Arizona republican., 1898-05-11

I finally bring and the date Of their
 maximum value. A great many be-
 lieve that even now the price of cattle
 Is too high and that there is to be a | gradual decline The prices of cattle, hogs, and sheep are closely related, as these animals produce the worlds
 meat supply. One class cannot be high and another low for any length of time
 The factors that influence each and all are many and complex and it is we'll nigh impossible to make d thor | oughly scientific forecast of the future prices, as it requires much kncwledge of the conditions at home and abroad, of foreign trade relations and certain data that SO far have not been col
 lected. The holdings of cattle are in
 so many hands and mems opinions vary so greatly as to futures and as foresight has not been an endowment | of farmers, generally speaking, ehe
 task is made harder by these facts | than is the case with other products | whose output Is controlled by few l whose actions can be better fo7ecasted. Among the conditions and data re- quired which must clearly be known and properly estimated may be men, tioned the following: CD The num- Der of animals in the United States. Comparison with previous years. Pro- rata comparison. CD Size and age at killing. Comparative amounts of breeding stock killed or on hand (3) Exports. Condition of foreign trade relations. Probability Of an increased or decreased foreign market for our
 meats. (4) Foreign competition. (5) | Legislation at home. Imports. Local conditions. Financial conditions. Concerning the first proposition he shows that there is considerable l shortage in the number of cattle in I this country and he likewise shows 1 that the increase in the number of
 cattle is by no means keeping pace
 with the increase in population in this | country. The age question he consid- l CTS does not cut much figure and as l there is not much difference between
 the age of steers marketed in 1897 and 1892. In foreign competition we need | fear only the South American coun- l tries. Argentina has about one-half the number of cattle we have; her ex- ports of livestock products last year were $55,000,000 to our $13S, ,UO0, ,0OO, ! but Argentina Is increasing her export trade in this line very rapidly-at the l rate of about Il per cent per year for the past five years. This is due to the efforts made by the foreign cap
 ital, mostly German, which has re- gently gone there and has large con- | trol of her cattle industry. Argentina i is in the market to stay and can in crease her business in this line a great l deal yet. The country is, however,
 much handicapped by it's geographical location.
 1 Our export trade Is increasing at
 satisfactory rate while our imports of
 cattle are falling off, So great l shortage in mature and breeding stock
 in this country was never known. In
 some of the corn feeding states there is larger number being fatted than
 usual, but these will be out of the way by August 1. Six-months calves of
 right form and breeding are now being
 sold for $20 to $25 to men whose judg-
 ment is unquestioned. Thousands of
 unborn calves are being contracted for
 The tendency of the prices realized in
 the recent sales of beef-bred caille shows the faith of many good men in the future prices.
 Concluding his article, MT. Power
 says: We find that we have a great
 shortage in the numbers of cattle,
 hogs and sheep, and especially a great
 shortage in mature and breeding cat tie; that there is a shortage in both Canada and Mexico, in connection
 with the fact that we have a tariff law favorable to the checking of imports:
 that we have a large and increasing export trade firmly established; no
 foreign competition except in the 1 South American countries, which are
 competitors only when the prices are high; better financial condition with
 it's great bearing on values; no compe-
 tltion with cheap mutton to be feared
 and the gradual closing of the ranching
 business in the northwest All these
 are our favorable factors Our ad-
 verse conditions to high prices of cat
 tie are these: That when prices get
 too nigh exports will lessen and home consumption will decrease and the
 large packing concerns will be
 pears, for if higher prices will lose thrive.
 considering all these carefully am Iorced to the conclusion that ton prices
 are not now, nor will they be, reached "ltn1n the next twelve months nor
 perhaps in the next twenty-four T VIII not say when maximum va1ues will be realized nor to what nr,cec
 they will reach, but will say my own
 opinion is that I will be disappointed
 II prices do not reach a higher figure
 than seven cents in Chicago before
 there is any decline Present pricee
 are low enough and they are warrant
 ed. Breeding stock is good property
 to hold, but those who are willing tc
 sell at present prices will readily find
 purchasers with longer ha ads who will
 take their stock. By all means hold
 good heifers.-Texas Stockman and