47 



nearly every week in the year for the high priced trade in this 

 country. There are usually only about two days in the week 

 for choice cattle, namely, Mondays and Wednesdays, at the 

 Chicago market. Following an old established custom, cattle 

 of this class generally all get here on these days. As a large 

 per cent of these cattle go to the eastern markets, the eastern 

 buyers rely upon these days for their supply. Local buyers and 

 dressed beef men must likewise rely upon these days to secure 

 the quality they desire, as they cannot depend upon getting 

 them on what is generally called "off days," such as Tuesdays, 

 Thursdays and Fridays. 



7. Concerning the most popular weight one season with 

 another, I have answered this question above, by saying that 

 the average is about 1300 pounds, I would add, however, that 

 prime or choice yearlings, weighing anywhere from 900 to 

 1,000 pounds, are popular and in good demand and are good 

 sellers the year round." 



E. W. Houcks, of Drum Commission Co., Kansas City, Mo. : 



"i. There has not been the active demand in May and 

 June for thick fat cattle as in former years. The trade seems 

 to require the lighter kind. In fact, yearling steers and heifers 

 weighing from 7oo to 900 pounds have been more sought after, 

 and the dressed beef steer weighing 1200 to 1300 pounds has 

 brought as much as the export steer. 



2. Outside of the limited number of Christmas cattle, our 

 experience has been that the average native steer such as the 

 Misouri farmer markets commands the best price in July, 

 August and September. As a rule this time in the year the 

 markets are flooded with grass beef weighing under 1200 

 pounds. The supply of heavier cattle, well fatted, such as the 

 corn belt produces, is more or less limited. This makes the 

 packer buy good native beef at a good price in order that he 

 may sell as much of his heavier grass beef as possible. 



3. The poorest season of the year to market the average 

 Missouri steer is in the late fall and winter months. One rea- 

 son for this is that during the last ten or fifteen years alfalfa 

 has been very extensively grown in Kansas and Nebraska and 

 the farmers of this section have been holding their cattle up in 



