Evening star., 1927-02-17
TRUCK SHIPMENTS
OF LIVE STOCK SAVE
Improved Transportation of
Cattle Proves Great Econ
omy for Farmers.
RY j. {. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK. February 17.-What. t.
ever may he the fate of the McNary-
Haugen bill, agriculturalists in some
sections of the country have dis
counted it in advance. That was the
opinion expressed today by bankers
OF the Northwest, who are actively
engaged in financing the crops. The
farmers have accomplished this by
putting, not skids, but wheels under
the live stock industry. They have
put the cloven hoofs on rubber tires.
improved methods of transporting
live stock have brought millions to the
farms of the Northwest. The five
principal classes of live stock on
Michigan farms, for example. now are
valued at STAG. .652 900, a gain of
$1,000 900 in the last year, due largely
to improved transportation.
Trail Herds Memory.
The trail herds of the old days
exist now only in the records of the
past and In the movies. 1t is too
expensive in weight at prevailing
stockyard prices to drive cattle long
distances to market even when the
railroad takes them part of the
way. Ten years ago transportation
of live stock to market by automobile
truck was unknown. In 1923. there
were 27.S90 truckloads of live stock
brought into the South st. Paul
stockyards. In 1924. this total In
creased to 34,34f truCkloads. the next
year 47.437 truckloads were brought
in the South st. Paul pens and in
1925 the total was 59,993
South Dakota, North Dakota, Mon
tana and other States are swinging
l-< too hi tI-or6 under
the urge of greater profits. In Min
nesota the total farm income was
larger in 1926 than in 1925. despite
drought and short grain crops. due to
the increa sc in dairying and live stock
production.
The truck is not entirely respon-
sihle. Railroad cars today are larger
and more scientifically loaded and
handled than ever before. The num-
her of railroad carloads arriving at
market is not satisfactory gauge or
naarketings as it used to be. but. even
so. SS.279 carloads of stock We're mar
keted in ST. Paul in 1926, as compared
with 32,123 Is years ago and bo,332 lO
years ago.
Crops Diversified.
Diversjfication. as exemplified by the
raising of live stock instead of depend
ing on small grains, is proving the
possibilities of counteracting the un-
favorable position Of agriculture, ac,
cording to the Northwestern National
Rank of Minneapoli Bank off1clals
point to North Dakota as sustaining
this contention. where the movement
is called "a spectacular swing from
entire dependence on small-gralh crops
to developing cows. hogs, sheep ana
noultrv as large-scale income pro-
ducers." ,,
"A study of the United States cen.
sus figures iustifies the statement,
saws the Greater North Dakota As
sociation, that North Dakota Is max
ing more rapid strides than any other
Sta+a toward a. balanced system or
farming. In the five years from 1919
to 1924 the acreage of alfalfa was . dou.
bIed. In the former year there were
iass than q 600 acres of sweet clover
growing in the State. In 1924 there
were 1ss.5o2 acres and in 1926 more re
than 200. 900 acres. The 1925 value OF
ro,,ltrv and eggs exceeded that OF any
small. grain crop except wheat.