Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-04-07
PREDICTS BETTER
PRICES FOR PORK
Sees Diminished Supply for Fall
Market-Demand Will
Stiffen.

and winter of hams, bacon, lard and
even side pork.
Far too many breeders have de-
creased their numbers of breeding ami
mails, and as d result q diminished
supply of pork production is almost
certain TO occur.
Gus Bohstedt of the live stock staff
of the University of Wisconsin reports
that many farmers have already mat
terially shortened their hog feeding
programs for the next season. 4 con-
tnuously slumping hog market con-
tributed' generously to the discourage
ment of many feeders who took heavy
losses on Last years crop.
Some OF the more optimistic grow
ers are predicting that the effect of
the unfaverahle conditions of last
year will be carried over to the COM
ing season and show up next fall on
the opposite side of the ledger
Mr. Bohstedt is among the number
who are banking on improved prices
for hogs, or upon an increased margin
of profit from feeding which will make.
the industry profitable.
Watct the Pendulum.
ut is not hard to predict what
would have happened had the past
year proven D very profitable season
for producing market hogs" declared
Mr.. BohStedt. Nearly every farmer
would have been tempted to increase
resulted in Il more OF less glutted
market the next season with Il cor
responding slump ILL prices. We are
too apt to disregard the fact that the
pendulum of lesseS and profits is
bound to swing, sack and forth and
that a year of ltaa;l times. in the hog
business is almost certain TO be fol
Lowed by a profitable seaSOn-tWO
years hence, if not the Immediately
succeeding year. Such has been the
situation for a great many years. 1t
beho0ves us to profit by repeated
number of experiences of this sort"
Mr.. Bohstedt has found that as re-
suit of the low pork market, the sale
of breeding stuff has suffered from the
standpoint of the producer of such
breeding animals. Sales of breeding
soWs this winter have brought rela-
lively low average This, Mr.. Bob
stedt points out, has operated to bring
really first-class breeding stock with
in the reach of even men with limited
capital, but with the ambition to i'm
Of
''Of course, one must be mindful OF
the fact" continues Mr.. BOhstedt,
''that the profits, especially OF the
young farmers and breeders, have been
severely reduced 1y falling prices dur
ing the past season and unless they
can secure credit their purchasing
power is low. THE larger breeders
have come to appreciate the situation
themselves and are very anxious to
meet the condition, usually going more
than halfway in making easy terms Of
payment on animals that may be pur-
chased at their winter sales.
Opportunity Lies Ahead.
ut would seem to be the part OF
wisdom to take advantage Of the slump
in prices of breeding stock so as to
purchase really firSt-class breeding
soWs, culling out ones poor animals
and replacing them with superior
types. This, above most years, is the
time to take good care Of the soWs
and to raise larger and better filters
than ever BEFORE while times are
hard and unpleasant. They should
nevertheless react to- the benefit Of the
small breeders and farmers who now
have a splendid chance to improve
their herds at very reasonable out
lay. Sensational prices for breeding
stock have tOppled perhaps never to-
come again, and the conservative
breeder and farmer, the backbone
of the live stock industry, now has a.
chance to come into his own"