Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-13
Mistake to Market
HalfFattened Hogs

Iowa farmers who insist on send
ing unfinished hogs to market are
making one Of the biggest mistakes
possible" declared George Hanson, of
Dallas county, Iowa. while in Omaha
looking for bunch of stock pigs.
Conditions We're never so Undue
tive for finishing hogs as they are
this year." he continued. Our feed is
plentiful and cheap the hog market
is bound to go up within a reason
able length of time and the short
age Of pork I'm the middle west is
getting more pronounced as time
goes along.
by sending load Of unfinished
hogs to market the farmers fail to
get a decent figure for their corn as
well as for their stock as the packers
and order buyers invariably discrimi-
nate against the partially finished
hos.
1.-The coming season bids fair to be
"a prosperous one for the Iowa hog
feeder We practically all enjoyed
good luck with our fall pig crops and
feed will be dirt cheap. We will be
able to register tidy profit on hogs
selling at 10 cents this year where II
would have spelled ruin last year.
''Farm labor is gradually beginning
to come off it's high perch and hands
will be willing to work for a reason
able wage and turn in more full
days work In the future. The indus
trial revolution which we are now
experiencing is bringing about this
change in the laborer's attitude. Cur
failing OF manufacturing and closing
down of shops In the city is also
forcing the men back to the farm.
Cost Figures Of Fattening Beef Cattle
Figures on the cost of fattenins
beef cattle In sections of Missouri,
Indiana and Iowa during the past
two years, made available by the
United States department Of agri-
culture, bear out the figures already
issued on results of feeding in Illinois
and Nebraska. On the average, cat
tie growers in the areas covered by
the reports just issued failed to make
as much on their cattle as they might
have made had they sold their corn
| instead of feeding 1t.
| In Missouri. where the investiga-
tons were carried on in cooperation
with the University of Missouri, most
| Of the cattle covered in the surveys
arrived at market having cost the
| farmer between s11 and $16 per
| hundred, with average costs as fol-
| lows:
| Winter 1853. all cattle (s,4T5
head, s1S.7s; winter 191s-2o, cattle
covered by survey records (3,4l5
head), 1880, by cost-accounting rec
ords (2,076 head, 1888.
| In the Missouri area, figuring on
the basis of the average steer, and
counting corn at the farm price cur
rent when it was fed, there was a
presumptive average loss of $4,54 per
head for cattle covered in the first
winter of the study, and of $20.95
and $3.50 per head, respectively, for
| the two groups covered during the
second winter.
In Iowa, where the studies were
conducted by Iowa State College,
most of the cattle studied in the
winter Of 1853 cost between $13
and SIS per hundred, laid down at
market, while most of those covered
In 1919-2o cost between s11 and SIS
per hundred. Averages were as fol-
| lows:
| Winter 191S-19, all cattle 1896
head, 1882; winter 1890, cattle
covered by survey (3.165 headD
1882. by cost-accounting method
] 1,12e head), $14.41.
! Figuring on the basis Of the average
steer, and counting corn at its farm
price. there was presumptive aver
age loss Of $9.43 per head for the
cattle covered during the first winter
Of the study, and of $1,000 and $3.50,
respectively, for the two groups
covered during the second winter.
! In the Indiana area most Of the
cattle studied cost the farmers be-
tween s12 and SIT per hundred laid
down at market Costs were prac-
tically the same for 1858 and for
4 1920.
Figuring without reference to the
market price of corn, that is, count
ing actual amount received for corn
| fed. it was found that more than
half the farmers concerned realized
less than 81 per bushel by marketing
their corn thru cattle, and that a
considerable percentage Of the cattle
did not return anything for the corn
fed to them.
| Profitable Apple Orchard.
Here and there, over Iowa, there