FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 131 



The past year has witnessed an enormous marketing of calves. Un- 

 heard-of receipts of calves appeared on all markets in 1902, and, not- 

 withstanding excessive numbers, continued to bring high prices. This 

 situation was probably caused by skepticism regarding the stability of 

 future values. The marvelous demand for veal throughout the year 

 remains unexplained. It may be well for the beef producer to note 

 that in the near future this may react beneficially on beef prices. An- 

 other noteworthy feature regarding the past two years' marketing is 

 that large numbers of inferior grades have been worked off on the 

 market and that there has been a great revival in improved methods 

 of breeding. 



There are some important facts which can be deducted in making a 

 careful study of the market conditions of the past few years. Chief 

 among these is the one that future market prices, so far as the pro- 

 ducer is concerned, are largely a matter of speculation. Markets have 

 their ups and downs. The reasons for these cannot always be fore- 

 seen by the producer even at the beginning of any feeding season. 

 There is but one safeguard which the producer can build up around him- 

 self, viz.: The economic production of prime beef only by good methods 

 of breeding and careful study of economy in feeding. The inability of 

 beef producers to secure a profit or come out without loss, is likely to 

 lead to undesirable results. The inducements of high priced beef during 

 the middle of 1902, induced some local sheep feeders to take up cattle 

 feeding in 1902 and 1903, only to meet with disappointment and loss. 

 Now that prices are holding extremely high for mutton, there is strong 

 probability that a return to normal or low prices in the mutton market 

 will find a long line of producers holding costly stocks. While the 

 few may make so-called 'iucky hits" in shifting from one line of meat 

 production to another, in general the practice is disastrous. It is this 

 everlasting changing from one thing to another that has resulted in 

 a lack of success among so many meat producers. 



We firmly believe that in the future, Michigan will have to rely very 

 largely on her own breeders for feeding stocks. Recently the prac- 

 tice of purchasing western stocks has developed to a large extent. 

 Were this system to continue, it would lead to disparagement in breed- 

 ing, but western stocks will probably not always be available for feed- 

 ing in such large numbers as during the past few years. Michigan 

 has not been developing its live stock industry in proportion to de- 

 velopments in other states of the Union. By the census of 1900, Mich- 

 igan possessed 736,441 cattle other than milch cows, ranking 20th in 

 this respect among the states of the Union. No factor has conducted 

 to degrade the beef stocks of our country to such an extent as the 

 interchange from the beef to the dairy business. There are just sufficient 

 individuals making these interchanges with the ups and downs of the 

 market, to produce the indiscriminate admixture of blood and type 

 so disastrous to the beef producer. In this line of work, let us adhere 

 tenaciously to specific fixed lines of production. The individual who 

 can successfully and speedily adapt himself to radical changes is ex- 

 tremely rare. 



As a part of successful beef production, make prime quality an 

 essential feature. In the past, this term quality has been thought of 

 most largely in relation to the differences as shown by animals pos- 

 sessed of varying degrees of good blood. In future we believe more 



