Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-05-06
PREDICTS BETTER
PRICES FOR PORK
Sees Diminished Supply for Fall
Market-Demanl Will
Stiffen.

Watch out for a shortage next fall
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 result a 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 ma
terially shortened their hog feeding
programs for the next season. A con-
tinuously 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 unfavorable 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
of profit from feeding which will make
the industry profitable.
Watch the Pendulum.
at is net hard to predict what
would have happened had the past
year proven a very profitable season
for producing market hogs" declared
Mr.. Bohstedt. Nearly every farmer
would have been tempted to increase
his breeding herd and this would have
resulted in more or less glutted
market the next season with cor
responding slump in prices. We are
too apt to disregard the fact that the
pendulum OF losses and profits is
bound TO swing back and forth and
that year of hard times in the hog
business is almost certain to be fol
lowed by profitable seasOn-two
years hence, if not the Immediately
succeeding year. Such has been the
situation for great many years. 1t
behGOves us to profit by a repeated
number of experiences of this sort.
Mr.. BOlstedt 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
S0Ws this winter have brought rela-
lively low average. This, Mr.. Bob
stedt points out, has operated to bring
really tirst-class breeding stock with
in the reach of even men with limited
capital, but with the ambition to i'm
prove the quality of their herds.
"Of course, one must be mindful of
the fact" continues Mr.. B0hstedt,
"that the profits, especially of the
Young farmers and breeders, have been
severely reduced by 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.
cit would seem to be the part of
wisdom to take advantage of the slump
in prices of breeding stock 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 litters
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 q 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 +bo 1.-Two stock industry now has q