Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-03-10
A BOOM In BEEF.
Startling Statistics from Semi Official
SOurces-News for New Mex
leo Stock RaiSers.

New Mexico stock raisers will be inter-
ested in perusing the statements which
II. A. Heath, of the Kansas Farmer news
paper, and an expert on live stock ques-
tions, has just laid before the U. s. depart
ment of agriculture:
according to the latest official statis-
tics of the department of agriculture" i"
said Mr.. Heath "there are in the United
States 1861, ,23e head of cattle other than
milk cows, of which l4,570,63S are on the
ranges of Texas, Colorado, New Mexico,
Montana, Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota,
South Dakota and Arizona, and 13,985.956
are found in the feeding states of Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska,
Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan,
Kentucky and Tennessee. The remainder
OF this class of cattle, 9,O94,64 which is
about one-fourth of the total number, is
distributed through the eastern, southern
and Pacific states. 1t will be seen from
this that the great bulk of our cattle is
centered in the range and feeding states,
viz: 2S,556,594. The remainder, 9,O94 ,645,
is divided among the eastern, southern
and Pacific states and is 80 far removed
from our western markets, which now
control the cattle trade of the country, as
to be of little or noimportance as source
of supply, even if the number was large
enough to cut any figure; but when the
population of these states is considered,
it is plain to see they can not spare any
cattle when the supply of our range and
feeding states is exhausted.
"The character of these 28,556, ,594 head
of cattle is the next question to be con-
sidered. 1t is we'll known that our cattle
consist of all classes, from the calf up,
aid in the absence of correct statistical
data relating to age and sex, we can only
make a fair estimate based upon the
common run of 'arm and ranch stock.
"Basing the average annual increase of
calves at so per cent, and estimating
these to be one-half male and one-half
female, we can reasonably say that our
present supply of cattle consists of:
Breeding cows ws............. 1O,375,00O
Calves under year ...... 5,187,5OO
Steers under 2 years. ........ 2,593,750
Heifers under 2 years. ....... 2,593,750
Steers under 8 years. ........ 2,593,750
Heifers under years ........ 2,593,750
Steers years and over. ...... 2.593,75O
Total. ...... .............. 28,531 ,240
This is allowing nothing for death,
and it is quite probable that the number
of young stock is less, and there may be
a much larger number of steers, for the
reason that many producers have become
discouraged in the last few years and have
spayed their COWS and have gone into
steers alone. For all practical purposes,
however, the above figures will convey a
fair approximation of the number of the
different classes.
"Now, how long will these cattle last us
at the present rate of consumption. It
will be seen that we only had 12,968,750
head of matured cattle on January l,
1892. The demand from Chicago alone
will be fully 100000, and the market, of
Kansas City, st. Louis and Omaha will
probably require as many more. Upon
this hypothesis the demand from January,
1891, to January, 1898, will call for
From Chicago. ......... g, 100000
From Kansas City, St. Louis and
Omana ..5,oUU,UUU
From interior consumption of
twenty-five states. 100000
Total. ......... :. 100000
"This will reduce our matured stock
from 12,96S,75C to 4,96s,650, and if We
keep up the same rate of consumption
we shall have to encroach largely on our
and 2 year old stock to supply the de-
mand for 1898, which will practically re-
sult in beef famine in 1894, unless some
thing is done to inform producers Of tho
alarming condition of affairs and check
the senseless shipping of breeding cows
and calves"