The Forrest City times., 1895-04-19
A Decreased Corn Crop.

WASHINGTON, April 16.-An official
Oh the agricultural department, dis
cussing the recent increase in the price
of cattle, which is said to be the
primary cause for the increased price
of beef in the country, saws that it NAV
be occasioned by the decreased corn
crop of the past few years. The last
great crop of the country was that
grown in 1891, and available in 1892.
1t amounted to 1000, 000 900 bushels.
The crop of 1892 was / 900, 0oO, 900; that
of 1893, 1,620, 600, 900 bushels, and the
crop of 1894 less than 1000. 600. 900.
There has been a falling off in this
crop, which is the principal food of
beef cattle 1t Is true that the farm
ers have used wheat for cattle food
during the depression of price of tn is
cereal, but the falling off of the corn
crop. in the opinion of the official. may
have had more to do with the rise than
anything else. Lack of the principal
food for cattle may have induced stock
raisers to put upon the market more
cattle than formerly.
Another reason for the decrease in
the number of cattle is given in the
fencing in and closing up of many of
the stock ranges and ranches. The
settlement of the western states by
small farmers has made stock-raisinp
in great herds less profita BILE, and it is
said that the increase in cattle has not
nearly kept pace with the increase in
population of the country. When the
price of cattle was very low and the
market was crowded it is supposed that
the stockmen sold not only the steers
but large numbers of the females,
which would tend to check the increase
in the following years.
The competition in cattle from Ar
gentine and Australia has been some
thing of a draw back to the cattlemen
in this country. In both countries
cattle can be raised much more cheaply
than in the United States. The great
plains of these countries have not been
invaded by settlers. The cattle may
roam at will as they did for twenty
five years in the western part of this
country. Labor cuts small figure,
but that which is necessary is much
cheaper in both Argentine and Austria.
liza than in the United States.
The same official said that Argentine
was the great agricultural rival of the
United States. 1t was far enough
south of the equator to grow all food
products produced in the United States
Its northern borders were about as
tropical as the southern borders of the
United States. Its soils were rich, and
the great fertile plains offered many
advantages to the bonanza farmers
They are opening up a country such
as the United States was twenty-five
years ago. starting where we did then,
but with all the modern improvements
and the experience which this coun-
try has given them. In the harvests,
Argentine has the advantage of
cheap labor. Shiploads of Italians
are brought over at every harvest, and
| returned after the harvest is over. II
takes eighteen days for these ships to
make the trips, but the imported labor
ers are carried very cheaply, and it is
found profitable by the Argentine land
owners TO make use of them during
the harvests, even by paving their pas
sage both ways. The markets of the
world have already been affected by
| the food products OF Argentine