STOCK RAISING AND SOIL FERTILITY 



225 



Pair to medium corn-fed steers 4.70 to 5.40 

 Good to choice corn-fed steers. 5.50 to 6-00 



Choice to prime beeves 6.10 to 6.90 



Export steers, 1150 to 1250 lbs 5.00 to 5.35 

 Export steers, 1250 to 1250 lbs 5.40 to 5.70 

 Poor to fancy corn-fed year- 

 lings 4.40 to 6.25 



Corn-fed "Western steers 5.10 to 6.65 



Northern-fed Texas steers.... 4.50 to 5.60 



Distillery steers 4.75 to 5.75 



Butcher stock: 



Beef cows, common to fair... $2. 75 to $3.15 



Heifers, inferior to choice 2.40 to 4.30 



Stags, poor to choice 2.60 to 4.65 



Bulls, inferior to fair light... 2.15 to 3.00 

 Common to selected bolognas. 3.20 to 3.55 

 Bulls, fair to selected butch- 

 ers 3.60 to 4.50 



Bulls, fair to choice export. . 3.50 to 4.40 



Stockers and feeders : 



Stockers, inferior to good. ... $2.60 to $3.40 

 Stockers, selected 500 to 700 



lbs 3.45 to 3.75 



Feeders, good to choice mixed. 4.10 to 4.40 



Feeders, good to fancy selected 4.45 to 4.85 

 Stock heifers, poor to good 



mixed 2.60 to 3.00 



Feeding heifers, 700 to 850 lbs 3.10 to 3.85 

 Stock calves, according to 



weight 3.50 to 4.50 



Calves : 



Inferior to fair heavy calves. .$2.50 to $3.50 



Good to choice heavy calves. 3.75 to 4.50 



Common to choice veals 4.50 to 6.75 



Choice to prime calves 7.00 to 7.25 



Milkers and springers : 



Medium to choice milkers. . $22.00 to $50.00 



Common to choice springers 25.00 to 40.00 



The various grades are noted under 

 the general classes for beef cattle, butch- 

 ers' stock, canners and cutters, calves, 

 stockers and feeders and milkers and 

 springers. In general the terms used 

 are self-explanatory. The terms, spring- 

 ers, under milkers and springers, refer 

 to cows within two or three months of 

 calving. For a more definite explanation 

 of the different classes of beef, see the 

 chapter on that subject. 



Marketing hogs_Many of the general 

 features already touched upon in the 

 marketing of cattle apply to swine. 

 There are, however, some specific ship- 

 ping directions that apply especially to 

 these animals. 



Killing and marketing on the farm — 

 Swine are sometimes killed on the farm 

 and sent dressed to market. If farmers 

 could visit the large markets and see 

 the generally inferior and unattractive 

 appearance of the animals as finally of- 

 fered to the public for sale, he would at 

 once note the great disadvantage he is 

 at in sending his hogs to the larger 

 markets in this form. Dressed hogs 



should be sent only to the local mar- 

 kets. In these markets the farmer is 

 able to deliver them fresh and cleanly 

 in appearance and thus secure their full 

 value. 



A splendid trade can often be worked 

 up in the sale of home cured hams, 

 bacon and sausages. If sufficient trade 

 of this character can be worked up, 

 prices above the normal can be secured 

 and the returns by this method of han- 

 dling will be nearly twice as great as 

 where hogs are sold alive. 



Shipping hogs alive — By far the 

 greater quantity of hogs will be mar- 

 keted alive in the larger packing centers. 

 Hogs for shipment should be in their 

 normal condition when driven on board 

 the cars. Especial care should be taken 

 not to overheat them by fast driving 

 or excessive worrying. Before ship- 

 ment, the cars should be well cleaned 

 out and the floor thickly bedded in the 

 winter months with good, clean straw or 

 hay, and in summer with sand, slack 

 coal or cinders. Neither hay nor straw 

 should be used for bedding in warm 

 weather, as these are heating, and every 

 effort must be made to keep the hogs as 

 cool as possible during shipment. 



In shipping white hogs, use onfy 

 clean sand in summer, as cinders or 

 coal injures their appearance and sell- 

 ing price. The sand or cinders should 

 be well wet down just before loading; 

 unless these materials are available use 

 no bedding at all in warm weather. The 

 object of the sand is to prevent slipping 

 and loss by crippling and piling up. 



Wetting down hogs in shipping — In 

 hot weather it is generally considered 

 advisable to wet down hogs during ship- 

 ment. The railroad employees will do 

 this if requested to. If hogs have be- 

 come overheated, great care must be 

 observed in throwing the cold water on 

 them. If water can be put on their 

 bellies, or where they can wallow in it, 

 there is much less danger. The general 

 opinion seems to be that the hogs should 

 be wet down as often as they need it 

 and that shipment without loss can thus 

 be made, when without wetting down, 

 there would be many dead animals. If 

 the hogs are not overheated, water can 

 be run on them from a hose. 



Uniform weight and color — Hogs of 

 as nearly uniform weight as possible 

 should be made to occupy the same car 

 or deck. Hogs of a uniform color also 

 tend to produce a favorable effect on 



