The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-23
SENDING "CANNER"
COWS TO PASTURE
Market 0verstoclied and No Sale Pos
sible-Farmers Buy Them to Feed
Through summer.

WASHINGTON, June 23.-Owing to-
an oNefsuppIy OF canned meat IN the
world accompanied by an extremely lin
tied demand for that product, the thin
or Gamer cows have received Il new
lease on life, ranging from three 10 six
months, and instead of going to the
siambies as usual, preparatory To fur
HIshlng the 'makins'' for bully beef
they were sent back to the pasture to
Craze and fatten up for the time being
inns information, together with statis-
tlcs covering the production of canned
beef during the last two years is con-
tanned IN recent issue of the Weekly
Reporter OF the United States depart
ment OF commerce. During the last
few months the packers have canned
very little meat and for that reason
| have been extremely reluctant and in
| dlierent buyers OF canneT cows on live
stock markets. When the armstice was
signed the war department had a sur
| plus OF some 2tu,0UoUU0 pounds OF
canned meats on hand. This has been
| disposed Of at various times since then
! a recent sale OF u9U0O,UJU pounds be-
| ing reported
! Despite this load hanging over the
market, packers continued. up TO about
+ year ago, to can meats in enormous
| quantities. The year 1919 showed Ey all
| odds the greatest output of canned
meats of any year during the past ten
| 1t was thought that an enormous Euro
Ipean. demand for such products would
/ develop Is a consequence Of the termi-
nation OF hostIlities. In all of these
] fluctuations Germany was looked upon
/ a. leading prospective buyer. Accord
/ ing to reports great quantities of meat .
/ both cured and canned. were shipped to
] the various allied and neutral ennutries
tsurroundIuE Germany 50 that they
could be rushed into that country a.
: soon as peace was declared or trade re
tlatIOus resumed.
Various occurrences. however. fore
! stalled these plans and the Gamers were
forced To adjust themselves to an over
stocked market. The extent to which
this business decreased Is Indicated by
the fact that in 1919 nearly 4S4O0OA01
pounds OF canned beef and $4,000. Goa
pounds OF canned pork We're. federally
! inspected, while in 1920 such Inspections
covered, in round numbers. l7G.0oo,00O
pounds of canned beef and 20 800 600
pounds of canned pork
thus same tendency is still in evidence
with the result that Gamer cows in
fairly good condition nave sold from s.
to 500 per leo pounds on the various
live stool, markets with packers taking
some at $50 and as low a. 81 per loo
! pounds. These comparatively low prices
| naturally attracted attention and in
vIted competition. a result which APP
parently was welcomed by the packers
and killers. as in most instances they
j at any price.
In view of the prolonged and steady
decline in cattle prices which continued
almost uninterruptedly throughout the
winter of 1920 and spring of 1921, and
also because of uncertainties as to the
/ immediate future of the live stock in
dustry, many farmers and stockmen
turned TO the Gamer COW as a possible
chance to make limited profit aud pos
sibly recoup some Of the losses sus
tanned on recent feeding operations. I'M
most sections OF the country the open
winter resulted in an abundance OIL
grass at much earlier date than usual
The Gamer COW was the cheapest thingl
on the market, and even if she should
not prove a profitable investment
prevailing she could, under no circum
stances, lose great deal of money forl
her purchaser. Consequently farmers ap-l
reared in practically all the leading live
stock markets and bought Gamer cows
to take back to the country for graz
ing.
While. as a rule, the demand centered
on cows with fair mouths. in many in
stances animals were caken which I'M
der normal conditions would not have
been considered suitable. Many OF these
cows of course, were too old or too |
thin and were rejected: but country
buyers at practically all markets seem
to be less discriminating than usual III |
such matters Although the country
ward movement of cauncr CO IS has |
been noted at most of the leading mar
kets, it naturally developed earlier and
was carried to a greater extent at the |
national stock yards and at Kansas |
City than at some of the more northern
markets. BY April II the local repre-
sentative of the United States bureau
of markets at the national stock yards
reported that several carloads Of can
ner cows had gone to the country fort
crazing at prices ranging from $3.50 toi
So per 100 pounds.