Weather, Crops, and Markets. Vol. 2, No. 6

by Anonymous

Acreage and Condition of Commercial Onions in Late States.
State.	Acreage.		Condition (100=normal).
	Harvested, 1921.	Planted, 1922.	July 1, 7–yr. av.	July 1, 1921.	June 1, 1922.	July 1, 1922.	July 15, 1922.
	Acres.	Acres.	P.ct.	P.ct.	P.ct.	P.ct.	P.ct.
Calif., central dist.	7,800	6,500	90	89	100	90	95
Colo.	800	1,500	80	91	90	88	91
Idaho.	100	300	89	94	88	94	98
Ill.	1,100	1,300	89	79	75	82	79
Ind.	3,698	1,600	78	73	77	73	83
Mass.	4,500	4,600	83	73	78	79	75
Mich.	1,300	1,700	79	65	86	89	88
Minn.	1,300	1,300	88	89	85	95	90
N. Y.	7,300	8,300	75	78	86	74	68
Ohio	5,100	5,800	79	73	98	88	88
Oreg.	900	900	78	80	100	73	79
Pa.	300	400	81	93	100	95	95
Utah	100	100	93	94	96	91	90
Wis.	1,000	1,000	81	82	96	90	86
Total	35,200	38,300	82	80	89	82	83

Live Stock ^and Meats
NEARLY ALL CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK SELL AT LOWER LEVELS
Price Ranges on Beef Steers Widen—Heavy Hogs Break Sharply—Sheep Prices Irregular.

Practically all classes of live stock sold lower during the week ending July 29. In beef steer trade the general decline was assisted materially by the heaviest run of native, western, and Canadian grassers of the season. Downturns of mostly 25¢ at Chicago and of 50¢-$l at some Missouri River markets were apparent on the more common descriptions. As supplies of western grassers increased, the supply of long-fed bullocks decreased and as the latter were sought by all interests, the widest price range of the season on beef steers was created at all markets.

Hog prices fluctuated sharply, closing Chicago values being 25¢–50¢ lower on mixed grades and heavy packers, and 40¢–55¢ on good butcher hogs compared with the close of the previous week. Much of the supply at Omaha and a good percentage of the run at Chicago and some other markets consisted of heavy sows and mixed packing grades, and these pulled the general average down to the lowest levels since early in February.

SHEEP TRADE ERRATIC.

Trade in fat sheep and feeding lambs was erratic, with closing prices highest of the week but showing an irregular basis compared with the previous week’s close.

Receipts at 10 large markets for the week were approximately 199,000 cattle, 502,000 hogs and 195,000 sheep, compared with 215,357 cattle, 452,902 hogs, and 244,517 sheep the previous week, and 166,112 cattle, 398,424 hogs, and 199,137 sheep the corresponding week last year.

Cattle.—Receipts of grassers from native territory, range States, and Canada, assumed the largest proportions of the season. Short-feds also were numerous, and long-fed matured beef steers and yearlings correspondingly scarce. Canadians were unusually numerous at St. Paul and Chicago for so early in the season, the July supply at the former market up to July 27 standing at 5,800 as compared with 988 for the corresponding period a year ago. The collapse of cattle values in Canadian provinces was an incentive for shipping across the border.

Canadians and Dakotas were generally in poor flesh and turned at $4.75–$6.50, killers taking a few at the latter price. Oklahoma and Texas grass steers invaded Kansas City and St. Louis in liberal numbers, and sold largely within a spread of $4.25–$7, many quarantine steers, grading as cutters, selling around $4.25–$4.75. Kansas pasture cattle were well represented at Kansas City, and winter grass steers of good weight and condition sold there upward to $8.75 or slightly higher. A few lots of Utah and California steers arrived at Omaha. Bulk of grass steers sold there at $6–$7.25, a large proportion of the far western steers being in feeder flesh. One lot of Montana steers showing breeding quality and good killing flesh brought $8.75 at that market from a producer. This lot met good packer competition, and the relatively high sale price indicated the plainness of the early run of grassers in general.