The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-10-25
MARKETING LIVESTOCK.
There is Marked Variation in the Meth
DDS EMPLOYED.


Marked variation in methods of mar.
keting meat animals in different sections
OF the United States and in methods of
marketing different classes of animals
IN the country as a whole has been found
by specialists of the L. S. department
OF agriculture from survey of the live
stock marketing conditions of the coun.
try The data obtained by the survey
have been published as part V of re-
port of an exhaustive study of the meat
situation in the United States.
The three general methods OF market
ing found to be in most common use
are
Shipping to the large centralized mar
kets, selling to local butchers and PACK
ers, and the sale of farm-prepared meats
TO dealers or customers. The bulk of
the animals from the central states, 1T
was found, is sold through the central
lied markets, while some form of local
marketing predominates in the extreme
eastern, western and southern states.
! The great central markets handle four
fifths of the sheep, lambs, two.thirds of
the hogs, and approximately one-half of
the beef cattle. For local slaughter about
one third of the beef cattle, one eighth
OF the sheep and lambs, and one twelfth
OF the hogs are sold. Nearly one-third
of the hogs and about one-tenth of the
beef cattle and one-twentieth of the
sheep and lambs are slaughtered on farms
and ranges. Relatively more sheep are
shipped in carload lots by owners than
any other class of live stock. Cattle,
hogs, and calves follow in the order
named. In sales to local buyers hogs
lead, with calves, cattle, and sheep fol-
lowing in order.
The study discloses that the time of
buying stockers and feeders and the sell.
ing of finished animals is restricted too
generally to a few months of the year. |
Should stock-feeding operations be better
adjusted to market conditions, decided |
influence toward more even distribution |
of the supply would be the result.
Cooperative associations OF cattle rails |
ers are becoming an important factor in |
marketing, the report shows. Seven hun, |
dred and fifty organizations which mar
ket cattle in cooperative way now ex
ist in 10 states. Four hundred and thir-
ty OF these organizations are primarily |
livestock shipping associations. The
greatest activity of this sort was found /
in Minnesota, where 2l5 co cooperative live
stock shipping associations are located.
The department specialists declare that
tbaga krtr
to the farmers because OF the reduction
of marketing expenses and the realiza
ton of the prevailing prices at the cen
tralized markets, and that they are also
valuable because OF their educational fea-
lures.
Stockyards and Packing Establishments
The system OF centralized stock
markets in the United States is the larg-
est single factor in the marketing of
meat animals, II is noteworthy that
this system is peculiar to the United
States, no other country having developed
such markets for their live stock. Not
only is live stock sold for slaughter at
the centralized markets, but large pro-
portion of stocktr and feeder cattle also
passes through these market centers.
The chief outlet for food producing an
mals in this country, the study discloses,
IS wholesale Strengthening and meat pack
ng. Such industries usually are asso-
lated with the great centralized mar
<ets. More than 200 Strengthening and
neat packing establishments were oper-
lting in the United States in 1914, and
,urned out products worth 81 ,65l ,765, 424.
'1n tta4s +l.a.
striking features of the industry is the i
of ownership. Packing es- \
buy directly from the pro- y
lucer IN California to greater extent than 0
n any other state or section This prac- /
ice, which in the opinion of the special u
SITS, will continue to be important in d
hose parts Of the country remote from q
entralized markets, is most characteristic n
c OF the western group Of states in gen @
raj There is decided difference OF I
opinion among producers, marketmen, i,
nd packers as to tbs effects Of this prac- o
ice in sections supplied with central a
markets on the general market prices OF fl
i've stock and on the prosperity OF cattle t.
aisers. Il
Municipality owned .. CO. .rolled abat- n
oirs are becoming increasingly important b
n the local marketing of live stock, the "
eport shows, and are displacing rapidly hi
he old type OF slaughterhouse. Public
bbattoirs have been established in p I,
tiles and ID states Local conditions :,
hould determine whether or not city n
hould build its own abbattor, and IN
borough examination of conditions, f.
therefore,, should be made before def. o,
lite action is taken In,
Great variations were found to exist
! the losses of and damage to live stock nj
| transit on different railroads On one ii
Dad the claims paid amounted to 10 per V.
snt of the revenue during certain +
eriod, and on another to less than five II
ar cent. The total claims for such loss 90
nd damage in l9l3-l4 on 81 railroads ra
ere SI,245,477sl. The average rates W
a live stock for the years 1911 to 1913
ere found TO be ten cents per hundred 10
Dunds for eastern or official territory, NJ
10 cents for southern territory and l4.9 NJ
nts for western territory. Ri
The correlation between average live G,
ock and meat prices over relatively NJ
ng periods is closer than is generally p,
nderstood. When the price of live stock Ri
ses or falls, meat prices tend to change X,
the same directions, but the meat 81
ices are not subject to abrupt daily G,