Rains Trim Numbers And Raise Prices
Good rains over most of Texas and nearby states, primarily from the remnants of Hurricane Dolly, sharply reduced receipts at most sales for the second week in a row.

Stalemate Continued In Fed Cattle Trade Through Midweek
Wednesday was a quiet day in the fed cattle trade, except in Nebraska.
It was the same old story most places; packers and feedlots were $2 apart on their nominal positions but about $1 apart in reality. Packers were offering $69 and feedlots asking $71, but $70 reportedly would get a world of cattle bought.

Plains Feedlot Sales

Range Sales

Hindsight

Analyst Sees Feed Up And Down, Ending About Where It Is Now
An Oklahoma economist sees corn prices dropping slightly and wheat dipping, then coming back by December.

Refuge Remains Working Ranch, Focused On Wildlife Research
In January 1954 the Rob and Besse Welder Wildlife Refuge came into being. Prominent South Texas rancher Rob Welder specified that upon his death, 7800 acres of his ranch would be established as a wildlife refuge and wildlife research area in the context of an operating ranch and an active oil field.

Freedom To Farm Bill A Hit; Signup Rate Much Above Normal
The Republican "Freedom to Farm" plan is proving to be a big hit among the nation's farmers.

Feds’ Effort To Force Laneys Off NM Ranch Still Underway
The Gila National Forest has issued new grazing guidelines for the Diamond Bar Ranch, allowing some range improvements but still holding to a 300-head limit on cattle which the ranchers say will run them out of business.

Pleas Pressure Grain Giant ADM To Settle In Price-Fixing Case
The spotlight of a federal investigation turns to giant grain processor Archer Daniels Midland Co. after its smaller competitors in the market for the livestock feed supplement lysine agreed to plead guilty to price fixing.

Ranchette Developers Closing In On Legitimate Ranchland
For 125 years, the Curtis family of Douglas County has kept its 820 acres of Colorado paradise called Oaklands a working ranch.

New Mexico Bighorn Agreement Exposes Rift Between Ranchers
State game managers have decided to negotiate with individual landowners rather than enter into an agreement with a group of ranchers to preserve desert bighorn sheep in southwestern New Mexico.

AG Morales Joins Water Users In Edwards Aquifer Challenge
The state has plunged into the Edwards Aquifer fight by supporting water users and private property owners.

Rowdy Activists Force More Security At TPWD Meetings
A rowdy meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission last month has prompted tighter security for the celebrity-packed panel.

BLM May Hit Idaho Stockmen With Huge Grazing Reduction
The Clinton administration is proposing as much as a 35 percent reduction in grazing on the federal range of prime southwestern Idaho cattle country.

Trespassing Okay If Animals Do It
Animals benefit more than people when it comes to laws governing access over private property to public land, attorneys told an audience interested in public access.

Beef Cooperative Gets Federal Grant
A Mandan-based beef cooperative is getting a $75,000 federal grant to develop marketing strategies and plans for its processing plant, state Agriculture Commissioner Sarah Vogel said late last week.

ConAgra Will Settle $2.9M Cheating Suit
ConAgra Inc. has agreed to pay a $2.9 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that accused the grain giant of cheating farmers at its Indiana elevators.

Texas Fed Cattle Trade Higher, Volume Less Than Half Week-Ago
Slaughter steers and heifers sold $1 higher in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week. Trade was slow most of the week except Thursday, which was active.

Feeder Steer and Heifer Prices Mostly Higher Across Country
Feeder steers and heifers sold generally steady to $2 higher around the country last week. Some weakness began to creep into the picture in a few areas, such as direct trading in Texas, where steers were steady to $1 off and heifers $1-2 lower. The Southeast was also $1-2 lower, and Colorado had yearlings $1-2 lower.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offerings Total 122,000 Head
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-4 higher at Superior Livestock Auction’s 17th annual Labor Day weekend video sale. Demand was termed good on all classes and lightweight offerings passed the $80 figure.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Firm, Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold firm this week, slaughter lambs too limited for a test, slaughter ewes $2-3 higher. Receipts totaled 9501 head.

Goldthwaite Stock Angora Goats Higher
Feeder lambs sold mostly steady, slaughter ewes and bucks mostly steady, stock ewes steady; stock Angora nannies $2-3 higher, muttons steady, slaughter muttons and billies $2-3 higher, nannies $2-3 higher; slaughter Spanish kids and yearlings $3-4 higher, muttons and billies $1-2 higher, stock nannies and billies $3-4 higher. Receipts totaled 1750 head.

All Classes Of Llano Cattle Sell Actively
Trading was termed active on all classes of cattle, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 550 head.

Fredericksburg Cattle Prices Move Upward
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 1359 head.

Most Lampasas Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers weighing under 500 pounds sold $1-2 higher, heavier weights steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2 higher. Receipts totaled 833 head.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers moving direct in Kansas were firm to $1 higher last week, the greatest advance on weights of 800-950 pounds, heifers firm to $2 higher, the advance on 750-950 pounds. The weather has been cool and damp. Sales were confirmed on 19,527 head.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Higher Again
Feeder steers and heifers sold higher, packer cows $1.50 higher. More rain reduced receipts to only 1185 head.

U.S. Meat Production 2% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 834.6 million pounds, 1.8 percent less than a week ago and two percent less than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up one-half of one percent at 28.5 billion pounds.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Finewool Up
Trading on domestic wool was slow under moderate demand, a few wools selling on mostly a clean-up type basis.

Most San Saba Cattle Prices Steady To Up
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows steady to $1 higher, bulls steady. Receipts at Mason, Brownwood and San Saba totaled 1448 head.

Torrington Special Sale Demand Strong
Steers and heifers weighing more than 600 pounds were firm to $2 higher in the season’s first load-lot special feeder sale at Torrington Livestock Commission Company. It was the first good test of lighter weights, so no good comparison was available, but the undertone was described as higher. Demand and mostly out of state buyer attendance were both termed "excellent." Receipts totaled 6875 head.

Letter To The Editor

Unregistered Bull in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull. 
"Compared to the Communists," said John this week, "it seems to me the United States is sort of meek. We try not to do anything that might make Russia mad, we pussyfoot around with the Japanese peace treaty so we won’t make England mad — all we want to do is get along with everybody. I think that’s a pretty good idea, too. In spite of the fact that we’ve probably got about as many atomic bombs as anybody, not to mention atomic artillery shells and a close approach to atomic submarines, instead of using them on anybody we’ll lend ‘em money if they’ll let us.

On The Edge Of Common Sense
By Baxter Black
I was sittin' in the back row of a beautiful little church in a mountain town in the Rockies. I was there for the wedding of a daughter of good friends.

Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
Some smart aleck is always noticing things around your house, barn, or garage. Some of them even drop little hints to voice their disapproval of your slovenly ways: "Why don’t you apply for disaster aid?"

Shortgrass Country
By Monte Noelke
American currency traded at a 36 percent advantage over Canadian money when I traveled in New Brunswick in July.

It's the Pitts     
By Lee Pitts
The "American Dream" is no longer owning a home...it is getting the offspring to move out of that home. Or so say some parents.