378 



Range Cattle Season of 1899. 



exporters hardly any ; whereas in former years a good many 

 were bought for the eastern markets and for export alive. 

 The progress that has been made toward breeding better 

 stock during the past few years by the use of pure-bred 

 bulls on the ranges of the north-west is said to be very 

 marked, and the present day ranger is approaching the 

 ideal beef type, though there is still room for improvement. 



In the matter of prices, range cattle producers have had 

 no cause for complaint ; and not since 1891 have the prices 

 been so high as this year. The extreme top price was 

 $5.40 per 100 lbs. (equivalent to 25s. 2d. per cwt.) for several 

 small lots of Dakota and Montana hay-fed cattle. The 

 highest price for any considerable number of straight 

 rangers was, however, 25s. per cwt., obtained for 100 head 

 of Dakotas, averaging 1,313 lbs. Range heifers sold up to 

 22s. 8d. per cwt. The course of values has been compara- 

 tively even throughout the season, the lowest level being 

 reached during the latter part of September and the first 

 week of October, when receipts were heaviest. The follow- 

 ing table shows the top prices obtained for range cattle 

 at Chicago during the past twelve years : — 



Year. 



Top Price. 



Year. 



Top Price. 





s. d. 





s. d. 



i899. 



25 2 per cwt. 



1893 



22 2 per cwt. 



1898 



23 4 ' 



1892 



21 6 „ 



1897 



22 10 ,,, 



1891 



26 2 „ 



1896 



19 10 



1890 



21 0 „ 



1895 



23 10 „ 



1889 



19 2 H 



1894 



22 10 „ 



1888 



25 2 



The season at Omaha is reported to have been most satis- 

 factory; one sale of 65 Wyoming steers averaging 1,5 10 lbs. 

 having fetched 25s. per cwt., the highest price ever obtained 

 for range beeves at that market. A good demand prevailed 

 throughout the season for feeders, and a large number of this 

 latter class have also been handled at Sioux City, which town, 

 like Omaha, is near the centre of the great corn belt. 



