The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-13
WILL HELP MARKET
scARciTY Of BUTCHER CATTLE
WILL BE ULTIMATELY
PROFITABLE
GEN. FLOWER GIVES REASONS
Present Shortage Is Due to Natural
Agricultural Conditions, and
VIII Not Be Dis
asfrOus.

a marked scarcity of what is known as
butchers cattle in the South st. Paul
market Of late has led to considerable
comment. A comparison of the receipts
OF this season and those of the same
period of last year show a falling off, but
a careful survey of the situation and a
canvass of the best authorities shows
that this is a natural outcome of present
favorable conditions in the embarrassing
section tributary to this market and will
In time work to the benefit of the market
and the cattlemen of this territory.
Gen. Mark d. Flower, president Of the
st. Paul Union Stock Yards company,
seen last night on this subject, said;
1t is true that at present the three
principal classes of what is known as
butchers cattle are scarce in the local
market The three classes to which !
refer are the ''stockers and feeders and
beef cattle so-caIled. There are, of
course, many grades of each of those
classes, but they constitute the three
principal divisions. This scarcity of
which l speak is a natural result of
agricultural conditions in the country and
is not an unfavorable Indication, but on
the contrary, favorable.
Last year there was drought in the
Northwest and farmers and cattle raisers
generally were forced to rush their stock
into the market and take whatever prices
they could get for it. This year grass
and nay in the Northwest are plentiful
and the drought has shifted to the South
west. Consequently the cattle raisers of
this section are in no hurry to send
their stock to market, while those of Ne
braska and Kansas are rushing theirs 20
market as fast as they can. The result
is that the Kansas City market is over
run with stock.
HOLD YOUNG CATTLE.
Our stockers, which are young cat
tie, are usually bought by the farmers of
the Southwest to be raised by them, but
drought, there is no demand for that
class of stock and our farmers, having
plenty Of feed for them, can do much
better by keeping them anyway and
raising them themselves. Feeders are
the animals which are not fat enough to
be sold for beef and are bought to be
fattened for later market. Those also
the farmers are now able to keep to be
fattened for their own profit, and, OF
course, they can do much better to pur-
sue that course.
THE grass is so good in North and
South Dakota this year that beef cattle
will come late Cattle men will hang
onto them as long as they are improving
in condition every day. There are some
coming in now and we received 200 head
today, but we expect very liberal ship
n .ents of fat cattle in September. There
is, however, a strong demand now and L
think that the farmers would do better
to ship some of their beef cattle now
than to wait until they are all ready to
ship at the same time. Better prices can
perhaps be secured now. We are paying
within five cents of Chicago prices and
the difference in freight and shrinkage
is fully Is cents.
I'VE have always advocated the keep
ing of young stock rather than selling it
off for some one else to mature and we
are glad to see that the farmers are do
ing it this season. In the end it viii
benefit this market"