East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-03-22

Portland Union Stockyards, March
2O.-If any one doubts that Portland
has become the livestock authority
for the Pacific region a look at the
present situation would disclose their
error.
Portland is today debating what
shall practically be the price of cattle
next winter and spring for contracts
covering delivery during these pc
RODS are now being made, and sew
eral have already been concluded
The price obtainable in several In
stances for steers delivery year
hence will run close to he present
market.
That the last of 1909 and the be-
ginning of 1910 will see good llVe-
stock prices, is the opinion of the best
men in the trade and the killers are
backing their judgment by making
contracts covering those periods at
prices that ruled toward the end OF
the present season.
While high prices ruled late this
season, they were not very profitable
TO feeders, but the contracts now be-
ing made are said to be the most I'D
eral ever written in the Pacific
northwest At first glance this may
seem as II the packers are anticipat-
ing a lack Of feeding, but this is
scarcely the case. With the new pack
ing plant in operation on the penin-
sula-which 1t will be during the
coming season-there Will be an in
crease in operations, and especially
in the better class of stuff. Every
year there Is a call for better class
of cattle, and the strides made this
year in this direction were the great
est in the history Of the livestock in
dustry.
Summary OF Prices.
The following Is the general range
OF values on stock ruling in the yards
for late shipments:
Hogs-Best east of mountains
s725; ordinary, 81; blockers and
feeders, s5.75.
mounds. S525m5.50; medium steers
So; poor steers. $4.5O@4.75; best
cows $4.24; medium cows, s4'75;
bulls, $25O0S.50.
Sheep-Best grain fed wethers
s5.5OG5.75; best hay fed wethers
S5@5.25; lambs; lambs. S6o50Q6,75'
straight ewes, s425@475; mixed lots
So
veal-Choice young calves, $3.50;
heavy and rough. s4.5Oq4.75.
Potatoes.
Potato market was firm during the
week, and as high as $l.45 was paid
for extra select quality by shippers
General shipping stuff ranged around
$1.25 a 1.3O.
According to the latest advices re-
ceved from correspondents, from
millers and grain buyers all over the
northwest, the outlook for the COM
ing crop of wheat continues favorable
in all sections. SO much moisture
has fallen in the interior already that
there is now little fear of any short
age during the coming summer.
WalIa Walla Prospects Good.
Walla Walla, March 22,-Prospects
for a bumper wheat crop could not
be better had the farmers themselves
ordered the weather From the break
of winter to the present time the cli-
matte conditions have been perfect
for wheat growing and there is every
prospect of the largest crop the coun-
try has ever known And with II, the
prospect Of the greatest prosperity the
valley has ever had.
Warm weather. with showers, has
characterized the week. Although the
showers have been few they nave
come at a time when they fitted in
lust right. The excess of rainfall
since the first of the year Is nearly
two inches and the grain can stand
period of dry weather just now. But
from ali appearances 1t is hardly
likely that it will have to do so. For
the dry season is still far away and
good rains can be expected for months
70 come. But 1t would take an al
most unprecedented amount of dry
weather to hurt the crops now.
Increased Acreage In Spokane.
Spokane. Wash, March 22.-Eager
in a desire to increase their grain
acreage and take advantage OF the
high grain prices, many of the farm
ers in the vicinity of Lewiston, Idaho,
and much of the farming belts ada
cent to Spokane are practically elm
mating the customary summerfallow-
ing Farmer sages, as result are
raising hands OF warning and the
land barons especially, are making a
clamor. as they declare, it will de-
crease the value of land for the pro-
duct'on of the 1910 grain crop.
In such districts, the farmers seem
as a body to be ruled by the spirit Of
"gather while the harvest Is on and
everything will be sacrificed to grain
raising this year, because of the as
surance of high prices. Usually the
successful farmers seek wheat in the
fall upon summerfallow land and
barley in the spring, but this season.
hay summerfallow and nearly every
thing else is forgotten in the mad de-
sire TO grow barley. None seems to
he looking forward to the seeding sea-
son of 1910 and the land owners,
who are renting their land to some
90 the farmers who have the mania
are wondering where the farmers ex-
,,oot 20 aow their Crops next fall