' 7 

 BUYING AT PUBLIC AUCTION SALES. 



In recent years there has grown up quite a business by send- 

 ing cattle, mostly calves and yearlings, from the range country 

 into the corn belt and selling them at public auction to feeders. 

 These cattle are usually sorted into bunches that are uniform as 

 to size and color markings. At all auctions they are sold to 

 the highest bidder, sometimes well worth the money; at other 

 times, for more than they are really worth. These cattle coming 

 direct from the range must necessarily be handled carefully at 

 first, so that they overcome their natural wildness and timidity. 



The advantages are 



1. Uniformity in age, color and breeding. 



2. There is no commission, feed bill and yardage to pay. 



The disadvantages are 



1. The cattle have just recently been shipped a long dis- 

 tance ; hence are sore and stiff. 



2. They frequently sell for more than they would bring in 

 the open market. 



Since the western branches have begun using pure bred beef 

 bulls on the ranges, a few of the larger feeders have made a prac- 

 tice of going directly to the southwest for their steers. They 

 have a large number of cattle to select from and see the kind of 

 breeding stock back of them. It is customary to allow a 10% 

 "cut back" when buying in this way. 

 BUYING IN GRAZING SECTIONS ADJACENT TO THE CORN BELT. 



There is in southern Indiana, Illinois and central Missouri, 

 a large amount of rough and broken land which is suitable only 

 for grazing. As a rule these soils are especially adapted to the 

 growth of blue grass and clover, are supplied with an abundance 

 of water and the grazing season is long. There is not enough 

 corn grown to finish all the cattle produced ; hence they go to the 

 markets in the fall of the year as grass fat cattle or as feeders. 

 This seems to be the logical place for the corn belt feeder, who 

 does not produce his own feeders, to secure his cattle. During 

 the past two years the Experiment Station has bought two year 

 old feeding cattle in Lawrence, Ripley, Jennings and Orange 

 counties, and has found that these cattle can be bought and 

 handled at a profit. 



