The Globe-republican., 1890-03-12
THE LAMB MARKETS.

Possible Source of Profit to Farmer.
Living Near Good Market, But BY No
Means . Certain One.
Among the possibly profitable prod
ucts OF the farm for which many farmers
are looking in these days of close COM
petition and Of small or minus profits.
the business Of growing early lambs
has, says the Rural New Yorker, en-.
gaged the attention of many because Of
the apparently high prices for which
they are often sold. As is the case with
SO many other agricultural and horti-
cultural products, the development Of
the South and the improvement of
transportation facilities have complete
ly demoralized previously-existing
market conditions and changed many
formerly profitable enterprises into un-
profitable ones. Formerly, what are
known to the trade as LIGHTHOUSE
lambs" i. e., those grown in winter and
put on the market in early spring,
brought very high prices-from twelve
dollars to fifteen dollars, and often
twenty dollars for extra fine ones,
those weighing from thirty to forty
pounds. But the demand for these is
necessarily very limited. and as the
supply has increased from year to year
the price has decreased, until many
growers declare that raising them will
not pay for the extra cost and labor in
volved.
The first lambs arrived from New Jer-
sey this year before Christmas and sold
for $40. They are now a little scarce
and selling for from IS to $40, but any
material increase in the supply would
reduce these prices considerably. Near
~ all sent at this season are slaughtered,
drawn and sent with the skins on, like
hog dressed calves. They are sent to
such commission merchants as handle
poultry, hog-dressed veals, etc. Hallen-
beck & Hollis, of the Union Stock
Yards. say that they do not receive any
Of any account until about May, though
some few scattering ones are received as
early as March. The first come from
Tennessee and Virginia; the
next from Maryland, New Jersey and
and later from New
York, Ohio, Michigan and other West
ern States and Canada, as we'll as from
New England. The above firm say that
the best lambs come from New York and
the poorest from the far West, although
the latter are constantly improving in
quality.
The breed considered the best is the
and its crosses. The fine
wool breeds are the poorest. Occasion
ally few Angora goats are received,
but not enough to make any quotations.
The prices for spring lambs on April
last were 81 to Sc so; May 1, $3.50; June
1, So. so; July l., 6s pounds, 81; August
l, IS to s.; September 1, S5.75 to $3.50;
October 1, SIS to $3.50; November 1, SIS to
$50, and December 1. $3.50 to Sc. The
extreme variations at some periods were
caused by scarcity or over-supply.
The apparently small difference in price
the winter-raised lambs and
hose dropped in the usual season it
'eems would not pay for the extra ex-
,ense and risk involved in raising the
'ormer. Then, again, the demand for
;hese early lambs is very limited, and any
increase in the supply would
esult disastrously as to prices. 1t seems
% US from all the facts we are able to
rather that there is small encourage
nent for any one to engage extensively
n this business. especially il any mate
ial expense is necessary to begin opera
ions.