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Show fl 5 Livestock?) tylM Grazing conditions in California this year promi.se to be the most satisfactory satis-factory in a long time, as a result of general rains which have brought precipitation pre-cipitation in most parts of the state above normal. Low temperatures held back feed growth during the winter but unusually good spring feed seems assured. It is also likely that bumper crops of grain will be had. In driving through the country, it is apparent to this writer that cattle supplies are far below normal on the ranges. After several years of short feed because of drouth, range feed this year should be unusually good and it probably is just as well if there are fewer cattle, as this gives the range growth a chance to sort of recuperate re-cuperate and will increase carrying capacity in many districts. There are reports of heavy death losses of ewes and early lambs in many parts of California a result of heavy rains, cold weather and shortage short-age of" feed last fall to build up resistance re-sistance of ewes. Losses through the sheep raising districts are variously estimated at 6 to 15 per cent, the heaviest in the past ten years. Spring lambs are about 2 weeks later this year than last, and it is likely that California's early lambs will be marketed mar-keted over a longer period of time than usual. This is because of the promised abundance of cheap feed and it is believed that owners will feel disposed to market their lambs at somewhat heavier weights than the majority of trade interests desire. There has been little to inspire confidence con-fidence in the market since the opening open-ing of the new year. Hog and cattle nrices generally over the country are lower than during any period in 1931. It appears that consumer purchasing power for the present, at least, is less than at any time in many years. Producers Pro-ducers may find some solace in the fact that meat is a more popular item of the diet of Southern California than ever before, probably because prices of meats now offer the most real food for a given amount of money. That there is an appreciation of this fact is evidenced by greatly increased slaughter records in Southern South-ern California. It is apparent that the livestock interests in-terests must wait for some definite mprovement in business conditions generally before any substantial improvement im-provement in market values. |