Show THE BEEF CATTLE SITUATION prices ot of the better grades of slaughter cattle advanced sharply in n august and in the first halt ot of september they reached tho highest level in fix many years the bureau of oe economics TO reports ports this advance was attributed largely to the marked shortage of grain red fed cattle in the slaughter supply prices of the lower grades of slaughter cattle declined in august but strengthened in early september it is expected that prices ot of well finished tini shed cattle will be maintained at a relatively high level until increased supplies ot of grain fed cattle become available next winter and spring when it Is 13 probable that prices ot of such cattle will decline slaughter supplies ot of grain fed cati t tie are n now ow in much s smaller m ll 11 er th than the they y vie ara uch taa erca i were r a y year ar ag ago b but u an n in increase la in cattle feeding Is expected to occur cur this fall and winter chiefly because ot of the improved teed feed grain situation H this year and the relatively large profits obtained from cattle feeding operations during the past six months little or no seasonal decline in prices of the lower grades of ter cattle is expected in the next few months because of the strong demand tor for stocker and feeder cat alo tie anticipated during this period prices of the lower grades ot of slaughter cattle in the first halt half ot of 1938 are likely to be maintained near present levels or even may advance seasonally in that period 1 cattle probably will continue to be fairly large in th the e 4 remainder of 1937 except froma from areas where drought conditions condition luring during the ithe past few years have hava greatly reduced numbers slaughter in this period is not likely to be so 0 large as in the corresponding per period 0 ot of 1936 however shipments ot of cattle cattie and calves from the 17 states la in the western cattle area for the 5 S month period from august to decy dec 1 1 ember will probably total about 5 percent less than such shipments ailt a year earlier practically all ot of ald tha L reduction in such shipments this year is expected to occur in tin thi lc northern great plains states where in 1936 were un usually large because of drought it with increased supplies and low er prices ot of feeds along with th present relatively high price ot of cat 4 tie it Is ls expected that the tei 41 of cattle and calves in 1938 will b la 17 smaller than in 1937 with mos most 0 ol 01 the decrease occurring in the f r 3 halt half of the year |