The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-12-21

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prepared by the United States Department
Of AEriculture)
Plans for the more orderly market
ing of native lambs at Jersey City and
New York city, and the elimination OF
violent fluctuations In prices of live
and dressed lambs at these markets,
are to be worked out by a committee
representing live stock commission
men, slaughterers, retailers, railroads,
stock yard companies at Jersey City
and New York, eastern lamb producers
and the United States Department of
Agriculture.
This committee was appointed as a
result of the conference called recently
by the United States Department Of
Agriculture, at Jersey City. At this
conference members of the trade rep
resenting the various interests en-
gagged In the handling, marketing,
Strengthening and retailing of lambs at
Jersey City and New York met repre-
sentatives of sheep and lamb pro-
ducers and the department. Practical
ly all the factors responsible for the
wide fuctuation In lamb prices at Jer-
sey City during certain periods were
brought out by full discussion.
The conference developed the fact
that the lamb problem at Jersey City
is q production and marketing prob
lem combined, and that its solution
lies largely In the hands of the pro-
ducers and slaughterers of native
lambs, although live stock commission
men and retail meat dealers can assist
in remedying the situation.
Occupies Key Position,
Jersey City occupies a key position
In the channel of distribution between
the lamb producers and the largest
center of consumption, inasmuch as it
is the final public concentration point
for live lambs destined for New York
city, the greatest consuming center for
dressed lamb in the United States and
q market that requires a high-grade
product.
1t was shown that ordinarily Jersey
City has a reputation of being the
highest lamb market in the country,
but that during June, July and August
1t suffers violent price fluctuations be-
cause of the big increase in receipts
of native lambs from Virginia, West
Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylva-
mia, Michigan and New York, without
any material decrease in the supply of
live and dressed lambs received there
and at New York city from Western
points. The situation is complicated
by the marked irregularity in the vol
ume of the daily receipts during those
months and by the inferior quality OF
the offerings most of which arrive un-
sorted and u%ngraded.
1t was brought out that the poor
quality of these lambs is due largely
to the failure of producers to use bet
ter breeding stock and proper feeding
methods and to dock and castrate
their lambs at the proper time. The
fact that native lambs in so many in
stances become infected ia the sum-
mer months with diseases of parasitic
particularly stomach worms,
makes it very important that they be
marketed before the milk fat disap-
pears.
These lambs usually are dropped at
a period which requires that they be
marketed during the months of June,
July and August, hence they are a
produce from a marketing
standpoint. When they reach Jersey
City in larger numbers than the de-
mand can absorb, and come. in com
with the high-grade live and
dressed Western lambs, prices break
and affect the lamb market
generally at all points. Declines in
the dressed market often are more
than those in the live market.
Better Breeding Stock Urged.
1t was agreed at the conference
hat. producers of native lambs should
lse better breeding stock supply am
pie feed both to the ewes and lambs
or maximum gains in order to mar
zet the lambs before they become in
ested with parasites, and practice
locking and c~astratien.
1t was agreed, also, that producers
the different areas should reach an
understanding which will lead to the
engineering of the breeding and mar
leting period, and that they should
cooperate in their marketing in such
way as will insure grading and sort
ng in the country and more orderly
of lambs to market. In this
it was suggested that the
which appears TO be general
Y followed in certain states of con-