The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-03

Posted on the Markets.
This is the season of the year when the
farmer who makes a business of feeding
and fatteung cattle for slaughter is in the
market looking for material with which to
stock his feed lots. In order to conduct
the business proftably, care must be exer-
cised in the selection of animals With the
diminishing herds on the plains the sources
whence good feeders may be drawn are les
sened In a degree. The farmers of the
Northwest have neglected the detail of proper
breeding as is evidenced by the specimens
which appear daily in the stock yards The
man who looks inteligently for the best
grades for use in the industry he seeks to
promote will doubtless be the one who will
derive the largest profits in the undertaking
The Iowa Homestead, in its last issue
presents some valuable points in this connec-
ton which The o b e takes pleasure in
printing in full for the benefit OF its readers
OF this column. The article deals directly
with the subject Of feeding cattle and says:
A great deal OF money has been made and
lost IN cattle feeding. The cost of feeders
and OF feed, and the price received for the
finished cattle relatively TO each other, have
OF course, great deal to do with the ques-
ton whether feeding operations prove profit
able or otherwise. Feeding cattle that are
eXtravagantly paid for and fed on high priced
feed stutfs hardly be expected to pay
out unless under very exceptional market
conditions, while animals that have been
Dought low and fed on feeds bought in the
same way. grown in a season of large
production when s. big yield per acre makes
the COS. per bu low TO the producer, will
stand a good deal of depression at the stock
yard end of the transaction.
Getting the feeders is, therefore the first
thlng, both IN point Of time and point of
Importance. If feeding operations are 10 be
successfully carried on. In making the selec-
uon II must be done with a knowledge OF
the market requirements they have been
modified by the change in demand during
recent years. The tine was when big aged
steers were the good sellers and cattle grown
on grass 10 three or four years of age and
then pu- on long feed until finished brought
the hlgnest price and proved profitable. That
day has gone by, however, and probably
VII! never return, for the tendency is one in
direction that never goes backward Now
the good Sc. lers are the prime, fat year,ings
and choice fat medium weights Other things
VIII sell, but usually at a loss Taking the
Ia.est chicago quotations for beef cattle as
we write, It Will be found that the range
III III price IS rom $-20 to $565 Per 100 lbs. 1t
VII MAKE a great deal of difference to the
feeder in the results of his seasons worly
whether he is making the $420 kind or that
Wh!Hh sells for $3.50 To make the latter
requires wel,-bred, beef-bui.t feeding STOCK
10 begin with, Of the kind that will mature
early and take finish and fatten equally ali
over net mercy in spots.
When talIow sells for cents pound a
puyer IN the stock yards could not long hold
his job who would pay cents or upwards For
cattle whose fat went on in lumns There 10
a vast dlnerence too, in the price that differ
emf parts OF beef animal brings after
slaughter; The flank, plate chuck shank
ana round are very cheap meat compa ratiye-
Iy, while the loin, ribs, ETC., will bring four
or hVe times as much per pound nerhans
The profitable animal to the killer therefore
Is one that will dress heavily in the high
priced parts as compared with the CHEAPER
ones, and that Is the kind he is willing To
pay the feeder a high price for. To make
this kind requires breeding In beef lines and
the best beef form that can be obtained The
feeder who buys any other kind will find
that he viii get low price for the cattle
NAeh Ied mat he VIII have weight without
value. and Jumps of cheap tallow instead of
well marbled beef for sale
Coed cattle for the feed lot must be early
maturers, for no animal will begin to take
nnlsh and round out its form properly until
II has matured its growth. The cid fve-year-
Sld steers made pretty good beef because they
Aau age anu were ready to take finish: the
same animals are merely caricatures on the
peer animal If one attempts to fatten them
al eighteen months or two years. They are
not ready for 1t. We recently saw a buyer
pay $40 for one lot of cattle and $3.50 for
another, the weights being about equal. When
Ihe Two lots were dressed the cheaper one
made much the dearest beef. 1t is common
~ said that medium weights are the desira-
bic cattle, and this is true, but it means
mealum weights that are we'll fatted and
Ghlshed. 1t does not mean light cattle simply
There is a class of cattle that used to come
from the farms that is now being furnished
by the ranges a good deal cheaper than the
FARMER can grow them In the quotations for
beer cattle at Chicago Just given, the range
was from $500 to $3.50. On the same day
range cattle brought from $40 to $780, So
far as these prices lap over each other the
FARMER should not attempt to grow cattle at
all. He should leave the cheaper kind to the
range cattle men who can make them cheap
er than he can, and devote his attention and
employ his facilities in the production of the
higher-priced kind. To do this however it
Is necessary to select feeding stock more
carefully than has recently been the rule,
and every farmer who means to feed should
thoroughly familiarze himself with tho Te-
qulrements Of the market and make himself
e judge Of the kind of cattle that will meet
them when they have been fed.