548 TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



whicli it is a part, or in the industry of which it is only a subsidiary. Live 

 stock ordinarily goes to market when it is in the best condition to bring 

 the highest return. But what this condition shall be is determined largely 

 by the conditions of production such as the time of year when feed is 

 more available, when stock is in best condition, date of birth and time for 

 reaching a marketable condition — hence range cattle and sheep and pas- 

 tured stock are in the best condition in the fall and food limitations for 

 the winter make reductions of numbers necessary, so the great movement 

 comes at that time. Pigs and lambs are born in the spring and reach a 

 marketable age the following fall and winter and feed to put them in best 

 condition is most available at those times. Such conditions as these de- 

 termine in large measure when supplies must be marketed. 



(b) The other factor, habits of consumption, acts to influence both 

 movement to market and production. There are variable seasonable de- 

 mands for meats and meat products and consumptive demand is not at all 

 uniform throughout the year and preparation for market and marketing 

 are influenced by this fact. There are also special periodical demands for 

 certain kinds of meats as at Christmas and Easter time, and special sea- 

 sonable demands from seasonable industries, such as summer hotels and 

 resorts, that influence the market movement. In a general way necessities 

 of production have influenced consumption and consumptive demands 

 have reacted upon production, price being the influencing factor, until at 

 the present time the two have, after a fashion, accommodated themselves 

 to each other and the market movement corresponds roughly in its general 

 outlines to seasonable consumptive requirements. But any scheme of 

 orderly marketing must take both these into consideration. 



Besides these ordinary conditions of production that influence the mar- 

 ket movement there are also occasional forces within the production side 

 that cause unusual movements. Among these may be enumerated climatic 

 conditions which cause a shortage of feed and water and of winter forage 

 that force stock to market either prematurely or in excessive numbers, 

 the outbreak of disease and flnancial conditions that may cause an un- 

 expected or unusual liquidation of flocks and herds. 



Having in mind these conditions that control the market movement and 

 hence limit the field of action in the direction of improvement, a plan for 

 orderly marketing must consider what are the possibilities within these 

 limitations. This consideration would concern itself with the possibilities 

 of a better distribution of seasonable supplies, if once dependable advance 

 information can be had as to those supplies; with the possibilities of se- 

 curing a better distribution by changing methods of production in certain 

 regions in order to prevent a piling up of supplies at certain periods; and 

 with the possibilities of better correlating production activities to market 

 demand in cases where such activities lend themselves to voluntary con- 

 trol and direction. 



The foundation of any attempts at better marketing must be of depend- 

 able statistical material interpreted by competent industrial and economic 

 knowledge and without these no trustworthy edifice can be erected. Sta- 

 tistical knowledge of market movement in sufficient detail to give neces- 

 sary information as to different kinds and grades of live stock must be 



