White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1934-12-13
PRICES FOR FARM
PRODUCTS IMPROVE

Continued from page y
grain feeding, high feed prices in
many sections of the country, dairy
products prices will likely be sustained
until the next pasture season. Scarcity
of good feed in the drought area will
curtail manufactured dairy products
this winter but there should be no
shortage of milk for city consumption
Washington farmers have ample feed
supplies available.
/ After increasing since 1928, milk-cow
numbers are now decreasing and some
further decrease is in prospect. The
number of heifers being raised has
| been sharply reduced and smaller
proportion of spring born calves were
reported saved than in any year since
1880.
| Strengthening of COWS decreased each
year from 1925 to 1882. For the past
two years, inspected slaughter of COWS
has turned sharply upward, especially
| since last June. Most of this increase
from forced selling came from dual
purpose cows in the butter producing
area stretching from North Dakota to
Texas. Emergency purchases up to Oc-
tober IL amounted to 6,574,000 head
of beef and dairy cows
Milk production in the United States
increased less than four per cent from
1929 to 1888, while milk COWS increased
thirteen per cent on farms. Production
per COW has decreased each year since
| 1929, due chiefly to less intensive feed
| ing, less culling, poor pastures, and
| the addition of more dual-purpose COWS
into the herds.
Washington had an above-the-f five
| year. average tame hay crop, but a
large tonnage of this was moved east
and more will likely follow Western
Washington had a good hay crop
While feed supplies in eastern Wash
ington have been plentiful, prices are
much higher than last year.
Cold storage holdings of butter on
November l were Ill ,O33, 900 pounds,
compared to 106,314,O0O pounds for the
| fve-year, November average.
In comparison with domestic prices
of butter, foreign prices continue abb
normally low. European markets were
depressed on account of the wide
spread national trade restrictions, con-
centrating supplies on the relatively
free British market. This low price
will tend to check butter from going
to high levels this winter in the
United States.
Poultry and Eggs
Poultry may look forward this winter
to fairly stable prices, slightly higher
than for corresponding periods of last
year. This anticipated improvement in
egg prices may be brought about by
approximately an per cent smaller
egg production as Of November l,
higher feed prices and a scarcity of
feed in parts of the midwest, and
the probable rise in meat prices. Con-
sumption is slightly below last year
in urban centers, but consumer pur-
chasing is expected to improve slightly
during the winter and spring.
good market for fresh eggs is as
! sured during the winter and early
spring, with slightly short supplies of
fresh eggs in prospect and with prices
OF other foods increasing. Total pro-
duction of eggs per farm flock on Mo-
vember averaged about per cent
smaller than the Swear average No
vember production for the United
States. Reported number of layers on
November were almost per cent
less than on that date last year.
Beef Cattle
Favorable points in the beef cattle
outlook are: The January l, 1885, es-
innate of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture is expected to
show that the number of beef cattle
has declined to about the 1928 level,
the previous low point in the current
cattle production cycle.
An increase in the beef price level,
with an average feed crop production
and average range conditions in 1885
will have tendency to increase the
holding of COWS, heifers and calves for
breeding purposes from the beef mar
ket. larger than usual proportion
of stockers and feeders are already be-
ing used for stockers rather than
feeders.
The much higher prices of fresh and
cured pork during the fall of 1884 as
compared with year ago, have been
turning the retail demand more than |
usual toward beef.
On the other hand, unfavorable