The Helena independent., 1892-08-01
Tho First Shipped This Year Have
Met With a Ready
Market
Advice to All Shippers to Hold
Their Washy and Half
Fats.
Rushing the Poorer Qualities ON the
Market win Pull Down the
PrlCeA

Last week Montana cattle made thei
Arst appearance this season on the market
Of the east. says the Stock Growers journal
They are reported a. being fully ~ fat a
the tirst lots received in 1891, but 4 little
soft and coarse. A few weeks more how
ever. will give them the requisite solidity
and put them in as prime condition a. they
were last year at the opening OF the season.
The first arrivals At Chicago from Wyom-
ing and Utah were pronounced below the
standard quality Of average range cattle
and AZ furnishing NO criterion of the mar
kst.
The receipts of western rangers generally
were considered light. A sonsultasion of
the records Of previous years, however.
shows that there il not 80 much difference
as was supposed. For the week ending ON
the 23d inst. receipts were not so far be-
hind the quantities received during the
corresponding week Of the past year; the
number received at Chicago. for example,
during the former period being about 1000
and the number received during the latter
exceeding that figure only by couple Of
hundreds.
The first Montana cattle received this
year met = ready market and sold we'll.
Buyers complained. however. that they did
not kill IS we'll as they sold. This is CAS-
ilv understood when We remsmber the con-
tinued heavy rains Of June and July. which
made the grass soft and washy. Some car
loads OF COWS, however. are pronounced as
being As good AZ Montana ever produced.
The arrivals thus far, however, arc scarce
ly large enough to permit Of establishing
g.. s. -. ~s<~l%A
will undoubtedly see sufficient quantities
placed ON the market to admit of determin-
ing moro reliable schedule of prices.
1t is the general opinion that strictly
choice first GLASS cattle will sell quickly and
we'll, but shat there will be little demand
for poor. medium or half fat cattle. These
premises we think are sufficiently estab-
lished to admit Of drawing correct conclu-
sions. Shippers have sufficient data to
enable them to establish rule Of action
for the near future at least, and they
should regulate their shipments as to quail
ity on the circumstances now clearly
placed before them. II the poorer quail
nately with the bettsr classes. it can only
have tho effect Of pulling down prices on all
Rradss-the superior as we'll as the inferior.
Is would certainly seem to be the part OF
wisdom-indeed We might say of ordinary
common sense, to keep the half-fat, flabby
Or WAbly CatCi0 Il Ie" weeks more on tHe
range until the soft and watery flesh is
solidifed into beef of the prime quality
desired by buyers. So We say to all range
men and shippers. send nothing forward
but what is first class. A little judicious
delay will not only prevent individual loss.
but general depreciation of rates.
It may not be uninteresting in view of
the supposed abnormal fall in prices within
the past fortnight to compare the record of
prices last year with those of the CORE.
sponding period OF ths present. This COM
arison shows us that prices for the same
week i'll 1891 declined 80 to rs cents while
the drop last week was 40 to so cents. The
last week of July, 1884, prices declined 80
to 80 cents, making so cents to $l.25 decline
during the last two weeks of last July.
Present prices arc about 81 lower than a
year ago. That reduction. however, is con-
sidered as only fairly proportionate to the
difference in quality Of cattle received dur
ing tho opening weeks of this season and Of
last. Better quality will bring better fig
u'es. and at the risk of being monotonous
we repeat, ship only good fat cattle; keep
your wsshy cattle until they are firm and
your half fats until they are fat.