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Show ji-Livestoclcl Livestock markets during the pastj few days have been characterized by some firmness, especially on the Pacific Pa-cific coast. On the Los Angeles market, mar-ket, there appears to be an improved demand for heavier cattle than has been the case for some time. The highest prices are still paid for choice long-fed "baby beeves," which are quotable at $5.00 to $5.50. Heavy steers, weighing up to 1200 pounds, have been selling fully a cent a pound under 700 to 900 pound weights, but are now selling to better advantage-, with actual sales as high as $4.75. Trade authorities look for relatively relative-ly smaller hog marketings during the next three months and many feel that some seasonal advance may be expected. ex-pected. Choice butcher hogs sold above the 4-cent mark this week for the first time in several months. Middle western markets are fluctuating slightly, with little actual gain in values noted so far. There is a much firmer tone in the fat lamb market on the Pacific coast, due to reduced supplies, while lamb prices on the Missouri river markets have declined during the week. Choice handyweight fed lambs are now quotable quot-able up to 6 cents a pound or better, j Lambing has been completed in most of the early lambing districts in Cali- j fornia, and with feed conditions great-; ly improved as a result of heavy' rains, a good quality California lamb ' crop seems to be assured. It is difficult to forecast any substantial sub-stantial gains in livestock values, unless un-less there is geneTal improvement in business and industry. The middle west is known to have a large supply sup-ply of corn, which is even now netting net-ting growers more money through the medium of pork and beef than in outright out-right sales. As long as grain prices , are as low as at present, we can hardly hard-ly expect to see decreased feeding op-eiations, op-eiations, and certainly there is no immediate im-mediate prospect of reduced hog num-. num-. bers. j An abundant crop of barley seems : assured in California, as a result of I January rains, and a heavy carry-over i of 1932 crop barley is also on hand. Feeding of barley has been extensive in California and it appears that bar-; bar-; ley growers themselves will find it far more profitable to feed out their crops to livestock than to continue to attempt to sell the grain as such. It would seem far more satisfactory satisfac-tory and profitable to feed grains on I the farms where it is grown, or at i least within a very short hauling dis- trince, than to expect to realize profits I on grain which must bear heavy I transportation costs. |