HEADS BURIED in scrub cedar for shade, these finewool ewes west of San Angelo were doing what they could last week to cope with the summer heat. That was expected to change late this week as a cold front brings fall temperatures to the region, if only for a few days. Most forecasts also hinted at a little welcome rain, but no one was willing to make book on it.

Lamb Prices Continue To Soften
Despite a little strength in the lamb carcass trade, fat and feeder lamb prices around the country suffered setbacks this week.

Fat And Feeder Cattle Trades Were Mighty Few And Thin On The Ground
This has not been a newsy week in the cattle business, fat or feeder. Among fed cattle, the real news may be in what didn't happen, at least through Wednesday.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Texas Water Law To Make Waves As Regulatory Details Emerge
Senate Bill 1 was the first bill filed in the Texas Senate this year and it passes on the final day of the legislative session. Nobody seems to like it, but everybody seems to accept it — for the time being.

Spade Mangers Share Views On 4-Breed Cattle Rotation
More than 200 people from all across the U.S. were on hand here at the recent annual meeting of the composite Cattle Breeders International Alliance. Participants got to hear firsthand from an operation which was among the first to advocate crossbreeding on a large scale.

BLM's Wyoming Grazing Policy Criticized By Advisory Group
Federal land managers in Wyoming will assess the conditions of more than 2000 grazing allotments around the state as a first step in implementing newly written standards for the land.

Former Clinton Ag Secretary Indicted, Facing 39 Charges
A federal grand jury last week charged former Clinton administration agriculture secretary Mike Espy with 39 counts of illegally soliciting and accepting gifts from large food producers and trying to cover up his actions.

Federals' Wild Horse Policy Creating A Herd Of Real Nags
The national wild-horse policy is creating herds of inbred and inferior animals by destroying the genetic vigor of the herd under the guise of being humane, says a federal herdsman.

Global Warming Or Just Hot Air? Stories Abound As Summit Looms
As a much-hyped "global warming" summit in Japan looms nearer, promoters of a sweeping international treaty are in a frenzy to generate scare stories that will stampede governments into acting without thinking.

Co-Op Tax Breaks Promoted In The Wake Of Clinton Veto
Midwestern political leaders said last Friday that they'll push for Congress to approve a package of tax breaks for farmer-owned cooperatives.

Feeding Industry Questions Effects Of EPA's Air Rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's stringent new rules regulating clean air became final July 16. Now, they have to be implemented.

Preserving The Constitution Is First Duty For Citizens
Recently I debated a National Park Service official on that agency's scheme to close Devils Tower to climbing every June out of "respect" for some Native Americans who believe the tower is sacred.

Ailment Similar To "Mad Cow" Found In Strict Vegetarian
In a blow to the belief that beef consumption is to blame for a human ailment similar to so-called "mad cow" disease, the condition has been diagnosed in a British woman who has been a strict vegetarian for a dozen years.

E. Coli Scare Is Many Things To Many People, Some Even Good
The recent announcement of fewer than 20 E. coli food poisoning cases traced to undercooked hamburgers has mushroomed into a 25 million-pound ground meat recall, forcing the closing of one of the naion's most modern beef processing plants. Now it appears that plant will be sold to the country's largest beef packer.

Steak Eating Contest In Panhandle Revived
Bill Carson of Spearman in Hansford County is in training. As part of his regimen he ate four 16-ounce steaks in an hour.

Average Retail Beef Prices About Steady
Retail beef prices are remaining about steady, says the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

EPA's Smog Devices Will Cause Car Fires
First it was mandatory airbags that kill small people and injure others. Now the federal government wants to require pollution control devices that it already knows will burn a given number of people to death.

Lawmakers Tour West To See Eco Issues For Themselves
It's too early to tell whether the $250,000 spent to caravan 20 or so congressional Republicans across four Western states to "put a human face" on natural resource issues will pay off.

VS Virus Continues To Infect Livestock
An outbreak of a highly contagious livestock disease has grown to 37 cases in Colorado and more than four dozen in neighboring New Mexico, with an average of one new case a day in the past nine days.

Producers Video Auction Sale Offering Totals 8500 Cattle
Producers Video Auction offered 8500 feeder cattle in their regular video sale. Delivered is mostly August through November.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 131,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 131,000 feeder cattle and breeding stock at their Labor Day weekend special video sale here. Receipts were from 550 consignors in 29 states.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Lower, Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold weak to $3 lower this week, slaughter lambs steady, slaughter ewes mostly $3-5 lower. Receipts totaled 7952 head.

Dan Mortensen Overtakes Ohl In PRCA All-Around Standings
Dan Mortensen, saddle bronc rider from Manhattan, Mont., has boosted his winnings to move into the lead in the PRCA all-around competition.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Steady
Trading was active on lightweight feeder steers and heifers in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, heavyweights steady, plainer kinds meeting some resistance, stock cows in good demand. Receipts totaled 2814 head.

Llano Feeder Cattle Sell On Lower Side
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 265 head.

Coming Up ...
Sept. 6—Special Feeder and Stocker Sale, Colorado City Livestock Market, Colorado City, Tex. Sept. 6—Partners In Progress Sale, Blackjack Angus Farm, near Seminole, Okla. Sept. 6—38th Annual September Special, Llano Livestock Auction, Llano, Tex. Sept. 6—Top of the Line Fall Replacement Sale, Nixon Livestock Auction, Nixon, Tex.