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Show THE LIVESTOCK SITUATION The conditions in the fat cattle market mar-ket are unusual, to say the least but there never was a time in the history of the west when the demands for better bet-ter quality beef were so definitely and urgently expressed. We all know that our California range failed us this year and that only proves the uncertainty uncer-tainty of range beef, and while a good mlany producers used supplemental feeds on the range and in the feedlots, still the supply of fat cattle from the normlal som-ce is far below the beef requirements. The people have backed up on the half-fat cattle. Up to a few days ago, bullocks that had very little flesh on them were selling from 10c to 11c and the best of thera didn't yield much better than 55 per cent, making the cost in the beef about 18c. At the then market price, it was possible to ship eastern grain-fed cattle here. These grain-fed cattle, costing around 11 V2C here alive and yielding about 60 per cent, approximately 19c in the beef, the difference in quality being suffi-l cient to thrown the balace of the trade to the grain-finished beef. To establish a differential to make it possible to move the beef of western west-ern grass cattle, in their unfinished condition, required a readjustment of prices downward. This is the first time in many years that we have not had good, well-finished grass cattle coming on at this season of the year. About the middle of August, we should begin to get some grassers from Idaho, Utah and other northern states. In the meantime, if the eastern east-ern market siffens up some, the chances chanc-es are against any further extensive movement from the middlewest. The packers feel that some of these corn belt cattle are carrying too niuch fat to be practical for the coast trade. It is true that too much fat in this section is wasteful. In California, we follow pretty much the old Spanish custom of the use of vegetable oils and fats, so that animal fats are secondary. sec-ondary. What we need is a good, full, smiooth finish on the critter, the cov ering to be well-marbled with a thin layer of fat, such as barley puts on. We are, however, getting the lesson in quality and furthermore ,a substantial differential has been definitely set between be-tween the so-called grassers and feed-lot feed-lot cattle. It was highly important that this should come about, but it mjay seem unfortunate that it should come on all at once. However, it is here and we should set our pegs accordingly ac-cordingly in planning future production. produc-tion. iMany authorities have argued in the past that the grain-finished bullock bul-lock didn't have a chance to sell higher high-er than the grasser during the grass season and doubtless, there was a great deal of truth in that, but now we have broken the ice, so to speak, thus making a place for both kinds on their merits. Our grass production is important as a part of our meat food supply. There will always be a place for it and there is no section of the United States where cattle can be finished quite so well as the west and southwest south-west where we have such an abundance abun-dance of alfalfa and clovers, including the burr and filare. But we must go further, utilizing our grain and forage for supplemental and primary use in fattening livestock for an all year round supply. It is not only disappointing but uneconomical un-economical to see these thin cattle coming to an unwelcome market when there is so ntuch cheap feed in the country to finish them with. These adjustment periods, like we are now going through, are visited upon up-on us as reminders that we are doing or failing to do the things that contribute con-tribute to a permanent success. Failure Fail-ure to properly utilize our resources and depending upon others to supply the things we should supply, are chal- ' lenging the laws of economy, with the result that the blow of adversity falli upon us with the greatest force. This is the time to take stock of our situation situa-tion and readjust our operations along sound economic lines. The livestock industry of the country will carry on but the individual who fails to keep ! step with progress is sure to fall by the wayside. |