Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-24
GRADING OF LIVESTOCK.
,Portland Livestock Reporter.l

portland Livestock Reporter.)
A few days ago regular shipper
came out of the Willamette valley with
load of cows which would De consid-
cred good in this country, but when
shown along side of cows from other
sections it was very easy to see why a
difference of cent and quarter a
pound was made between the two loads
his COWS cows went for $4.75, while
the better lot went at cents. This load
led to discussion on market quotations
as shown by the regular market paper.
Said the shipper: 81 never in the
world can go back home and tell the
people from whom bought these COWS
that they were not good lot They
were the best that our valley farmer
produces and the only standard by
which a valley raiser could compare. /"
He further said: "That the only way
to convince his people would be to
bring them TO the stock yards where
they could readily see the difference
and would have to admit that prices
were right"
This man was jobber, who said that
1t would be almost impossible for him
to go back home and buy any more
cows on the basis on which this lot was
sold, and he agreed he received all his
cows were worth. This is a very good
reason why livestock people should ar
range to come to the stock yards few
times each year SO that they may get
some fair idea of the different grades of
cattle, hogs and sheep which are Of
fered on this market. Perhaps few
head of top heifers come onto the mar
ket and are sold at, say &c, where as
good cows might be worth &c. The
newspaper report shows that ten head
Of heifers, averaging 900 lbs, sold at
&c, and that carload of cows, averag
ing 1850 lbs, went at &c. The market
reporter may go to a great deal of
trouble to indicate to the people that
these were extra choice heifers; that
they were very good cows and that
fair to average stuff is selling at much
below those prices, but his words seem
to have no effect on the average far
mer. He feels that his stuff is Just as
good as it is possible to make it and
he has no way of vizualizing the sales
as shown in the mbarket paper.
Only yesterday a mar from a nearby
town brought in a single heifer, which,
in his eyes, was prime bit of beef.
When told that she would sell for
about $3.50 hundred he objected
strenuously, saying that the paper had
said that good heifers were selling at
7c. However, after seeing the &c cat
tie, he was perfectly willing to admit
that his heifer wasn't beef. The only
way farmer can correctly interpret
the prices in market paper is to follow
them carefully each day, or each issue,
noting the prices on the different
grades and the average weights and
prices from top to bottom. He should
not stop after having read that ten hei-
fers sold at &c, but should 90 on down
the line and discover that ten more
brought &c; that a carload of COWS may
have sold for $5.25 and another load
at still lower figure. The greatest
care is used by this reporter in report
ing sales, but it is utterly impossible
to make cold type take the place of
mans eyesight, therefore, we say again
one of the best investments stockman
can make is periodical visit to the
stock yards for the purpose of studying
the different grades of livestock, when
he will discover the weights of cattle,
hogs and sheep which seem to be in de-
mand at the present time. Take a veal
calf, far instance: One weighing 250
lbs, might bring, say, $3.50 a hundred,
while one just as fat, but maybe weigh
ing 300 lbs, might be quoted as low as
$500 or $3.50 hundred.