The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1882-07-27
THE FARM
0eeg And Grain,


Prom the Kansas City journal.
An examination ~ 10 the relative
growth Of the various industries Of
the country, shows that the progress
Of agriculture has not kept pace with
the country. In spite Of the rapid in
crease Of agricultural production,
prices of the staple articles of food
have advanced. On the other hand,
the production of manufactured goods
have increased faster than the de-
mand. and prices have declined to
wonderful extent. At the present
time there il more room for capital
and labor i'm agricultural production
than i'm any other industry in the
country.
The attempt to convince the farm
ers Of this country that they are OPP
pressed and taxed by the protective
tariff meets no encouragement when
tested by facts and figures. IT il q
fact that articles produced by the
farmer have been rising in value,
while articles produced by the manu-.
facturer have been declining. We
hear considerable talk about our I'm
mense cattle production on the plains
and now and then are informed that
the business is OverdOne. NOws the
statistics show that the production Of
beef cattle i'm this country IL entirely
uneaualed to the demand at reasOna-
bic prices. The people of this country
should he able to have an abundance
of good beef; but the supply Of cattle
continuing ut its present limit, II
will soon become question whether
some families can have beef ut all.
1t Is a fact that the number of cattle,
rs compared with the population. has
continually decreased since 1910, at
which time there were 100 head Of
cattle to every 100 persons.
AcOrrcspondent of the New York
Herald gives the ratio of cattle to
each 100 people as follows:
Alabama, So head Arkansas. 126;
California, 3S7 Connecticut, As; Dele
ware. 81; Florida, ga; Georgia, %;
Illinois, 81; Indiana, 81; Iowa, 20;
Kansas, 81 Kentucky, -; Louisiana.
13; Maine. 50; Maryland, 81; Massa-
chusetts, %; Michigan, 20; Mime
sofa, IS; Mississippi9 81: Missouri, 9S;
New Hampshire, 81; New Jersey, "a
New York, so; North Carolina, 90
Ohio, 20; Oregon, 292 Pennsylvania,
4s Rhode Island, %; South Carolina,
%: Tennessee. s.; Texas, $40; Yer
mont, lis; Virginia, Is: Wisconsin,
IS; District of Columbia, l; Dakota,
30; Nebraska, 100; New Mexico. 1OS
Utah, 100; Washington Territory, 259;
Since that year four states and terri
tories have increased their stock of
cattle, five have stood still and thirty
have decreased. In the interval the
population of the country has in
creased to over 5O,0OO,OOO. In 1850
there were 5000, 900 cattle in the
United States against the 5O,OO0,OO
people. Out of this limited number
Of cattle the people are expected to
get their supply of fresh beef, furnish
q considerable export demand, and
continue the growth of the herds. |
The export alone in 1850 amounted |
to about Isl, 100 cattle. According to |
the Herdttf's authority, the increase |
Of cattle i'm 1850 was IL per cent,
while the increase of population was
2 per cent.
The general increase of prices fully |
bears out the other figures. In 1868 |
cattle Brought $50 per hundred III
Chicago, in lS6S they sold at SSlU, l
md in 1852 choice beef steers are SELL |
ing al IS. 10 i'm the same market. The /
over grades are bringing less than
IN 1856, but there is a feeling that
, decided deficiency is apt to occur.
There has been no adequate increase
N the supply To meet the largely
increased demand. In lS6S there
we're 81 500 cattle received i'm Chi
ago. against l,546, $50 i'm 1851. st.
louis received l04 $50 in 1870. against
;,S, a59 in ISL. Kansas City COM
nenced its cattle trade i'm lS6s, with
eceipts of 400; i'm 1881 they had
cached 2S5 ,S63. Thus, while the de-
nand has increased i'm all directions,
he supply lags. aud prices advance.
Let the farmers who are lissatis-
led with present prices, and are in
lined to find fault with the American
arifr system compare prices received
Il ISL with those received by the
irmers in 1916, the year i'm which "A
tariff bill was passed, but
efore il went into practical opera
ion. The No aid correspondent gives
table of prices in the interior of New
'ork i'm 1916, to which are added cor.
esponding prices at this time: