The record-union., 1895-04-16
INCREASE IN cATrLE PRICES.
occastoned by the Short Crop of Corn
the Past Few Years,

occas1oned by the Short Crop of Corn
the Past Few Years,
WASHINGTON, April 15.-An official of
the Agricultural Department discussing
the recent increage in the price of cattle
which IS said to be the primary cause of
the increase in the price Of beef in the
country, says that it may be occasioned
by the decreased corn crop of the past
lew years. The last great crop of the
country was that grown in 1881, and
aValIabIe in 1892. 1t amounted to
ZI,OU0, 100000 bushels. The crop of 1892
was l.6gO,OOO bushels. that of 1893 /, $50. =
co. and that of 1884 less than l, ,200. .OgO
! 1nefe mas been falling off in this CROP
winch .ls the principal feed for cattle.
IL is true that the farmers have used
wheat for cattle feed during the depres-
sion OF price of this cereal, but the falling
OIL OF the corn crop, III the opinion of the
omclal, may have had more to do with
the rise than anything else. Lack of the
principal food for cattle may have in
duced stock-raIsers to put upon the mar
ket more cattle than formerly,
Anotner reason for the decrease in the
numo Der oI cattle is given in the fencing
III anu Closing up OF many OF the stock
! ranges and ranches. The settlement of
/ the Western States by small farmers has
! mace stock-ralsing in great herds less
! prohtaOIe, and 1t is said that the increase
/ IN cattle has not nearly kept pace with the
increase In population OF the country.
| W here the price Of cattle was very low
! and the market was crowded, it is sun.
| posed that the stocknen sold not onIv
/ the steers, but large numbers Of the
/ females, which would tend to check the
! increase in the following years, The
/ competition in cattle from Argentine and
! AustFaIla has been something Of a draw
! pack TO the cattlemen in this country, In
DoIh countries cattle can be raised much
! more cheaply than in the United States.
Great plains of these countries have not
Deen Invaded by settlers. The cattle
may roam at Will, as they did for twenty
| hVe years IN the western part of this
| country. Labor cuts a small figure. INIT
that which IS necessary is much cheaper
in both Argentine aud Australia than in
the nited States
InIs same official said that Arrentfne
was the great agricultural rival of the
United States. II was far enough gouth
OF the equator to grow all food products
produced IN the United States. It's north
erh borders were about as tropical as the
southern borders Of the United States. Its
soils are rich, and the great fertile
plains offered many advantages 10 bo-
nanZa farmers. They are opening nm a
country such as the United States waE
twenty-five years ago, starting where we
dld then, with all the modern improve
ments, but experience which this conn
try has given them.
IN the harvests the Arpeutine has fba
advantage of cheap labor SbiDIoads of
Italians are brought over at every bar-
/ vest, aud returned when it is over II
takes eighteen days for these ships to
make the trips. but the imported labor
ers are carried very cheapIy, and it is
Iound prontable by the Argentine land
| owners 10 make use OF them during tho
/ harvesis, even by paying their passage
/ both ways.
| The markets of the world have alrgad "
! been affected by the food producIs Of
! Argentine. 1t is still a question whether
/ the great farm-oWner5, with all the ad-
| vantage OF cheap labor and the couces-
/ slons granted ny the Argentine Govern
/ ment, VIII be able to make a lasting
success OF their agricultural adventures,
! The big bonanza farmers Of the West have
| found they could not make a success of
their operations, and it is now the policy
OF most OF them to divide their farms IN
and sell them, and il they are not able to
sell TO lease them uDOn adyautageOus
terms to The men who wish to operate
smaller farms. The bonanza farmers of
Argentine have the advantage of reach
lug the seeboard more quickly and at a
small cost, compared to the Lransporta-
ton OF products from the great plains Of
the United States, where farming opera
tons have been tried on large scale, but
the distance by sea to the markets of the
world is much greater. But with water
transportation distance does not count for
much IN getting staple products in the
markets.
1t is the opinion of the official who
spoke on this subject that the United
States will in the future find formidable
competitor in agricultural products in the
Arpeniine RanuhIic