New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-08
WESTERN C4TTLE-PROSPECTS AND
PRICES.

In our reports of the Cattle market here we have
frequently remark ed upon the number of beef cattle
and swine forced upon the market before their time;
and in the care OF the bullocks although the quota
tops by the pound indicated fair prices, the sums
realised Der head were often less than the cost OF the
animals last June leaving the interest, pasturage
transportation, commission, attendance, risk, &c.
all total loss This mus, be the Gaze, in great de-
gree upon all the droves sold in our market, COM
posed of three and fouryer old steers, at $40 to Us
head.
The. loss upon swine, at &c. and &c. pound, ia
,u;,e a. bad The cause Of this comes in very
great degree from the drouh and consequent failure
of nastursee and cutting short Of crops that
owners were unable 10 fatten. and feared TO risk
buyipc fe, at the advanced rates, or holding over
until another season. Por the same reason great
many cows and immature two and hree-year old
steers and heifers baye been sent TO the shamhos.
This must effect the supply next season, so that thu
prosreot OF chesp meat is not at all hstterog lade-
pendent Of this, there is very large local western
demand occssioped by the vast immigration con-
s,srtly flowing that way. The Minnesota Democrat,
81. Paul, Oct IS. says;
Cattle. both for beef and work purposes, are
coming in rapidly, but the demsnd 10 greater tnaa
the supply. As al instance OF what mas oeen done,
nilOn that our IN snsn1en, tndIito Nou'cf,
has since the opsning Of the brought uP foe
the supply of this market, from Iowa, ILLINOIS, aud
Wisconsin. upu ard Of 900 head of beef cattle.
There are number Of other persons engaged IN the
bn,iners ana they have been kept basily engaged
al the time. The ruling price IN the market Is cents,
net for good cattle on the hOof
Work cattle ar scarce, and very high. Those
bropobt here and they haye come in great numbers,
have changed hands rapidly, aud scattered Owe the
Territory are al ling our farmers 20 TIL thu ryodr
soil Every steamboat that arrives bring
of them and they driven here by laad IA dio'es.
The demand for Kansas settlers IS also proper
tioraby great; and every spring the number that is
driven over the plains is almost beyond belief
What, then, is our prospect for the winter, or the
next seascn' II is subject of deep interest to far
ners and all who feed cattle and they should study It
well and thereon base tneir calculations.
The Cincinnati PJice Curren, OF Nov. I says that
prime beef c,tile are scarce at Sc 5o0s7 per cwt.
net and are held 6rm at that price. Nothing but
short supply in the country, short crops of beef
producing food could induce such prices.
The same paper 80, that bogs sold The past week az
60 75a 50 so net; but that was partly owing TO warm
weather OF thosa cut up, the sides were rendered
into Lard and the Shoulders and Ha sold at
3ia5ic.
Tie Framiner, Lexington, Mo- says that 90 500
a for Pork is all tn At can be calculated upon in that
country, though farmers generally anticipate high
prices on account of the great deficiency in the corn
crop in tina, State These prices of pork and beef do
not correspond and show very psoly to that scar
city of beef cattle bar to do With the price than
scarcity of feed On The other baod there is au ample
supply of hogs-too great for the corn crop OF the
West and hence tberlow prices both here and there.
We have came TO the conclusion that there is an
alarming deficiency OF horned cattle in the United
States and that this 10 the cause OF high prices of
beef-higher, as a universal thing, than ever known
in any former year, and unless some plan can be de-
WEED to stop The wsstefully wicked destruction of
calves and young cattle VIC may never see the day
again of cheap roast beef.
One of the mott feasible plans perhaps, tb% could
he devised would be Law to prevent the killing Of
calves. Not exactly to prevent the owners from KID
lipg-for any man may destroy such property belong
ing 70 bim-but law tn forbid the sale of veal OF
cnlves Under ak weeks old
What il all the money now annually appropriated
TO agricultural soceties should be given, pro rata, To
the countes rearing the largest number OF calves, or
else divide it, per capt.. upon all that may be raised
10 the age of two years, IL would do good
to the State in two years than has been done by all
the money wasted upon State and Couoty shows.
We are now killing off all the calves, generally at
less than week old, aud importing from the Western
States all Of our own beef cattle, working oxen, and
cows The consequence is, We have exhausted the
supply The Western farmers tempted by the enor-
nous prices that have been offered them, since the
railroads have been compleed so as to bring cattle
cbesply and rapidly into market, have sold of their
uDrpe crop Of beeves, and now they cannot fill our
orders at such prices beef could would and should
be produced in this country, if rational course was
pursued. Our present policy is as foolish as killing
the goose that lays the golden egg.
Shall we allow il to become a historical fact, that
America cannot produce beef enough for her own
use wbeD We should be able TO sell fair profit TO
the farmer, sDd sr undersell every other northern
section Of the world; for We certainly have the
means of making, not only the most, bat the best
BEEF cattle at the least cost, Of any other country;
and yet we consuming be mesnsst quality Of cat
Tie ever eaten by any civilized people!
great good would be done, II our City Govern
meDt would prohibit the sale Of all cs:.le that would
not pass inspscfion and positively forbid any person
to bring two days old calves, their meat within tho
City limits.
The prospect of any material reduction 70 the price
of bee for the next year, need not BIO INDUCED IN;
and unless something be done to pat stop to the
universal destruction of the raw material out Of which
beef made, the prospect for future years Is indeed
gloomy one.