There was standing 

 room only when cof- 

 ffe feeders turned out 

 for the annual fall 

 outlook meefjng of 

 Aledo in Mercer coun- 

 ty. Form A d V i % 9 t 

 Howard Haynes sold 

 he never saw the hall 

 so jam-packed far a 

 meeting of that type. 



FORESEE 



By 



JIM 



THOMSON 



Ass't Editor, 

 lAA RECORD 



The fhree men who spoke »o /Mercer county farmeri on the cattle 



feeding outlook for 1950 ore left to right: Walter Howe, Chicago 



Producers; Harry Russell, College of Agriculture; and C. W. 



Mitcltell, Illinois livestock Marketing Association. 



HFAIV'S Still money in the feed- 

 ing.' liu.-incss. So say a number 

 of men experienced in the u])s and 

 downs of llie livestock markets. 

 And they are optimistic aliout 

 the future. Few would predict what 

 will happen heyond six months from 

 now. hut for the next six months the 

 freneral opinion wa.s that prices would 

 hold steady. 



The general outlook for cattle feeders 

 was presented throuphoul the state last 

 month in the animal series of fall out- 

 look meetings sponsored hy the College 

 of Agriculture. Illinois Agricultural A.s- 

 'ociation. Producer .Agencies, and 

 • ounty Farm Bureaus. 



At the meeting at .■Mcdo in Mercer 

 county Vtalter Howe of the Chicago 

 IVoduc<'rs Commission Association 

 ^aid: "There is still a lot of apprehen- 

 sion among cattle men hut the facts 

 >how that there needn't he. \^'e are a 

 nation of meat eaters. Demand for 

 meat is still heavy and the nation's 

 'Tononiy is still healthy. As long as 

 I'cople have money to s[)end they are 

 L'oing to huy plenty of meat." 



Heasons for the optimism were set 

 '"rth hy Harry Russell of the College 

 "f Agriculture as follows: 



1. The liquidation of business in- 

 ventories is about finished. 



2. There appears to be no foresee- 

 able decline in the capital expend- 

 iture program of business. 



H. Private and public construction 

 programs are at recor<l highs and are 

 expected to continue. 

 1. Government spending will remain 

 high into the foreseeable future with 

 inflationary trends. 



5. Savings in the hands of the peo- 

 ple are high and will act as a cushion 

 at the first signs of deflation and un- 

 employment. 



6. Consumer incomes are still rel- 

 atively high. People have the buying 

 power for a generous meat diet. 

 OfTsetling these favorable price fac- 

 tors. Russell pointed out that the nation 

 is carrying an all-lime record supplv 

 of corn in storage and has a tremendous 

 wheat carryover. This factor is further 

 aggravated bv bumper crops of l)oth 

 wheat and corn this year. The fall 

 pig crop will be l.T per cent higher 

 than a year ago and the export rate 

 on corn and other grains may not be 

 maintained at the high levels of the 

 past several years. 



Speaking on feed su])plics. Russell 

 said there probably would be little 

 change in the supplies and prices of 

 protein supplements from Ia.«t year. He 

 recommended that farmers cut their 

 protein feed costs by pasturing pigs on 

 ladino clover. 



Both Howe and Russell pointed out 

 that farmers were missing a good b<'t 

 in not feeding more lambs. "Sheep 



In 1950 



are going to be all right for the ftevt 

 M-veral years." Ru>sell said. 



"We cattlemen." Howe added. "|-eel 

 that lamb feeding is a good propo-ition. 

 More lamb is being consumed in the 

 .Mi<lwest than ever before. But before 

 you go into lamb feeding be sure voo 

 know what you are doing. Not everv- 

 one can feed and sell lambs profitablv." 



Speaking as a representative of the 

 lAA-affiliated Hlinois Livestock Mar- 

 keting Association. C. W. Mitchell 

 pointed out that present storage slocks 

 of lard and pork are at record low^. 

 Farlier farrowing, he said, has levele<l 

 off the marketing period and hogs are 

 now being marketed at lighter wei-jht-. 



"\\ ilh continued good judgement in 

 hog marki-ting." he said, "there i> no 

 reason why prices of hogs should drop 

 to support levels. I would advise you 

 to market your hogs when thcv are 

 ready even if it means more often." 



Offering a suggestion which mav or 

 may not meet the appro\al of hog 

 farmers, considering the tremendous 

 stocks of corn on hand. Russ<-Il recom- 

 mended that farmers raise the saim- 

 number of pigs in 19.50 as they ha\e 

 in 1919. "Doti't govern your pig crop 

 bv the amount of feed available." Rus- 

 -ell said. 



Howe said that with feeding profit- 

 able there was a tremendous demand 

 for light stock feeder <attle. both laKes 

 and yearlings, with a siipnly to draw 

 from about the s^ame as last \ear. 



In conclusion he toM farmir> to look 

 for se\eral months of profilalde jirices. 

 but. he said, be cautious and <tav in 

 the field you like best. If \ou keep 

 ^witching from one field to aiidlher you 

 may come to grief. 



OCTOBER, 1949 



II 



