4 

 The advantages of buying locally are 



1. No expenses for traveling, feed, yardage, commission 

 and freight. 



2. It is possible to know the previous treatment cattle have 

 had. 



3. Cattle are accustomed to farm conditions, know how to 

 eat grain. 



4. Cattle are quiet in feed lot. 



5. If equal in other respects native cattle will do better than 

 others. 



6. Have no soreness and stiffness due to shipping to over- 

 come. 



The disadvantages in buying locally are 



1. The difficulty in securing uniformity in age, type, condi- 

 tion, color and breeding. 



2. The producer wants to sell all of his calves or feeders, 

 at the same time, usually depending upon the good ones to sell 

 the poor ones. This makes it necessary for the buyer to take un- 

 desirable steers. 



3. The average farmer is not thoroughly acquainted with 

 market prices and is unable to price his stuff accordingly. 



BUYING IN CENTRAL MARKETS. 



Steers found in the central markets vary according to the 

 country tributary to them, though at times cattle will be found of 

 an entirely different type than is usually seen. This is due to the 

 activity of shippers, who learning that there is a demand for a 

 certain kind of cattle at one market, which is not being filled, will 

 cater to this demand by shipping from one market to another. 



CHICAGO. 



The Union Stock Yards at Chicago is the great central mar- 

 ket for fat cattle. In the southwest section of the yards will be 

 found what is known as the Stocker and Feeder Division. This is 

 usually well supplied with all grades of stockers and feeders, from 

 inferior to the very best. These cattle have been bought up by 

 speculators, known as "scalpers," in mixed lots, just as they come 

 from the country and are sorted into uniform lots of feeders. They 



