FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I. 9 



The science of irrigation is today changing the Western desert and lava 

 beds into beautiful farms, and fruitful orchards, while drainage laws are 

 making possible many new acres of most valuable land here within our own 

 beautiful State. Among all this scheme of growth, advancement and 

 wealth in agricultural states, and especially here within our own beautiful 

 Iowa, there has been nothing of more importance than the live stock indus- 

 try in bringing about the changes noted. If this is true (and I believe you 

 are all willing to concede the point), then it becomes apparent that such an 

 industry must be protected against unfair or unjust discrimination or prac- 

 tice. That the law of supply and demand be allowed to govern the output 

 of all products of the farm. It is by this means alone that the ''Plain 

 people," as Lincoln terms them, are able to maintain the position in this 

 body politic they now hold. 



In changing the annual products of our farms into material wealth there 

 are five separate and distinct factors. 



First— The producer, or the man who combines grains and grasses of 

 the farm with animals, and manufactures the finished product ready for 

 the market, and the shambles. 



Secondly— The transportation company, which provides the means of 

 transferring these animals from the location where they were grown to the 

 place where they can be consumed. 



Third — The packer, as the individual, company, corporation, or trust, 

 is called, who converts these animals into edible material. 



.Fourth— The retail merchant, who distributes these products to their 

 many patrons. 



Finally, the consumer, the one we all serve, and for whose benefit and 

 pleasure we all have labored. 



In each of these departments the animal should pay toll, unless through 

 fault or negligence of the individual operator. As each is dependent upon 

 the other in the many stages of the animal from yard to block so should 

 all be interested in maintaining a living profit to everyone. I do not mean 

 b}'' this that the chances of loss should be eliminated entirely. We all know 

 that every business venture at some period of its history will present a risk. 

 What I do mean is, that under normal conditions market values, should 

 be on a steady and even basis, in order that the originator of the product can 

 form a reasonable estimate of the profits of the business before beginning 

 operations. The business of feeding and finishing cattle for the market and 

 consumption, has been, and necessarily must be, one of exceptional hazard. 

 The length of time necessary to manufacture the product, and place it upon 

 the market, gives oDpcrtunity for a change in the demand for this product, 

 and relative change of values. The one item more than all others, that 

 affects the productive cost is the feed bill, or the value of the grains and 

 grasses that have been consumed. The question of animal husbandry is 

 only another method of condensing bulk into smaller packages, conse- 

 quently the values of lands and rental of the same, as well as the price of 

 grain consumed, must be considered as factors in the problem. 



There are two distinct methods of producing beef, or making fat cattle. 

 We will not go into these in detail, but, briefly stated, one is the production 

 of the finished animal by taking the calf and continually using the forcing 

 process until sold. The second method, and the one most used, is to grow 



