Evening star., 1953-09-01
Cattle Supply
Jdmming Yards
In Baltimore
Declining Prices
Hurting Farmers;
Varying Causes Cited
By a stoff Correspondent Of The stur

BY Staff Correspondent Of The Stur
BALTIMORE, Sept. 1.-More
than 5000 cattle, the largest
Monday supply since last Oc-
tober 20, jammed Union Stock
yards here yesterday.
Cattle statesmen said the
drought has hit particularly
hard on Virginia and West Vir-
ginia and is largely responsible
for the capacity supply.
About 500 of the 5000 cattle
were holdovers from last week,
unsold because sellers would not
agree to still lower prices.
Others said prices from 20 to
SO per cent below a year ago
also were causing farmers who
fear a further price drop to
market their cattle now.
Top Steers Are $27.
Top steers yesterday brought
$27 a 100 pounds. A year ago,
the top price for steers was
$34.50. The $27 price went to
Edward Allen. of 1869 Ritchie
road. in Prince Georges County.
C. Herman Rabbit, of CATH
erSburg, said streams on some
Virginia farms are reduced to a
trickle because Of the drought.
The oldest salesman at the
stockyardS, Charles E. Kunkel,
70. says half-fed cattle are be-
ing brought to the stock
yards. he said. nearly all of them
for resale to farmers who be-
lieve they can feed them and
then sell them prof1tably.
Dale Kester, of Westminster,
Md. brought in Hereford steers
from the farm of James Bruce,
former Ambassador to Argentina.
MIR. KeSter said that a year ago
his cattle would have brought
$50 a 100 pounds-about $500
each. Yesterday he was expect
ing an offer of $18 a 100.
A Frederick County (Md.)
farmer. George Sponseller, of
Newmarket, said cattle that
brought from SIT to $37 a year
ago are bringing 81 to $27 now.
Less Than Purchase Price.
C. A. Duncan of Lexington,
Va, said some farmers are get
ting less for cattle than they
paid for them.
Although cattle were selling
yesterday below year-ago prices,
hogs were higher. Observers
said this was because farmers
we're disappointed inq last years
price and this years supply is
about 8 per cent below that of
1852.
There is general agreement
that cattle growers have been
hurt by the price drop. Some
of them have been badly hurt
and others have gone out of
business.
One official expresses the be-
lief that the main casualties
have been SPECTATORS who ex-
pected to make a killing by
feeding stock. They bought at
very high prices expecting to
sell high. Prices dropped and
they were caught.
Allen C. Driver, who heads a
selling firm at the stockyardS,
said one reason for the price
decline is "too much publicity
farmers read about low prices
and rush their cattle in for
sale. Buyers read about low
prices and wait for them to go
lower"
Grain Supports Cited.
Government supports on
grain, keeping prices up, are
partly responsible for the large
stockyard supply, according to
Norman Warfield, of Lisbon,
Howard County.
'You can't feed $40 cattle So
corn" he said.
Some farmers are selling their
stock because pastures are dry
and they don't want to go to
the expense of feeding them.
Farmers and dealers at the
stockyards have different ideas
about what is needed to steady
prices.
Some believe an end to the
drought would be helpful.
Others say the Federal Govern
ment is going to have to support
cattle as it does other commod-
tiles cor prices will go down to
nothing"
Most of them, like COW and
bull salesman John Williams,
are just waiting to see what's
L. II