The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-03
eoWE ADyIcE nY TH1 1GANU-
 FACTURERs' RECORD
0rsatsr Attention should Ds Paid by Farmers to the Raising of Food Animals-Statistics
 on the Subject.

pretty much their own way in live stock prices for several years to come. while the consuming public must meet the situation as best it may It says:
 ''The Manufacturers Record was we'll aware that the increase in live stock had
 not been in proportion to the increase in population. but the cIfange is far greater than had been supposed. Ac- .cording to reports of the United States
 Department of Agriculture and the satis-
 tical abstract of the Treasury Depart
 ment, the number of cattle. including
 milch cows in 1880 was 3s.2sS. 900; the
 number of sheep. e. .76s,o0o, and the num-
 Der of hogs, &,H4.000. From this point
 there was a steady increase. Dropping
 for a moment the milch cows and taking
 other. cattle which would represent the
 beef yielding cattle, the number under
 this head in 1880 was 21. .2a1 900 This num-
 Der gradually increased to 3.ooo000 in tss3. then to 31, ,000,000 In 1886, to S6,0Q0.O in 1890 and reached tho highest point. H.- S5f, ,000 in 1892 Since that year there has
 been steady decline. until in 1900 the
 total number reported was N.61o.000 or 1o,- 900 900 less than eight years before. not
 withstanding the great increase in popu-
 lation and In the beef consuming capacity
 of the country. In sheep there was an
 increase from 1880 to 5o600.000 in 1884.
 from which point there was a gradual
 decline until 1900 when we had in this
 country only {, l,sss. 900 sheep or decrease of nearly 9.ooo.o0o compared with 1884 The
 number of hogs advanced from 34,ooo,Ooo
 in 1880 to its highest point. 523SS,0O0 in
 1892 and then steadily declined to sS,660.- 900 in 1889, the last year of which these
 statistics are at present available In
 1880 the total number of cattle of all
 kinds, including milch cows, was B.
 25s, ,o0o By 1892 this increased to 54.06I,- GOO, which had declined by 1900 to 43,00O,-
 900, or in other words we had ll,u0.WO
 less cattle in 1900 than we had Tn lSsA
 Taking an three items-cattle. hogs and
 sheep-the total in 1880 was 10s. .05S, 900; in 1892. 151. .40S. 900 and inaz9oo. lA,43l ooo. Thus
 we had in the latteF year 2,ooo,Ooo less
 head of cattle, sheepaand hogs than Tn 1892, although the population of the coun- try had increased from 65,0o0,00o to 76.6oo- GOO. In round figures the gain in the num-
 Der of cattle. sheep and hogs between
 1880 and 1892 was 40 per cent. while
 between 1892 and 1900 there was decline
 of nearly 20 per cent, though during the
 same eight year period the population nad increased over Il, 500, ,00O
 Turning to the average value of live stock It will be found that starting with
 an average for other cattle of $6.lo per
 head in 1880 there was gradual rise 10 sgs52 per head in 1884. In 1885 decline
 commenced which gradually year by year.
 went on with scarcely break, until in 1895 the average was s14.06. decrease of &. .i6 per head. as compared with the average price in 1884 At that period the
 scarcity of cattle had reached point
 which resulted in a slight upward turn in prices. bringing about an average
 price of $t5.S6 in 1896 and then moving steadily upward to $2i.90 in 1900 Sheep advanced to an average Of $25S per head in 1883 and declined to an average or Sl.1o in 1896. and then started with cattle an upward movement to 2.92 in 1900. In the price of hogs tho conditions were about the same.
 'It is a rather startling situation to find that, notwithstanding the great in- crease in the meat-consuming capacity of the country by virtue of the greater pros perity in 1900. as compared with lSe2, the more general employment Of the people and the gain In actual population of H. 600, 900, or say about IS per cent. there was gradual decline of 27, 100000 head or meat-producing animals in that period. or a decrease of nearly 20 per cent. Under ! such conditions an advance in prices was inevitable. Following this situation there came a decrease last year in the corn crop in round figures, of about 1000, 900, 900 bushels, or roughly speaking, 50 per cent, and the same conditions which shortened the corn crop reduced the grass of the West and Southwest. We are. therefore. face to face with a situation which IS very much broader than the temporary question of whether there Is a beef trust formed to advance prices, or whether it is securing special rates from the rail- roads. We are face to face with condi- | tion which indicates that unless the farm | CTS of the whole country and the stock | raisers of the West and Southwest turn | their attention very quickly to stock | growing, this shortage of meat-producing | animals in proportion to population as compared with the average of former | years must be intensified. Unless it can be met by greater economy in the prepa- | ration and cooking of meats, the logical | result must be a continuation of the un- high prices now prevailing-I unfortunate for the vast body of con- sumers, but, of course, fortunate for the | farmers and stock raisers. Denunciation | of combinations of packers will not meet | the case It cannot be met except by | the gradual growth. which may be | brought about in two or three years, of | an increased production of live stock, or | by what would be most unfortunate, a | decreased consumption. It is | a possibility that the elimination of the | tariff on livestock would increase the | from Mexico, but 1t is doubt | full if Mexico has sufficient supply to | make any material effect upon the mar l ket even with free trade on cattle. Tho l grazing lands of Mexico are being grad | ually absorbed by stock-raisers of this | as we'll as of that, and the low ering of the tariff on cattle or it's entire | would doubtless result In a | marked advance and very quickly ab. | sorption by the cattle growers of the | Southwest of the best available grazing | and in Mexico.
 Taking all things into consideration. it ooks as though the farmer has the as- surance of high prices for his meat ami nals for several years to come and that he more quickly the supply can be in- creased the greater win be his profit and he benefit to the whole country. Judged ,y the conditions which have prevailed in he past. it looks as though 1t will re- luire a steady, and somewhat rapid in- ,rease in the number of meat animals or the next four or five years, possibly till longer, before there can be any very marked decline in the average prices which have prevailed during the last two IT three. Under these conditions the 'outh should turn its attention as quick . y as possible to cattle, sheep and hog aising; otherwise it will not only lose 1 he opportunity of large profits in this industry and by reason of the high prices which promise to prevail for meats and which are now prevailing for corn, it's otton will cost more to produce than for ome years past. From every phase of investigation of the results upon the . ountry. North and West as well as : NEl.a