MARKET REPORTS.

Office of The Prairie Farmer, Chicago. Jan. 2, 1884.

FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.

The general bank business of Chicago last week was rather dull. But few new business contracts were made as everyone was waiting for the New Year to begin before extending business.

In the loan market money was quoted throughout the week at 6@7 per cent interest.

Eastern exchange opened Saturday at 25c off between banks, but subsequently sales were made at 25c per $1,000 premium. The market closed at 25@30c per $1,000 premium.

Railway stocks in New York with the exception of Northern Pacific were firm on Saturday.

Government securities remain unchanged at last week's quotations.

4's coupons. 1907Q. Apr.123

4's reg., 1907Q. Apr.122

4½'s coupon, 1891Q. Mar.114

4½'s registered, 1891Q. Mar.114

3's registeredQ. Mar.100

GRAIN AND PROVISIONS.

More was done on the Board of Trade in corn and hog products at the close of the week than in wheat and other grains. The bears had decidedly the best of it on Saturday. Wheat receipts were liberal and everybody seemed willing to sell. Outside orders to purchase were exceedingly light. There were many transactions in corn but prices showed a gradual decline.

Flour was quiet at about the following rates.

Choice to favorite white winters$5 25@5 50

Fair to good brands of white winters4 75@5 00

Good to choice red winters5 00@5 50

Prime to choice springs4 75@5 00

Good to choice export stock, in sacks, extras4 25@4 50

Good to choice export stock, double extras4 50@4 65

Fair to good Minnesota springs4 75@5 25

Choice to fancy Minnesota springs5 50@5 75

Patent springs6 50@7 00

Low grades2 25@3 50

Wheat.—Red winter, No. 2 99@95c: car lots of spring, No. 2, sold at 93¾@97¾c; No. 3, do, 77½@81c.

Corn.—Fluctuating but active. Car lots No 2, 57¾@58c; rejected, 46½; new mixed, 48@48¼c.

Oats.—No. 2 in store, closed 32@33.

Rye.—May, in store 54@59.

Barley.—No. 2, 66@67c; No. 3, 44c.

Flax.—Closed at $1 41.

Timothy.—$1 23 per bushel. Little doing.

Clover.—Quiet at $5 90@6 15 for prime.

Provisions.—Mess pork, January $14 02½ per bbl; May, $14 52. Green hams, 8³/₈c. per lb. Short ribs, $7 40 per cwt.

Lard.—January, $8 75; February, $9 07½.

LUMBER.

Lumber unchanged. Quotations for green are as follows:

Short dimension per M$ 9 50@10 00

Long dimension, per M10 00@11 50

Boards and strips, No. 211 00@13 00

Boards and strips, medium13 00@16 00

Boards and strips, No. 1 choice16 00@20 00

Shingles, standard2 10@ 2 20

Shingles, choice2 25@ 2 30

Shingles, extra2 40@ 2 60

Lath1 65@ 1 70

COUNTRY PRODUCE.

Note.—The quotations for the articles named in the following list are generally for commission lots of goods and from first hands. While our prices are based as near as may be on the landing or wholesale rates, allowance must be made for selections and the sorting up for store distribution.

Beans.—Hand picked mediums $2 10@2 15. Hand picked navies. $2 20@2 25.

Butter.—Dull and without change. Choice to extra creamery, 32@35c per lb.; fair to good do 26@30c; fair to choice dairy, 25@30c; common to choice packing stock fresh and sweet, 20@25c; ladle packed 10@13c; fresh made, streaked butter, 9@11c.

Bran.—Quoted at $11 87½@13 50 per ton; extra choice $13.

Cheese.—Choice full-cream cheddars 12½@13c per lb; medium quality do 9@10c; good to prime full cream flats 13@13¾c; skimmed cheddars 9@10c; good skimmed flats 6@7c; hard-skimmed and common stock 3@4c.

Eggs.—In a small way the best brands are quotable at 26@27c per dozen; 24@25c for good ice house stock; 16@20c per pickled.

Hay.—No 1 timothy $8 50@9 50 per ton; No 2 do $7 50@8 00; mixed do $6 50; upland prairie $8 00@9 50; No 1 prairie $5 50@6 50; No 2 do $4 50@5. Small bales sell at 25@50c per ton more than large bales.

Hides and Pelts.—Green-cured light hides 8c per lb; do heavy cows 8c; No 2 damaged green-salted hides 6c; green-salted calf 12@12½ cents; green-salted bull 6 c; dry-salted hides 11 cents; No. 2 two-thirds price; No. 1 dry flint 14@14½c. Sheep pelts salable at 28@32c for the estimated amount of wash wool on each pelt. All branded and scratched hides are discounted 15 per cent from the price of No. 1.

Hops.—Prime to choice New York State hops 22@26c per lb; Pacific coast of 23@26c; fair to good Wisconsin 15@20c: Wisconsin 1882's 8@12c.

Poultry.—Prices for live lots were: Turkeys 12@13c per lb; chickens, 7@8c; ducks 8@10c per lb.; geese 8@10c per lb. for full feathered. Dressed turkeys sell at 1@2c per lb more than live offerings.

Potatoes.—Good to choice 35@40c per bu. on track; common to fair 25@30c. Illinois sweet potatoes range at $3@3 50 per bbl for yellow. Baltimore stock at $2 25@2 75, and Jerseys at $5. Red are dull and nominal.

Tallow and grease.—No 1 country tallow 7@7¼c per lb; No 2 do 6¼@6½c. Prime white grease 6@6½c; yellow 5¼@5¾c; brown 4½@5.

Vegetables.—Cabbage, $8@12 per 100; celery, 35@40c per per doz bunches; onions, $1 00@1 25 per bbl for yellow, and $1 for red; turnips, $1 35@ 1 50 per bbl for rutabagas, and $1 00 for white flat.

Wool.—from store range as follows for bright wools from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan Indiana, and Eastern Iowa—dark Western lots generally ranging at 1@2c per lb. less.

Coarse and dingy tub25@30

Good medium tub31@34

Unwashed bucks' fleeces14@15

Fine unwashed heavy fleeces18@22

Fine light unwashed heavy fleeces22@23

Coarse unwashed fleeces21@22

Low medium unwashed fleeces24@25

Fine medium unwashed fleeces26@27

Fine washed fleeces32@33

Coarse washed fleeces26@28

Low medium washed fleeces30@32

Fine medium washed fleeces34@35

Colorado and territory wools range as follows:

Lowest grades14@16

Low medium18@22

Medium22@26

Fine16@24

Wools from New Mexico:

Lowest grades14@16

Part improved16@17

Best improved19@23

Burry from 2c to 10c off; black 2c to 5c off.

LIVE STOCK MARKETS.

The total receipts and shipments for last week were as follows:

Received.Shipped.

Cattle27,29511,368

Hogs89,50522,450

Sheep9,4174,856

Cattle.—The above figures show a falling off of 18,850 head from the previous week's receipts. This contraction on the part of shippers is said to have been on account of advice from the commission men who argue that the unusual demand during Christmas week following the previous large supply would not be very large. Dressed-beef operators bought freely and there was a general advance in prices. The quality of the beef was not first-class. The highest price paid for the best was $6 65 per cwt. Sales were principally at $5@6. Common lots brought $4 25@4 95. Some poor ones went at $4. Cows for butchers sold at $3@4, and inferior lots at $2@2 90. Bulls brought from $2 to $4 75. A few car loads of Texans sold at $3 50@4 50 per cwt. Veal calves brought $4@7 for 100 lbs. Milch cows were lower as the supply has been large. There was a falling off of about $10 per head; they sold for $25 to 55 per head.

Hogs.—During the past week they formed a strong combination to break the market, all the 20 packing houses doing business here agreeing to buy only a stipulated number of hogs each day. The plan worked as was anticipated, and although the receipts for the week dropped to 89,000 against 187,470 during the previous week, there was a steady decline from day to day. Shippers were good buyers, taking on an average 5,500 hogs daily, but city packers bought only about 11,000 or 12,000, leaving at times upwards of 28,000 or 30,000 unsold at the close of the day. Choice hogs declined only moderately, but other descriptions were very weak. Up to date there have been packed in the West this season about 100,000 head more than to same time last year. The market closed on Saturday at $4 65@5 90 for heavy; $4 60@5 30 for light, and $3 25@4 60 for skips and culls.

Note.—All sales of hogs are made subject to a shrinkage of 40 lbs for piggy sows and 80 lbs for stags. Dead hogs sell for 1½c per lb for weights of 200 and over and [Transcriber's Note: blank in original] for weights of less than 100 lbs.

Sheep.—The demand has been brisk and prices for good lots advanced fully 25c per cwt. The receipts have fallen off greatly. Sales were made of common to choice at $2 50@4 65. No fancy droves were received, and they were nominal at $4 75@5.

COMMISSION MERCHANTS.

J.H. WHITE & CO., PRODUCE COMMISSION

106 S. Water St., Chicago.

Refers to this paper.

MISCELLANEOUS.

GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1878.

BAKER'S Breakfast Cocoa.

Warranted absolutely pure Cocoa, from which the excess of Oil has been removed. It has three times the strength of Cocoa mixed with Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar, and is therefore far more economical. It is delicious, nourishing, strengthening, easily digested, and admirably adapted for invalids as well as for persons in health.

Sold by Grocers everywhere.

W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass.

CHEAP FARMS.

NEAR MARKETS.

The State of Michigan has more than 4,500 miles of railroad and 1,600 miles of Lake transportation, schools and churches in every county, public buildings all paid for, and no debt. Its soil and climate combine to produce large crops, and it is the best fruit State in the Northwest. Several million acres of unoccupied and fertile lands are yet in the market at low prices. The State has issued a NEW PAMPHLET containing a map and descriptions of the soil, crops and general resources of every county in the State, which may be had free of charge by writing to the

COMM'R OF IMMIGRATION, Detroit. Mich.

Money to Loan to Farmers

in Illinois on Mortgage security at 6 per cent interest, with privilege of yearly payments. Call on or address

BURNHAM, TREVETT & MATTIS, Champaign, Ill.

PATENT Procured or no charge. 40 p. book patent-law free. Add. W.T. Fitzgerald, 1006 F St., Washington, D.C.

EDUCATIONAL.

UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AMERICAN Veterinary College, 141 West 54th St., New York City.

The regular course of lectures commences in October each year. Circular and information can be had on application to

A. LIAUTARD, M.D.V.S., Dean of the Faculty.

SEWING SILK.

Corticelli Sewing Silk,

LADIES, TRY IT!

The Best Sewing Silk Made.

Every Spool Warranted.

Full Length, Smooth and Strong.

Ask your storekeeper for Corticelli Silk.

MISCELLANEOUS.

"FACTS ABOUT Arkansas and Texas."

A handsome book, beautifully illustrated, with colored diagrams, giving reliable information as to crops, population, religious denominations, commerce, timber, Railroads, lands, etc., etc.

Sent free to any address on receipt of a 2-cent stamp. Address

H.C. Townsend, Gen. Passenger Agt., St. Louis, Mo.

Will be mailed FREE to all applicants and to customers of last year without ordering it. It contains illustrations, prices, descriptions and directions for planting all Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Plants, etc. Invaluable to all.

D.M. FERRY & CO. DETROIT, Mich.

LYON & HEALY State & Monroe Sts., Chicago.

Will send prepaid to any address their

BAND CATALOGUE,

for 1883, 600 pages, 210 Engravings of Instruments, Suits, Caps, Belts, Pompons, Epaulets, Cap-Lamps, Stands, Drum Major's Staffs, and Hats, Sundry Band Outfits, Repairing Materials, also includes Instruction and Exercises for Amateur Bands, and a Catalogue of Choice Band Music.

PIANOFORTES. UNEQUALLED IN Tone, Touch, Workmanship and Durability. WILLIAM KNABE & CO.

Nos. 204 and 206 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore. No. 112 Fifth Avenue, N.Y.

AGENTS make over ONE hundred per cent. profit selling the

Reflecting Safety Lamp

which can be sold in every family. Gives more light than three ordinary lamps. Sample lamp sent for fifty cents in stamps. We have other household articles. Send for circulars.

FORSEE & McMAKIN, Cincinnati, O.

SEEDS! PLANTS—Catalogue Free.

A.E. SPALDING, AINSWORTH, IOWA.

PIG EXTRICATOR

To aid animals in giving birth. Send for free circular to Wm. Dulin, Avoca, Pottawattamie Co., Ia.

FREE

By return mail, Full Description Moody's New Tailor System of Dress Cutting MOODY & CO. Cincinnati, O.

CARDS

50 Satin Finish Cards, New Imported designs, name on and Present Free for 10c. Cut this out. CLINTON BROS. & Co., Clintonville, Ct.