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Show 'Livestock d&fcfeSituatioalJ Rains last week greatly benefited the range and pasture, conditions in Southern California, where fourteen counties have been effected by serious seri-ous drouth conditions during the past season. In many instances, stockmen report there was sufficent rainfall to be of immediate benefit in supplying needed water for livestock and there is probability that this section will have early pasture. Another good fall rain would give the entire southern half of the state good green feed for the winter and at the same time supply sup-ply an important outlet for many thousands of stocker and feeder cattle cat-tle from sections of the range country effected by drouth conditions. It is doubtful if there has been any period in the last fifty years when there were as few beef cattle on pastures pas-tures and ranges in Southern Califor-n Califor-n a, which normally is a very important impor-tant cattle country. The sections hardest hard-est hit by the drouth, w:th exception' of Imperial valley, received the heaviest hea-viest rains in last week's storms.,1 There is now a wide inquiry for replacement re-placement cattle which will gain in volume if there are additional fall rains. It would be well for cattlemen in other western districts to keep in close contact with the Los Angeles market which may absorb a great many cat-' tie and calves which otherwise might perish next winter in sections where feed shortage is serious. There have been many years in the past when California has had ideal winter feed condi'ons and there are many who believe be-lieve this may be one of those seasons. sea-sons. Certainly, a bountiful feed year would spell prosperity for the coast livestock people in view of the vast depletion in our flocks and herds due to the severe drouth conditions of 1933-34. Cattle markets have been unsatisfactory unsatis-factory to producers this fall due to heavy forced marketing from areas where there is acute feed shortage and danger of d'.ath loss"s during the winter. Such heavy liquidation is likely like-ly to continue through the remainder of the year, according to reports of s'ockmen throughout the western states. Under such conditions, it, is doubtful if we may expect much improvement im-provement in the cattln market until such liquidat ion is rumple1 cd. There is no doubt but that millions or cattle have, been marketed this year, cither on he mat k ts or through the federal relief administration, that would not have gone to market this year had it not been for the drouth. This means that our cattle supply has been materially reduced and groat In-' roads have been made on foundation' stock, which means sharp reduction in' market supplite b over a period of years, even if feed and crop conditions' arc favorable. I |