TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 177 



on ensilage. So that when we have completed our work — pos- 

 sibly by next May — wo will have secured records cii the various 

 kinds of fed cattle from different distances en route to market;, 

 and the intention is to publish this information in a farmers' 

 l)ul]etin some time next summer, which will l:e distributed free, 

 as I assume. That will give the farmers a basis on Avhich to 

 adjust their claims against the railroad companies, and will also 

 give them some information as to what we have found to be the 

 normal shrinkage of cattle from point of origin to destination. 



In order that I may get as much done as possible in the time 

 here, it is necessary for me to find out w^ho the feeders are, and 

 where they are located, so that I may go to them at the time they 

 are ready to ship and get the weights on their cattle. In doing 

 this it has been our practice to give the shipper information as 

 to what his cattle have shrunk en route to market, and what the 

 fill has been at the market. I will he very glad to get the names 

 and addresses of members, with a statement as to about when 

 they may expect to ship, that I may get around to their places 

 as rapidly as possible this winter and weigh their cattle, if they 

 will give me permission to do so. 



I appreciate this opportunity of meeting you again. I was 

 fortunate enough to get in last night and hear part of the ban- 

 quet program, and I fine that the list of speakers, although not " 

 the same each year, has not fallen off in the standard of excel- 

 lence, which is an indication that this organization is not deteri- 

 orating in any way, but continues to forge ahead and assume 

 the initiative in a work which is of vast importance to the cattle- 

 raising industry of the whole country as an example, and to Iowa 

 in particular. 



^Ir. ]\Iurray : I can not for the life of me see how this is going 

 to benefit us any. I order cars and ship my stock out one week 

 and have a good run to Chicago ; my stock goes in there in com- 

 paratively good shape, and my shrink is light. The following 

 week I ship again ; the railroad service is poor ; they overload 

 their engines, and we make slow time. We get in there late in 

 the day; my cattle have been on their feet fully thirty-six hours; 

 they are tired, and they don't eat. although they will probably 

 drink. I can't see how one week's shipment would be any cri- 

 terion for the next. 



]Mr. Thomburg: How are the cattle weighed in Chicago? 

 12 



