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Show j KEEP PRODUCERS INFORMED Farmers Advised to Study Market Reports Re-ports In and Out of Season to Keep Posted. (Prepared by the U. S. Department ot Agriculture. J How can the farmer and stock raiser rais-er turn the live slock reports of the bureau of markets. United States- Ue-partimnt Ue-partimnt of Agriculture, Into dollars is frequently asked. The answer is for Hie farmer to get so iiiueii Information out of the reports re-ports that he can conduct his breeding, breed-ing, feeding and marketing operations a little more intelligently In the future, fu-ture, and therefore more profitably limn In the past. Market reports are history, and the chief value of history Is the basis which it provides on which to forecast fore-cast tl'.e future, in other words, what, has happened in the past will probably prob-ably occur again under the same or similar circumstances. Small benefit is generally derived from reading a single market report or one covering a short period of time. Markets move in cycles, and the man wbc would keep informed must follow them dlli&ently In season and out This is a mailer of particular importance impor-tance to the stockman, because his business Is, to an unusual degree, a long-time speculation. He must prepare pre-pare now aud lay his plans today In light of what he thinks the market will be anywhere from six months to two years hence. But how will the department's reports assist him In doing this? Hist of all. be should take Into account ac-count potential supplies of the particular par-ticular class of live stock In which he Is interested. Assume that cattle Is his line. The monthly report, Stock at Stockyards, gives the number of cattle and calves marketed from month to month through 68 central markets. If such movements are unusually un-usually heavy for any conslderab'e time, it may Indicate a cattle shortage short-age during the next year or two. and a shortage of any commodity usually means higher prices. This same report also shows the number of cattle and calves that went back to the country as stockers and feeders. If such movements were exceptionally ex-ceptionally light. It would help to confirm con-firm the belief that a comparative shortage In cattle was Impending. On the other hand, heavy stocker end feeder shipments would go a long way toward neutralizing the importance of ' s is Mai Ki.. ...ports Ace rtuad With Much Intertst by Progressive Farmers. file heavy receipts, for the stockmen would know- i hat ino'st of these cattle going hack to the country must be re turned 10 market during the next few weeks or mouths and enter consump tlon channels. Having established In this fashion a broad has.s lor his operations, let us assume the stockman is feeding a lot of steers for ti e market. He must now give market icports more carelttl and persistent aiieulion than before It Is quite iuiporiant that he know what kind of cattle are In best de mand on the principal markets. It there Is a sleud inquiry for heavy finished cattle, anil thut kind are selling sell-ing at a premium over lighter weights. It will probably pay him to "feed his cnllle out," unless ihe cost of feed is exceptionally high. If. however, consumptive demand seems lo he drifting steadily toward lighter retail cuts of meat, or, because of general business degression or some other caiiKe. Is centering chiefly on the lower and cheaper grades, he may find It more profitable to market his cattle at an earlier age and before they have attuined great weight. Ahundunt information along this ; line will be found both In the live stock market reports and the reports dealing with meat-trade conditions In the large consuming centers. In this connection the stockman will also be Interested In keeping advised as to whether the slaughter of meai is Increasing or decreasing and whether wheth-er the movement upplies equally to all classes of niebt. or whether slaughter , of heef Is decreasing ;.:' that of some other class la Increasing. This j Information Is obtainable from the I statistical report covering the live stock and meat situation, which Is based on the federal uieiit-lnspe,-tlon reports of the bureau of iiulmal !n dustry aud Is also puhllshed mouibl. by the bureau of markets. |