The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-14
SUPPLY OF CATTLE
STATISTICS GATHERED BY DIR. SAL
MON A FEW YEARS AGO.
Conditions Governing the Price Of
Beeves that Have a Hearing ON
the Present Alleged scarcity.

WASHINGTON, April 1s.--Dr. Salmon.
chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
is preparing instructions to agents in ac-
cordance with Secretary Morton's direc-
tons to Investigate the cause of the high
price of beef products and what influence
the trust has on the prices The in
quiry will be carried on at Chicago ST.
Louis, Kansas City. Omaha, Nebraska CITY.
Sioux City, Hammond, Ind, and other
points where the bureau has force of ex-
perts DIR. Salmon has heretofore made
an inquiry in this direction and his report
on conditions governing the price of cat
tie gives some views applicable to the
present inquiry. He says:
THE estimated number of animals from
which the beef supply Ia drawn gives but
little idea as to whether this supply has
increased more rapidly than the demands.
or whether on the other hand, 1t has dimin-
ished. Our rapidly increasing population
and our fuctuating export trade must be
constantly borne in mind If we wish to
hold clear views on this important subject
At the first approximately accurate census
of cattle in 1850 there We're 767 cattle to the
1000 of poulation. This number increased
in 1860 to S15, showing large stock of
cattle on hand at that time In 1870, part
~ from the effects of the war and partly
Aloln al UNDERESTIMATE or the number of
cattle in the country by the census of that
year we find the number of cattle reduced
TO 6lS per thousand of population Ten
years later the number per thousand in
creases to the extent of 120 and reaches
1SS. In 1881 there is an increase of six per
thousand; from 1881 to 1882 the increase is
fourteen per thousand; from 1882 to 1888 it
is fifteen per thousand, being the largest APP
parent increase in any one year; from
49, l9,,1 to 1854 the Increase is fourteen per
per thousand, reaching the highest point
since 1860 1860, or 500 cattle per thousand popula-
ton. From 1885 to 1889 there was a steady
falling or in cattle, there being 1853 TO every
one thousand population in 1882
70 IN e2Insioeflng the proportion of cattle
to the relative beef supply in inherent
years, the fact, should not be overlooked
the last twenty years in the character of
steers that have been SEM tc MARKET New
and a better blood had been infused into
the OLD stock and the result is that steers
are marketed younger, weigh more and
yield larger proportion OF carcass than
formerly. The beef supply obtained from
given number of cattle is for this reason
considerably larger than it was a few
years ago. The Increased number of cattle
per thousand of population does not there
fore represent the whole increase in the
beef supply which has taken place since
1870. There is i'll addition increase re-
sulting from early maturity, size and
quality which can only be estimated with
".
1T has been evident from the receipts of
cattle at the leading stock yards of the
country that very large number of such
animals have been marketed in proportion
to the stock on hand and this has been
one OF the leading factors which operated
to decrease the price of steers. AT the de-
cline In the prices the prohts in cattle
raising have been greatly reduced and in
many localities this industry has been con-
Quoted at positive loss. The inevitable
tendency has, therefore, been to sell off
the stock and reduce the business and
consequently fa mn ,hay ~
cattle marketed has been much grecter
than during the years from 1881 to 1854 Slen
hand was being increased. For this reason
the markets of the country have not felt
of cattle in proportion to the population,
which the tables plainly show has occurred
and which must continue at an increasing
rate from the year to year.
THE tendency of prices with cattle will
be probably to advance within the next year
or two QSS9) on account of the improbable
ity of Increasing the stock of cattle as rap
idly as the population is augmented. but
this advance will be slow and uncertain for
a number of years. 1t will be two years
before the stock of cattle has been reduced
to the proportion as compared to popula-
ton which existed in 1878 and then the
mean price of steers was but $4.25 per hum
dred pounds. or ten cents less than in
for several years in the future will de-
pend more on the price of hogs, on the
products, and on the proportion of steers
marketed, than on any changes likely to
occur in the NUMBER or cattle per thousand
of population existing in the country
The latest cattle statistics of the Agri-
cultural Department were furnished by
Statistician Robinson. Feb. IA. last. 1t says:
1.-The decrease in number of oxen and other
cattle since the estimate for January, 1894,
has been very marked. It amounts to 2. 49,,
952 or 6.13 per cent. of last years number.
The estimate for 1895 makes the number of
such cattle a. 1864 216 against &c. sos 1853 in 1894
Accompanying this considerable decline in
numbers, there has been falling off in the
value per head. The decline in j. the per
capita value has been from $1466 in 1891
to s14.O6 this year. a decrease of so cents.
The decrease in the aggregate value is from
70 $3.50 900 100 So 100 6f2 >,