Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-03
The Census and Meat Production.

way. We learn from an interesting
article in the New York Erening
Post that Gen. Walker, Supt. of the
census, has appointed MIR. Clarence
Gordon as an expert to gather all
facts of importance in regard to the
production, transportation and ex-
port of meat, including that of sheep
and swine as we'll as of cattle. He
began his task on the first of last
August, and expects to be able to
make this report to Gen. Walker in
about year from the present time.
With five assistants, who are now at
work in various parts of the country,
he has already gathered an immense
mass of information, having covered
Texas, the Indian Territory, Kansas,
Nebraska. Wyoming, Colorado, New
Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Florida
the latter being really grazing
State, though this was not generally
understood. He added that it had
been his duty to organize the work
in each State, and that his assist
ants had then attended to the minor
details. About the middle of July
he will start for an official tour
through Dakota, Montana, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon and California,
from which he will return, probably,
by way of Arizona and New Mexico.
In regard to the character of his
investigations Mr.. Gordon said that
he aimed to trace the whole system
of meat-production in this country
from the time when the animals were
on the hoof to the moment when the
flesh was ready for cooking either
here or abroad. An interesting feat
ure of the examination was in regard
to the origin of the grazing business
in each State and Territory-whence
the cattle were derived, and why
their breeding and pasturage had
attracted the special attention of
settlers. In some cases in the far
West the work OF stock-raising had
grown to huge proportions from the
fact that it had been necessary for
some of the early trains of ofimmigrants
to abandon part Of their cattle,
who were afterward found to be
thriving in semi-wild state on the
herbage supplied by the prairies.
During the last few years the i'm
provements in every branch cf meat
production have been extraordinary.
On the average, steer now weighs
as much at three years of age as one
formerly did at four years. The
work of. fattening hogs is now so
we'll unders TODD that the animals are
usually killed when 10 months old,
whereas the expense of their keep
used to last for several years before
they were ready for the market.
The quality of the pork has i'm
proved also. Then many advances s
have been made in the business of
sheep raising, for mutton in somo
regions and for wool in others.
Along with the examination of the
different methods practised by graz
iers, ETC., a careful study is made by
the special agent and his assistant
of the comparative facilities for stock
raising in different parts of the
country-the character and abund-
ance of grasses, the supply and
quality of water, the climate in Sum-
mer and Winter, the occurrence OF
drouths, and the amount of stock
already kept in the various districts.
In regard TO herbage, it is found
that forage plants which are very
nutritious in certain places are less
so in others, owing to the effect in
climate, etc. Efforts will be made
to ascertain the true value of differ
ent kinds of forage, and also to learn
whether certain plants reputed pois-
onous are so in reality, or whether
their i'll name has beer caused by
the physical condition of certain ami
mails at the time of eating the same.
Special attention has been or will be
paid to comparatively unsettled re-
gions, concerning which the present
supply Of information is very mea-
ger, such as the northwestern part of
Nevada, southern Montana, the
northeastern part OF Wyoming and
the pan handle" of Texas.
The exports from this country to
Europe of live cattle and canned
or preserved meats are enormous,
and are constantly increasing. A
single firm in Chicago is said to have
supplied all the canned meats con-
sumed by the English army in the
Zulu war. American meat is sent
to almost every part of tho world,
and the methods of preserving it are
undergoing constant improvement.
The refrigerating process for keep
ing meat fresh is of great import
ance, and the shipment of live cat
tie to England is another prominent
feature OF the export trade. The
methods of transporting cattle by
rail and in vessels, the PERCENTAGE