388 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



have them ready at that season which will enable them 

 to reach the market in the absence of a glut in the same, 

 or even in the absence of 'supplies sufficiently plentiful to 

 cause considerable depression in values. The exercise of 

 timely forethought will usually make this feasible. 



There are two seasons when the values of the common 

 classes of meat arc usually low. The first is that period 

 covered by the entire season beginning with the middle of 

 September, and extending over a considerable portion 

 of January following. The second is embraced within the first 

 and includes more particularly the holiday season during 

 which poultry to a considerable extent substitutes the use 

 of other kinds of meat. Only the best classes of beef and 

 mutton at such times command good prices relatively. 



Two classes of persons are compelled to sell at such 

 seasons. The first is, ranchmen who may be unable to finish 

 stock because of the entire absence of finishing foods which 

 may not be shipped in because of cost. The surplus stock 

 must be disposed of at the approach of or during the au- 

 tumn. The second class includes all farmers who may not 

 have the necessary food or necessary conveniences to enable 

 them to finish surplus stock at home. So large and so 

 constant is the supply from these two sources, at the sea- 

 sons named, that it has a depressing influence on values. 

 But it may be more profitable to market animals, as sheep 

 which make a late finish -on such foods as rape, at such a 

 season, than to attempt to further finish them on dry food 

 involving greater relative cost. 



The values of meat are relatively higher at all other 

 times of the year than those named, but there are seasons 

 that are especially favorable to marketing viewed from 

 the standpoint of relatively high values for meat. These 

 include the late months of spring and all the summer 

 months. But during those months lighter animals are 

 wanted and more especially when the weather becomes 

 hot. 



