The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-08

an animal fat and ripe for the block
without making IL heavy, but just no "
the market will not take heavy ami
mails except at a discount This con-
dition OF things is not quite so mark
ed In the hog department as in other
divisions OF the trade. The fat York
er is, however, the leader in the hog
division and will continue so as long
as bacon holds it's lofty position OF
supremacy over all other kinds OF
meat In this big country.
Ii Is III the cattle and sheep divi
sions Of the market that the producer
and the country dealer are being prac.
tically put ont OF business by The
peculiar whims OF the trade. Mature
sheep are coming marketward In me.
dium weights that would give splen.
did satisfaction other years, only TO
meet with the rankest discrimination
at the hands OF the buyer. The heav-
Ter the sheep and the better the quail
| ity. the harder Il Is TO sell it. and the
more money II is sure TO lose both
for the farmer who Fed him and the
dealer who sends him to market.
In the lamb division, conditions are
similar, the Discrimination against
heavy lambs being so sharp that
country buyers are at their wits end
, In the effort to satisfy their COUNT y
patrons and at ffthe same time avoid
sustaining serious loss themselves
/ Other years. at this season, 100
pounds average was The dividing line
between heavy and light lambs: now
that line Is placed at so pounds and
lambs that weight more must be sold
al discount. The average feeder
can seldom be induced to part with
his lambs. until they weigh at least 90
hundreds OF miles TO get together a
band of lambs that VIII suit the pref
erence OF n fnicky market.
IL is the cattle division of the trade
where the freakiness OF the market
Is giving the greatest trouble and
causing the heaviest losses. On this
date year ago, prime heavy cattle
were selling at marked premium
over all others, and the price paid
for the best was $3.50 per cwt. Now
cattle OF the same type and quality
must be cold for $3.50. and the trade
Is decidedly dull at the decline. More
than 100 carloads of prime cattle, in
Chicago stock yards last week, came
near demOraliZing the trade OF the IN.
tire country as far as good beef is
concerned, and the future seems to
one. very little in the way of hope
and comfort to the producer who has
fat stock, of heavy weight, on his
hands.
The real hardship in this situation
comes from the fact that all OF these
heavy cattle have been made fat on
high-priced corn and hay, and the
losses sustained By feeders, Will
mount into millions of dollars Ii is
a situation, however for which there
Is now no remedy for II Is well
known fact that all grades Of heavy
meat sell best at holiday time There
Is but little demand for heavy cattle
after Feb |.
The retailer is demanding cheap meat
because the market Is declining and
he finds that he must buy low.priced
stock TO make a profit. All of the
conditions mentioned above do not
seem TO worry the American feeder.
who Is adding 70 the difficulties of
the situation by entering the market
for tidy cattle and competing with
the butcher for their ownership. The
cause of the great feeder demand is
the immense crop of corn which has
been safely garnered and the country
is reasonably sure of moderate prices
for beef during the remainder of me
season.