The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-11-22
BEEF SUPPLY PLENTIFUL.

agriculture, tnlnk CnaC inc pIesss
dispatches relating to the rapidly
diminishing supply of beef food
have overstated the actioual con-
ditions, and the predictions of: fur
their shortage are not we'll founded.
In fact, Dr.. Salmon says that from
this time on there will be an in
crease in the beef supply for some
wears until the limit of production
ID reached. He admits, however,
that just at present there .is con-
siderable deficiency as compared
with five years or even two-years
ago, owing to several causes. One
was the gradual falling off in the
price Of beef from the high water
mark of ten or twelve years ago,
which caused a great many cattle
raistrs to go out of business rather
than conduct it at a loss. Another
was the gradual settling up OF tn
grn..:ng country and the diminutlol
in ne size of ranges as a consc
uu,.!va. DR.. Salmon has no tlgufeF
to w lust the exact condition G.
til; ~ ll~tyy, but speaks from hls
o. i knowledge Of the situation.
H. H.! today:
- .ictious Of the almost entirv
ia; "a of the beef supply of tn
CO. ~ within the next few years
Al, :.,t we'll founded, in my opinion!;
TIL n1rcau has gathered no. stats
tie >.!;,ting to the industry in tn
| la. 80 years, because the census
Of was working on the same lines
al H,;l- gathered al accurate cenf'us
of lo number Of beef cattle on
rar. 90. and small arms and will, OF
cn, .>-tA. Issue 4 bulletin showing the
cl;. n.srs on both during the last de-
call. l made inquiries at the census
on;,o last Saturday and found that
tn il figures have not been tahulated
an will not be ready for publication
un. some time in January.
III my general knowledge OF
tt, ~.,uatiNn, however, I do not see
h. .nrre can be any thing but q
p' ,ii,tl supply of beef for some
ii, to come. There will almost
c. .:.nlv ba an increase in tho next
fe wears. This will be brought
al I,y more people going into
til l:l~incss OF raising beef cattle,
No., lilat prices has risen to where a
d. i: can be made out Of it. From
as to 1895 a or 1897 three was an
ov"i' production of cattle due to the
/ deytlobment of the ranges. The
enormous production caused drop
in prices to a point where cattle
could not be raised at profit OK
cept by the large companies owing
vast herds and controlling great
ranges. Many range cattlemen
went out of business and the pro-
duction consequently fell off. The
population increased in the normal
ratio, however and there was a
shortage, forcing the price up.
This has been felt in every section
Of the country. With prices on the
upgrade many persons who we're
formerly in the business will now re-
turn to it and there will certainly be
no alarming shortage SO long as the
price of cattle IS such that they can
be raised at q profit. l do not mean
to say that there will be Il return Of
the cheap meat era Of the early
nineties, but there is no present
danger Of a 'ne;li famine.
~zAnotl)er factor IN the situation is
tie export business in beef and beef
products About 400. OOOy head Of
live cattle were sent abroad last year
and the carcassles Of as many more
were shipped by the beef packers Of
Chicago and other ;centers of the
packing industry. That would indi-
cate that there is no lack of a supply
for the home market, for the ship
pers are good business men and
would not send thier product abroad
Of they had sale for it in this
country. 1t must be admitted that
there is limit to the available and
on which cattle may be raised.
Much of the best range country has
been cut up into small farms, but
there is still great area of good
grazing country that is unappropri
ated, and is still available for cattle
raising. The small farmer who has
taken up this grazing will not, of
,o,,,s,o Io1,o4o 1,;o 20 ,,,,, tc oo+f1o