PROGRESSIVE BEEF CATTLE RAISING 



1117 pounds, while the other weighed 908 pounds. 

 The data for steers of each class at this time is shown in 

 the following table: 



Steer No. i Steer No. 2 



Carcass price $12.14 $10.12 



Carcass weight 658 Ibs. 4QQ Ibs. 



Value carcass $79.86 $50.52 



Credits Hides, offal, etc 9.49 8.04 



Killing and overhead 5.58 4.54 



Net credits $83.77 $54-02 



Live weight 1117 Ibs. qo8 Ibs. 



Possible hoof price per cwt $ 7.50 $ 5.95 



The actual prices paid were $7.55 and $5.90. From 

 long experience the Dressed Beef Department can figure 

 what it can afford to pay for steers or heifers of any type 

 and weight in order to produce a particular grade or class 

 of beef, the costs being known in terms of averages, and 

 the corrected costs being made for each lot in terms of 

 the actual record of the animals purchased. The figures 

 shown in the preceding table represent corrected costs 

 and not averages used for preliminary estimates. Each 

 morning the Armour cattle buyers are furnished with a 

 statement of the costs of the beef from the animals they 

 purchased the day before, as well as the actual dressing 

 percentage. The principal factor involved in the judg- 

 ment of the buyer is the ability to estimate the dressing 

 percentage closely, and after years of experience the best 

 buyers become unbelievably accurate. But more than 

 an estimate of the dressing quality is needed, as the buyer 

 must be able to recognize the type of animal that will 

 produce the kind of beef which the Dressed Beef De- 

 partment needs to fill its orders or its shortages. 



Page Sixty-two 



