The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-05-15
STOCK
Stock Business at Portland.

mense packing plant by the Swifts
at Portland, Ore, the interest in the
beef cattle industry is sure to pick
up very materially from now on. For
the Pacific northwest the Portland
Union Stock Yards will become the
barometer of prices for livestock prod
ucts. Conditions at that center one
week ago were reported as follows:
Receipts have been rather light,
with no particular demand, the larger
packers having plenty of contract cat
tie on hand. From present indica-
tions there will be a movement OF
habitat cattle to this market for per-
haps thirty days, on account of gov
eminent reserves being closed TO so
many small stockmen, which will force
cattle on the market too soon. This
will probably result in shortage OF
cattle during summer and fall and
prices should hold good.
Best steers sell from Aye to 3Ac;
lighter and medium steers from &c
to 4c; best COWS and heifers, 31ac to
3Ac; old and shelly COWS and light
habitat stuff, 11ac to 21ac; stays, 21ac
to 3Ac, and bulls sell from &c to
FAC per pound.
On account of the heavy shipments
of eastern hogs the local market has
developed a decided weakness, $7.35
being about the top for desirable
hogs. There are very few hogs in the
country and it is probable that the de-
mand will strengthen again shortly.
Best we'll finished hogs from It's lbs.
to 800 lbs. sell from $7.25 to $7.35;
lighter, blockers and china-fats,
cents; stockers and feeders sell from
$3.50 to $500 per hundred pounds.
Best sheared wethers and yearlings
are selling from to Az cents; mixed
lots, 3h to cents per pound. No
body seems to care to handle lambs
and they will probably sell at about
51h cents. Lambs should come in
early in the week, as they are hard
sellers after Wednesday,.
Desirable Points in Draft Horses.
What do we desire in the draft
horse? Simply efficiency, the power
to move a heavy load at moderate
speed. To start a heavy load the
horse must have weight to throw in
the collar; but, according to Henry
Wallace, he must have a good deal
more than weight. He must have
bony skeleton and muscles and tend
ons all under control. His bony sys.
tenn must be sound, one part as nearly
as possible equal to another in the de-
mand made upon it, for as the strength
of the chain is measured by it's weak
est link, so the strength Of the horse
is finally measured by the weakest
part of his system. This bony skele-
ton must be covered with muscles and
tendons in harmony with it's strength.
Then he must have the intelligence
and the will power and disposition to
use this bony and muscular system to
effect the object, namely, the moving
of a great load at moderate rate OF
speed.
Excessive fairness is not to be de-
sired, for while it has value in that it
enables him to throw weight in the
collar, otherwise it is valueless, and
ried. We don't grow horses as we do
beef cattle. We don't eat them; we
work them. We like tenderness in
the muscles of beef, but we like tough
ness in the muscles Of the horse.
Therefore there is limit to profitable
or desirable weight. Just what that
limit is depends on the use to which
the horse is put.
The bus horse does not need the
strength of the dray horse. He needs
more action. For farm purposes all
our draft horses are heavier than
necessary; and if they had no COM