlne-year average.
The estimated average weight Of
hogs last week was 23S pounds, being
l pound heavier than the previous
week. s pounds heavier than year
ago and pounds heavier than the
nine-year average. Farmers say the
heavier weight of hogs this spring Is
caused by feeders holding for higher
prices, coupled with the abundancy
ofScorn.
The weeks receipts of 163,i0o were
the second largest since January.
Shipments were comparatively heavy
estimated total of 47,T00 being COM
pared with 4l.175 the previous, week,
32,533 year ago and $500 two
years ago. a
Cattle.
Cattle market became unsettled to-
day. Fresh arrivals numbered $4,000
head, an average Monday run, but
buyers were not anxious to make
purchases and sought to pick the best
Of the offerings at-prevaiiing prices,
while medium kinds were forced
lower.
The average price of good beef
steers last week was 1920. standing
40 cents lower than one and two
weeks ago. While the market did not
close lower than the previous week,
the average showed a loss because of
the lighter proportion of good kinds
included in the daily runs. For the
corresponding week a year ago the
average was $3.50 and two years
ago it was $500, while in 1871 fc
was SS.15. The average for the week
from 1911 to 1919. inclusive, was
$3.50.
The movement of steer prices for
this year so far is indicated in
comparison Of top and average prlc-
es. In the week ending Jan. 10 the
average was s14.35, while the top was
| $1,000, and during this last week the
best sale was at s15.25, with the av-
erage at 1920. Spread between top
and average in first week of the year
was 1855 and last week 1t was $3.50.
In the corresponding week in 1913
the average price was $3.50 and the
top was $20.25. In 1916 the average
was $s.S5, with the top at slO.05,
spread Of only $1.10.
Extreme ranges Of price for killing
steers last week was within compar-
atirely narrow limits. The bottom
quotation on killing grades was $9.7o'
with few going that low. The best
sold at $15.25, with a few that high,
and range was only $3.50, as compar-
ed with spreads Of $1,000 and $1,000
| late last year.
;. Sheep.
Sheep market was strong all Day
Receipts were estimated at 10.ooo
head.
The weeks average price for aged
sheep was only $13.15, being cut
down owing to the increasing pro-
norton of shorn stock. This weeks
average price for aged sheep was
20 cents lower than the previous
week 3..36 lower than a year ago, As