498 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



are locally raised and those that are shipped in. If we could get enough 

 replies from the feeders in this state on that one question it would throw 

 a great deal of light on the feeding situation here. If we knew that 50 

 per cent of the cattle that were fed were locally raised, or 40 per cent, or 

 30 per cent; or, on the other hand, that 50 per cent, or 60 per cent, or 70 

 per cent were bought at the markets or shipped in, and we know then 

 what are the actual numbers of cattle shipped in, and with that as a basis 

 we hope to be able to work out numerically the number of cattle that are 

 actually on feed. As you will notice in this estimate, it is all on a per- 

 centage basis. We have not undertaken to try to give the actual numbers 

 because at the present time we have not sufficient information to under- 

 take to do that. 



Then following those questions as to the individual's own activities 

 are two questions which relate simply to the locality. First, how does 

 the number of cattle on feed in your locality, December 1, compare with 

 the number on December 1, last year? Let 100 per cent represent last 

 year. Second, how does the number of farmers feeding cattle this year 

 compare with the number who fed cattle last year? Of course those are 

 questions that are on a percentage basis, or estimates of the various 

 recorders which we would like to get as check-up questions along with 

 the other information that we are able to secure. 



If we could send out in this state say five or six thousand question- 

 naires, over the state as a whole, which would be probably fifty or sixty 

 to a county, and could get back 20 or 25 per cent of replies proportion- 

 ately distributed as to counties as the questionnaires were sent out, I 

 think we would have a pretty fair sample of the feeding industry as it is 

 conducted in the state at the present time, and that is what we hope 

 to do, and that is what we want you men to help us to do. If the farm- 

 ers themselves are not willing to give us this kind of information, it is 

 going to be very difficult if not impossible for us to give you the kind of 

 information that you would like to have and we would like to be able to 

 give you. 



So I would like to urge upon you men who are present to the extent 

 that you receive these questionnaires yourself and to the extent that you 

 can influence your neighbors, to do all you can to make it possible for 

 us to get back this percentage of replies. I know that there is a preju- 

 dice on the part of farmers and cattle feeders toward furnishing informa- 

 tion of this kind. I think that in the live stock work it will be met with 

 more than in the crop work. I know that there seems to be a feeling 

 on the part of a good many live stock men that information of this kind 

 won't be of any value to them, or if it will be valuable to them it will be 

 more valuable to the packing interests or some other interests who are 

 perhaps organized to take advantage of it while they are not. Person- 

 ally, I do not believe this. I believe that this information is of more 

 value to the farmers, stock growers and feeders than it is to any other 

 factor in the industry. 



I think if you are going to improve your methods of marketing, if 

 you are going to put your feeding business on a sounder basis, that this 

 is the information that you have got to have, and I do not hesitate my- 



