The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-10-05
CATTLE RANGES
{. FASTDISApPEAR
For More Than Year Average
Raiser Has Been Losing
Money in Middle West.
HERDS ARE BEING DIMINISHED
Everywhere Feeders Are Quitting Op-
erations in Discourag sment-Land
Over Which Cattle Roamed
Being Turned Into Wheat.


Sioux Falls.-The cattle industry is
admittedly in bad way. For more
than year the average raiser has
been losing mol-ey. The herds are be-
ing diminished. More beef is sent to
market direct from the grass, corn be-
ing too costly for fattening at the pres
ent live stock quotations, which means
more waste and less meat per head.
More land over which the cattle
.'oamed is being turned into wheat, and
this also adds to the depopulation of
Americas herds But in the butcher
shops OF the ham.efs and villages the
smaller cities and The great centers.
the consumer finds Old Doc High Cost
has as strong a clutch AS ever. Our
here in regions Where the raw ma
terial is raised the traveller finds the
price Of beefsteak and pork chops over
the counter is as much a problem for
:he family budget as 1t is in the big
citiea
Cattle Question important.
Some gloomy prophets say if the re-
iuction Of the herds continues at the
present rate steak may jump TO 80
cents or 81 a pound within q year.
They may prove wrong or they may
prove right. but in any event the cat
lie question is one of deep concern.
AT every stop that has been made
i'll six states, the farmers have talked
with emphasis.
Everywhere evidence was presented
that feeders are quitting operations
n sheer Encouragement.
During the last year after buying
attic from the grass, then feeding
hem corn at $1.5O to $1.SO and up
yard a bushel, they have sent their
took to market, only to receive for the
inished product far less than it cost
hem.
la Nebraska the state authorities say
hundreds of men are. sending cattle
20 market direct from pasture because
feeders will not buy.
In Kansas one-fourth of the pas
lures this year are without herds, SO
the state live stock association at To
peka reported few days ago.
They are marketing them light these
lays at or 8 years old. The associa-
ions experts say that last year the
market weight of steers at
Kansas City slumped 100 pounds,
Meaning a greater percentage of waste
md smaller proportion Of beef.
Everywhere on the trip stories of
osses have been retafied to the tour
SITS. At first they appeared to be high |
y exaggerated, but after hearing the !
;ame type Of complaint for 1,2OO miles, |
me takes different view. Here are |
few random instances
Farmer Reports Loss.
At Monmouth 1000 acre farmer
aid he had a prime herd on which |
lis loss amounts to more than 500
yer head.
At Chillicothe, Mo-, three farmers
aid their losses during the year ran.
etween 500 and 1925 head and that
ONE raisers had Jared even worse.
1t Topeka d state official in all seri-
BUSINESS reported one case where
aiser had sold bunch on which his
oss had run to $1S5 per head.
At Fremont, Neb, former con-
ressman, in close touch with farmers.
aid losses Of $50 to $50 per head
ad not been at all uncommon during
he last year.
One comment i, heard in every vii
age The only difference is in the
,ords, but the tune runs like this:
II bought a bit of meat and the
utcher charged me go cents a pound,
asked him what my cattle would
I I
hey dress one-half, which would make
leat on the hoof worth 20 cents.
There does the other 40 cents go?"-
rthur NJ. Evans in Chicago Tribune.