49 



grades. , The dressed beef steer is also serviceable for export 

 nowadays. Formerly this was not the case. A 1300 pound 

 steer is just as good today for export trade as the heavier 

 weight of cattle. In fact, we might term the dressed beef 

 steer the all purpose bullock. Baby beef weighing from 750 

 to 900, and the fancy bullock weighing from 1,500 to 1,600 go 

 to the fine hotel trade and to the table of the wealthy man, 

 while the dressed beef steer is bought by the great majority of 

 people. As a rule the average 2 year old steer is classed as the 

 dressed beef bullock when he goes to market, and it seems to 

 be a profitable age to market him. 



6. There is a limited demand for strictly fancy cattle. A 

 limited number can be marketed to advantage, but if they 

 come in too large numbers, as is no unusual thing, the price de- 

 clines from 25c to 5<Dc, while the market on dressed beef cattle 

 might not decline more than loc. I do not know why this 

 should be so, but we do know that the packers will fill their 

 coolers with dressed beef cattle and only buy the fancy kind 

 as orders come in for them. At this time of year (April) they 

 frequently buy fancy yearlings at good prices until their or- 

 ders are filled and then refuse to buy late arrivals which are 

 probably just as good, claiming that their orders are full and 

 that they cannot use them." 



Victor H. Munnecke, Manager St. Louis Dressed Beef & Pro- 

 vision Co., St. Louis : 

 "i. There has not been in the last two or three years as 



good a demand for thick fat cattle in May and June as there 



was for a few years prior to that time. 



2. The best season of the year to market average native 

 fat cattle is from March I5th to May I5th. 



3. The poorest season of the year to market this class of 

 cattle would be from October ist to December I5th. 



4. The greatest demand for fancy beeves, outside of the 

 Christmas trade, is during the month of June. 



5. Speaking for the St. Louis trade, choice beef 

 steers weighing from 900 to noo pounds will fluctuate less 

 throughout the year than any other grade or weight. The ex- 



4 



