The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-29
Livestock Worth $23,OOO,OOO
Is Owned Within the State

Cattlemen have no reason to COM
plain over the record made in 1907.
Physical conditions were good through
out the year for both cattle and sheep.
Grass on the ranges that was so I'M
usually good the year before matured
during the past season, making good
feed. AS . result range animals are
fatter than is usually the case. Last
winter was so favorable that the NOR
tality was light. This was particular
ly true as TO sheep; there was good
crop of spring lambs and the wool crop
was heavier than usual There was
also good branding of calves in the
spring. AS to wool the individual
f1eeces were heavier, but the output of
wool for the state was lighter, because
OF the smaller number of sheep.
Cattle on the increase.
Cattle have been increasing numer-
ically i'm Utah for the past four or five
years. There is a good reason for this.
Previous TO that time a large majority
of local cattle were raised in large
herds on the extensive ranges The
radical fall in the price of cattle in the
improbable, and the big herds disap-
peared. Then came the days of small
feeders. These sprang up on ali sides
They were warranted in fattening their
animals in the winter by the increas-
ing prices, and this has now been going
on successfully for the past five years
There is now a larger lumber of breed
ers in the state than ever before men
who raise cattle in connection with
other branches of farming. This is
considered a healthfuI sign.
Why Prices Are Higher.
There mas been no big jump i'm the
price of cattle, just a gradual increase
especially for young animals. This in
crease is accounted for largely by the
increased consumption here at home
and the increased demand from south
ern California since TIE opening of the
Clark road through to Los Angeles.
Not only have the packers and butch
ers of the principal cities in southern
California learned to draw upon us for
fat cattle, but men who feed now buy
young cattle i'm large numbers and ship
them to California to run the ranges
or to feed at the sugar factories Be
tween $1,000 and 10000 young animals
were so shipped from Utah to southern
California last spring.
The decline of the cattle industry in
! Nevada, which has progressed steadily
since the days of high-priced range
cattle, has made Oakland and San
Francisco steady purchasers of winter
meat here in Utah. Both Seattle and
Portland make heavy purchases of
winter supplies in Utah. There is a
promise of a greatly increased demand
of this kind from outside points. and
herein is a pledge of great business for
local dealers. BY cooperating to make
of Salt Lake City a great central meat
and cattle exchange, a market to which
all buyers as well as sellers would nat
urally come, a business could be built
up. the extent of which lone can now
estimate.
Cattle Around the City.
The usual number Of cattle are being
fed this winter within a radius of $50
miles of Salt Lake City. Six weeks ago
it seemed that the price of hay and
grain would make feeding impossible:
but the business slump I'm. the east has
had the effect to reduce the price of all
fOodstuffs and cattle feeding is now i'm
progress as usual Within the radius
ramed there are 10000 head of cattle
to be fed. Most of these have been
about the sugar factories eating the
Deet pulp.
The number of young cattle stOokers
for shipment out of the state is not
up to former years. The demand in
Montana is very light. This is largely
due to the government restrictions on
forest ranges. The usual number of
cattle did not go east to Chicago this
year. In the early part of the season
eastern prices offered no inducement,
and in the latter part of the season To-
cal conditions made IL profitable TO
keep the feeders at home. About 50,0 900
head went out during the year.
Prices for cattle were Is to 20 per cent
higher in the early part of the season
than a year before. In the latter part
of the season they were about the same
as the year before.
The packing plant in North Salt Lake
City was rebuilt during the year. 1t
was made larger than the one burned
down: ii has better equipment of all
kinds. including the machinery, and it
has far better fire, protection. 1t is
now ready for operation. In fact, it
was planned to start the plant on Dec.