WHITE FACES and red hides were once the norm in ranch country throughout the Plains and Southwest. Bigger, growthier European breeds and a rainbow of crosses began displacing them about three decades ago, and at one point it looked as if the venerable Hereford might live on only as an artifact, like the Longhorns they supplanted and the buffalo the Longhorns had themselves replaced. The pendulum may be swinging back, however, as the beef industry turns its attention back to meat quality rather than quantity.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Still Quiet Through Midweek, Players $2-4 Apart
Plains feedlot trade was about as quiet as it gets through midweek, following good movement last week at basically steady prices.

Lamb Price Trend Still Declining
Weekly declining dressed lamb prices have put the skids on all classes of live lambs. Compared with a year ago this week, carcasses are off $28-54, fat lambs down $24-27 and feeders off anywhere from $15 to $35. Slaughter ewes, on the other hand, are about the same as last year.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Tejon Ranch Boasts 155-YearHistory As Contiguous Unit
Tejon Ranch Company, a publicly held corporation traded on the American Stock Exchange since the 1930s, has been in existence for about 155 years. Its "cross in a crescent" brand, one of the oldest registered brands in the world, originated in Spain.

New Stock Horse Association Aims At Affordable Enjoyment
Roger Blackmon is an organizer. As a county Extension agent for 32 years, he organized a variety of programs for farmers, ranchers and 4-H clubs. Now, he's at it again.

Beef Council Focuses On Food Safety With Consumer Media
Food safety has long been an issue in the beef industry, but it began receiving a great deal more attention after the 1993 Jack-In-The-Box E. coli incident. Food safety, experts say, is and will continue to be a focal point for consumers because all consumers have to eat.

Oprah Jury Seated; Testimony Expected To Begin This Week
Opening statements were scheduled for Wednesday in the lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen against talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey over remarks made on her television program.

New Mexico Livestock Losses To Storms Fewer Than Feared
Ranchers, still negotiating muddy roads in many places, are finding more cattle and sheep than expected still standing after the vicious storms that hit the state around Christmas.

Nature Conservancy Buys W. Texas Ranch
The Nature Conservancy of Texas announced recently that it has completed its purchase of 32,000 acres of a historic ranch in the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

FDA Reports Bacteria In 12 Vet Medicines
The Food and Drug Administration warned farmers and veterinarians Friday not to use at least 12 different medicines commonly given to cattle, principally dairy cows, because they are contaminated with bacteria that could kill the animals.

EU Eases "Mad Cow" British Beef Ban
EU officials moved last week to ease the ban on British beef exports, imposed nearly two years ago because of "mad cow" disease, by resuming sales from Northern Ireland.

Iraq Plagued By Big Screwworm Outbreak
An epidemic of the flesh-eating screwworm fly has infected tens of thousands of livestock in Iraq and is spreading quickly in Kuwait and Iran, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has warned.

Gut-Slinger Receives Probation On Assault
A Bozeman animal rights activist convicted of congressional assault for throwing buffalo guts on a table during a hearing on the slaughter of buffalo last winter was recently sentenced to two years probation.

Bronc Riders Split Sandhills Stockshow Win At Odessa Rodeo
Another rodeo season has come and gone and the 1998 season is well underway. Already a few familiar names are dominating the arena.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Off, Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold $3-7 lower this week, slaughter lambs $4-5 lower, slaughter ewes weak to $2 lower. Receipts totaled 11,296 head.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 52,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 52,000 feeder cattle and brood stock at their annual Bellringer sale here in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show.

Most Mason, San Saba, Brownwood Cattle Up
Choice feeder steers sold $2-6 higher last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, heifers $4-9 higher, seven-weight steers steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 higher, choice pairs and bred cows in good demand.

Llano Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold fully steady, slaughter cows and bulls $2 higher. Receipts totaled 832 head.

Most Goldthwaite Lamb Prices Fully Steady
GOLDTHWAITE —(Jan. 16)— Feeder lambs sold fully steady, slaughter ewes and bucks steady to $1 higher; stock Angora nannies and muttons $3-6 lower, slaughter classes $2-3 higher; stock Spanish nannies steady, slaughter kids and yearlings $3-5 lower, other classes fully steady.

Junction Feeder Lambs Steady, Angoras Higher
Feeder lambs sold steady, slaughter ewes and bucks steady; Angora goats steady to $1 higher; stock Spanish nannies steady, slaughter steady to $2 lower.

Colorado City Feeder Steers, Heifers Up
Feeder steers and heifers weighing under 600 pounds sold $2-6 higher, over 600 pounds $1-3 higher, slaughter cows steady to $1 higher, bulls $1-3 higher, bred cows steady.

Milano Feeder Cattle Trade On Higher Level
Feeder steers weighing less than 500 pounds sold $2-4 higher, over 500 pounds steady to $2 higher, feeder heifers under 400 pounds $3-4 higher, over 400 pounds $1-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady.

Most Lampasas Cattle Sell Higher Last Week
Feeder steers weighing less than 600 pounds sold $5-6 higher, over 600 pounds $2 higher, heifers under 600 pounds $5-8 higher, over 600 pounds $3-4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher.

Loose Ends

Letters To The Editor

Coming Up...
January 24 — Special Bred Cow and Heifer Sale, New Cambria Livestock Auction Market Inc., New Cambria, Missouri. January 28 — Special Calf and Yearling Sale, Deming Livestock Market Inc., Deming, New Mexico. January 28 — Associated Auction’s Video Sale, Clovis, New Mexico.