Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-23
B. LElDERSDORF co,

curing the year 1903 was the doWn-
ward turn Of prices from the higher
levels of the proceeding years. Al
comparison of the course OF the week
ly prices of beef cattle during 1901, J.
1902 and 1903 makes IT. clear that for
the last three years there, has, been a.
settling down of price levels from
1901 through 1902 and reaching the
lower basis in 1908. The yearly aver
age price of beef cattle weighing 1000
to 1,500 pounds at Chicago was $4.85
in $685.. The highest price since 1898
was in 1902 when 1t reached $6.75.
The average price for the year 1903
was $3.50. 1t is seen that the yearly
average price had almost returned to
the level of 1893. The machinery of
production which has been instrument
al in bringing prices down so rapidly
during 1903 is still in operation.
The prediction of permanent high
prices, based on the assumption that
the demand for meat products had
orce for all outrun the country's nor
NAL supply, has been proved fallacious
by the quickness with which the pro-
ductive sources of the stock-raising
areas have expanded, thus bringing
the relation of supply and demand
back to a more stable equilibrium.
Chief credit for this expansion is given
to the growers of stock on the farms
in the more advanced agricultural
states and not to the western ranges
nor to the southwestern grass feeding
areas.
Touching upon the receipts at the
various markets the report says that
native receipts at Chicago in 1903 sup
piled that market with over 100000
held out of a total of nearly 100000.
Chicago usually receives about 40 per
cent of the total arrivals of the five
leading markets. Out of the years
receipts at these five centers Is, 49,
SIS head were credited to Chicago,
| 1925, 497 head to Kansas City, 5,218,-
1886 head to Omaha, 3,778,543 head to
ST. Louis, and 2,947,210 head to st. 10
seph. The years receipts at these
five markets shows total OF 32,9S3, COL
head of the leading classes of live
stock OF this number S,S26,613 head
were cattle and calves, 15,014,811 were
hogs, 8,763,277 were sheep and 37S,9O0
were horses and mules. A noteworthy
feature of the livestock trade of these
| five leading markets is that the num-
Der of hogs marketed last year were
| 3,750,O00 less than the number re-
ceived during the year 1901. Last
year the average price of hogs in Chi
cago was Sc as compared with Sc in
1902 and $500 in 1901.
Another interesting feature brought
out by the government report is the
material change that has taken place
| in the relative Importance of the
source of the cattle supply during the
last decade. This is especially notice
able at Chicago. The receipts are
classified as natives" Texas" or
western cattle. Out of the 3,432 ,4s6
cattle received in 1903 a total of 3,072.-
1856 head were natives" only 10000
came from Texas and 209,S00 head
were received from the western
ranges. Ten years ago (1S9S) Texas
and western cattle composed approx
mately one-third of the total receipts
of g, 1873 ,406 head. In 1908, when the
total had increased to 3,432,4s6 head,
only 351 100 head, or slightly more
than 10 per cent, came from non-na-
Tive sources. These ten years have
seen the revolution of the industry it.
self, involving the practical disappear
ance of the old time ranching and the
incorporation of live stock raising with
more extensive agriculture. There is
yet unquestionable possibility for the
development of this industry in the
western states. As those states be-