Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1878-08-24
Stock Raising.

On and near the Atlantic sesboard OF
the United States are eleven cities that
had In 1870 an aggregate population OF
3,Ol4, 924, and which now have q popu-
lation estimHted at hard on 1000, 600,
all nom producers Of live stock, and all
generous consumers Of the products OF
animals-meat, pork, hams, bacon. The
six principal cities Of the eleven-New
York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Boston.
Philadelphia and Baltimore-had an
aggregate population in 1870 Of 2,612,-
$40, now estimated at $500, 900. The
deliveries at these cities Of live stock OF
all kinds from the West. Northwest and
Southwest, have been for the last nine
years on an average 5,S94, 1875 head, in
Guiding only cattle, sheep and swine,
with O maximum Of 1858, 848 head in
1868, and a minimum of 4,91l, 1897 in
1869.
The deliveries of the product of ami
mails at these ports from the interior,
for export and consumption, have latter.
ly assumed very considerable magni-
tude; but there has been no record kept
of the aggregate movement from West
ern States, or of the direction Of the
movement, except as indicated by the
deliveries at seaboard ports. The num-
Der Of swine in the United States in 1876
was 2s,O35, 700. The annual slaughter
of hogs, including only the summer and
winter packing publicly reported, is
about one.quarter of the whole number
of hogs in the country, and, including
the deliveries at the principal seaboard
ports, the annual slaughter is about
one-third of the aggregate supply.
Next to the domestic markets, the
growing importance of our newly opened
trade in dead meat and live cattle with
England and Scotland attracts attention.
The shipments of dead meat thus far
have only been partial success, and
are declining; but just in proportion as
that branch of export trade has dwindled
away the shipments of live cattle have
increased, not only from New York, but
from Boston and the Canadian ports.
Indirectly bearing upon this subject,
we have some interesting statistics of
cattle raising in the United Kingdom
during the last'few years, embodied in
an official return made last month to the
House of Commons. In 1867 the num-
Der of cattle. sheep and pigs in Great
Britain and Ireland was 46, 10000
while in 1877 it had fallen to As. 300, 900,
decrease of one and three-quarters per
cent. in ten years, in spite of the in
ducements offered by the high price of
animal food. This decrease has no
satisfactory explanation. The area Of
arabic land has not increased, but the
permanent pasturage has; so that, with
greater extent of land under grass
or crops for feeding animals, there are
fewer animals than in 1867. During the
same period the population had risen
from 30,334, 900 to 33, 444,000, an in
crease Of 104 per cent. To exc out the
home supply, the United Kingdom in
creased its imports of live cattle, and
the products of animals from 1888, 1856, 900
in 1867, to $3.50, $50, 900 in 1877. Inex-
hausible as are the focks and herds of
the West and the Southwest, the grow
ing necessities of our population and
the markets abroad have been such as
to put their ability, as source Of sup.
ply, to severe test; and as these neces-
sites must keep pace with the increase
of population, it is safe to conclude that
in the past, for every head of cattle that
can be raised.-NeW York Sun.