Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-15
FEEDERS ARE STOCKING UP.
Many stockers Reach Kansas City
Market From Dairy Districts in

iOWds
Kansas City. Mo-. Jan. 1.-THE far
nler has been frequently referred to as
a born pessimist. but however appro-
pirate the appellation might have been
when applied to the tfllers of the soil
OF another generation. II certainly is a
misfit when applied 10 the feeder far
mers of the central west Mt the present
time. The man who Will sell big.
plump. beef steers which he has had
in his feed lot for six months al 50 a
hundred and forthwith invest the pro-
ceeds in feeders at 81 a hundred cam
not be accused of being pessimist.
ON the contrary he is a man whose
faith in the existence of the silver lin
ing is mistaken. And this is just what
hundreds and thousands of feeder FAR
.ners OF Iowa. Illinois. Missouri. Kansas
and Nebraska are doing every day. In
spite OF the bad slump in the beef cat
tie market the past year, feeding cattle
have held up surprisingly we'll and are
now selling at prices which appear TO
be away out of line with those COM
handed by finished steers. While the
difference in price between the two
classes OF cattle frequently reaches 81
a hundred. ii averages now consider
ably less than ST. While good 1900 TO
1900 pound beeves are selling at $500
10 SIS, good 1000 to HOO pound feeders
are bringing ss.75 to 81. There Is no
guarantee that beef cattle will be ma
;erially higher six or nine months from
now than they are at present. but
the feeder farmer of the central west
have enough faith in the future to in
vest their money in feeding cattle and
confidently await the result.
Notwiihstand the low prices which
fat cattle have been bringing. and the
comparatively high price of feeding
cattle, there were purchased at this
market during 1903 nearly 100000 head
Of stocker and feeding cattle. only
about 5000 fewer than were purchased
the preceding year, when prices OF oee'
cattle were materially higher.
Since the beginning of the new year
there has been a considerable move
tnent of the stockers from the dairy
districts of Iowa to this market. This
movement, which always occurs during
the first two or three months of the
year. was. prior to 1908. very heavy,
amounting TO $4,000 to 10000 head an
nuany. In the dairy districts few
cattle are raised outside of those de-
signed for the dairy, and the surplus
of Young stock is marketed as n rule
ut nine TO twelve months of age. "A
good many calves We're carried over
n wear ago because they did not then
the price which the dairy
farmers thought they should. These.
together with the 1903 crop of calves,
make an unusually large supply OF
Young stock on hand this winter. Inc
dairy farmers have plenty of feed ana
have been independent about dtspos-
ing of their stock cattle, but the nigh
nrices which this class of stun has
been commanding of late have induced
them to let go. Shipments have been
received the past week from the ex-
IRENE northeastern part of the state.
Shippers state that should prices be
maintained the movement VIII DE
heavy during the next sixty DAYS.
There is every reason TO believe that
nrices Will be maintained for feeders
IRE still buying literally as fast as
thew can dispose OF their fat cattle.
II is generally admitted that the num-
Der OF cattl. now on full feed is I'M
usually small, although the NUMBER
being roughed thru the winter Is large.
great many feeders agree with Al
hert Johnson, n big feeder of Lynn
vile. Iowa. who bought string oil
feeders here last week, that when 9TH
or people are going out of the feeding
business is good time for them to