Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-01-08
GRAND TOTALS FOR 1918 EMPHA.
SIZE CRY OF INCREASED
'. LIVING COST
CATTLE AVERAGE HIGH
New Marks Established for Average
In Steers, Calves, Lambs and
Butcher Stock; Hogs Are
Lower Than In 1910.

A grand total Of o9,1a4,674 worth OF
live stock handled in the Union STOCK
Yards, Chicago, during 1913, largest in
history. exceeding the previous years
valuation by $33,349,735, emphasized
clearly the advancing tendency OF
prices for farm stuff which have been
on upward trend for some years past,
an1 whose zenith probably will not be
reached for some years in the future.
Unless conditions affecting supply and
demand are altered materially mean
whiic.
In spite CT fat steer top price $1.00
lower thai high point in 1912, average
price for steers at 1926 stood as a new
record in the market. There was new
record average for butcher stock AT
500, and as well for calves at $l0.l0.
likewise for lambs at $40, although
sheep average at $500 was &c below the
1910 average, and average prices for
hogs at 1896, while showing SOC ad-
vance over 1912. was still SIC lower
than 1910. ~
Cattle Value sos, s3a,A29.
Valuation Of cattle was t20S,s3S, 42S;
calves $5,Oo4,9es; hogs. $14s,5o7.4 40;
s. eep, S31,79S,4s4, and horses $780,
S12.
Cattle trade encountered considerable
viccissitudc during 1918. Hope ran high
at the inception Of the year, but In the
case of heavy cattle did not reach the
fruition stage. Thousands Of long-fed
bulloc!.s had to take dollar per hun
Gred less than their owners contemplate
ed and after nursing the summer and
fall market growers were forced into
disastrous liquidation during the final
three months, when thousands OF
weighty bullocks were cashed at $500
S.75. On the other hand, light and
cheaper cattle made good record, the
spread between the two grades being
not only much narrower than tho pre-
vious year, but the narrowest in many
years. significant phase OF the year
was a spread Of only dollar between
steers weighing 95091050 pounds and
tho 1500@1900 pound class. There Is
but one precedent for this since the
year 1898, wnen corn was selling at ESQ
soc and everything got fat as result
making a one-price market.
Stock Cattle in Demand.
Demand for stock cattle developed
phenomenal breadth early in the year
and competition between killers and
finishers for the near-beef class was
keen all summer. Prediction OF scarcity
of young cattle was abundantly veri-
fed and the appreciation Of stocker
values narrowed the feeders margin,
where it was no. wiped out altogether.
The result was that most Of the feed
ers laid in subsequently to March
that were carried any length Of time
were money losers. Short fed cattle
were the "best bet" Of the year and
those who got out with 80 to 100 day
feeds achieved maximum results.
Fifty bushels Of corn divided between
two steers produced far better results
than where the entire quantity was
fed to one beast.
Emphasis was laid on the popularity
Of yearling cattle. This was all
the more conspicuous because OF plen-
ttude Of big steers. AS Is usually the
case. much Of the yearling crop was
picked prematurely and the mid
summer drought sent thousands Of
young cattle to market that were not
DUE but growers had no alternative
but cash them in. late in the year
ycarlings took the premium, thousands
selling at $9.00M9 $50, with a sprinkling
at $975@10.25 during the holiday Pc
Rod. Despite the lofty feed bill, and
poor season prac ically all the year
lings that were made decently good
paid their board bill in the feed lot and
put a little profit into the feeders
pocket.
Record for Veal. ~
One Of the stellar roles Of the 1913
live stock trade was played by the calf
market, both as concerns the high new
records attained by prices and the COM
mendable manner In which the country
conserved the supplies. Il was a
year Of short receipts Of calves at all
market centers, for producers not only
put the paddock on their calves Of de-
cent beef breeding, refusing to give
consideration to the fat purses hung
up for them by clamorous demand
for young stocker stuff coming from
wide awake farmers and feeders In all
parts Of the country, but dairymen, who
for several years past had been COM
mitted to the policy of getting rid of
their calves as soon as they were Of age
to be merchantable as veal, and not in
frequently sooner, began to conserve
heifer calves Of good dairy blood by
reason Of the lofty attitude attained by
the market for good mich cows.
Augustus record price of $12.35 for
veal calves was laid in the shade early
in September by the sale of a small
bunch at $3.50, a price that still stands
as the highest ever paid for vealers on
the Chicago market. ....,a
Although November calf receipts
were the smallest Of any month Of the
year, totaling only 1913 head. the
market did not maintain as high level
as in october. Prices broke badly dur
month, recovering slightly at the fin
is.l.
Scarcity Of and high prices attained
by cow and heifer stuff Of all descrip-
tions, from the "hatrack' Gamer on
up through the cutter, stocker, feeder
and best beef classes has been one OF
the most outstanding features Of the
live stock market for the year just
closed .... ..#
Never before has the scarcity Of such
stuff reached such acute stage and
never before were such lofty prices
realized-prices that only a few brief
years back were deemed impossible
Of existence in other than the fevered
brain of the fanatic. The high level OF
the trade from the opening sale Of the
year up to the closing transaction, ma
turally made the market very sensitive
to supply conditions from one day to
another and resulted in more irregu-
larities in the selling process and sharp.
err fluctuations than had previously
been common, but 1t was a market
with hardly semblance OF glut al
any period from January to December
and one in which the buying side was
on the defensive most Of the time.
Bull trade was as spectacular as the
COW market If not more SO. To assist
an nIc kn1