The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-07
AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR CATTLE|NEN.
Increase in Live Stock Not in.
Proportion to Population.
INTERESTING ST 7IsIIcs
Under Conditions Shown the Advance
in Price Was "Reminiscences
Have Assurance of Good Prices
for Years to Come.
INTERESTING STATISTICS
Especial Dispatch to The Times,

(SpeCial blSpatCu to Ahe 1AHes.'
BALTIMORE, May 6.--Assumng the po-
sition- that if a trust or comume IS tax
Ing advantage of conditions as 10 the
1rIce Of beet which seems to be revealed
in statistics, then there is the greater. need
for a prompt adoption OF the policy OF
economy in consumption Of meats on the
one hand and on the other of greater at
tention to the raising of food animals, the
Manufacturers Record expresses the be-
lief this week that farmers and stock rails
ers are likely to have things pretty much
their own way In live stock prices for
several years to come, while the consum-
ing public must meet the situation as best
it may. 1t says:
THE Manufacturers Record was well
aware that the increase lin live stock had
not been in proportion to the increase in
population, but the change is far greater
than had been supposed. According to re-
ports of the United States Department of
Agriculture and the statistical abstracts
of the Treasury Department, the number
OF cattle, including mich cows, in 1880. was
s3,25s, 900; the number of sheep 40,765.coo
and the number of hogs 34,034 COO From
this point there was a steady increase
Dropping for a moment the mich cows
and taking other CATTLE which would
represent the beef yielding cattle, the
number under this head in 1880 was 21,-
231 900. This number gradually increased
to 2s,00o0N0 in 1883, then to 31.ooo,0OO in 1856,
to S6,0Oo,00O in 1890, and reached the high
est point, 37,651,0c0 in 1892
STEADY DECLINE.
"Since that year there has been a steady
decline, until in 1900 the total number re-
ported was 27.610.0NO, or TO- 600, 900 less than
eight years before, notwithstanding the
great Increase in population and in the
beef consuming capacity Of the country
Ghaan u-al
to 50,600,0O0 in 1884. from which point there
was gradual decline until 1900 when we
had In this country only Al, $50, eco sheep,
or a decrease of nearly 100000 compared
with 1854 The number Of hogs advanced
from $4,000, coo in 1880 to its highest point
52,39S.0o0, in 1892. and then steadily declined
to 3S,60o,oOO in 1892 the last year for which
these statistics are at present available
In 1880 the total number of cattle of all
kinds, including mich COWS, was Sc, 25S, OO0
BY 1892 this increased to 81, O67, O00 which
had declined by 1900 to 43, COX, 900, or in other
words we had 100000 less cattle in 1900
than we had in 1892.
Taking all three items-cattle, hogs and
sheep-the total in 1880 was JOS O5S, coo: IN
1892, l51 100000, and in 1900. 12. 4s7 900. Thus
we had in the latter year 81, 900 900 less
read of cattle, sheep and hogs than in
1892, although the population of the coun-
try had Increased from $4,000, 900 to 76. 0OO.-
coo. In round figures the gain In the
number of cattle, sheep and hogs between
1850 and 1892 was 10 per cent. while be-
tween 1892 and 1900 there was decline OF
nearly 20 per cent. though, during the
same eight-year period. the population
had increased over II 100000.
RISE INEVITABLE.
turning to the average value OF live
stock, it will be found that starting with
an average for other cattle Of SIG. 10 per
head in 1880, there was a gradual rise to
$23.52 per head in 1854. In 1885 a decline
commenced. which gradually year by
year. went on with scarcely a break. until
In 1885 the average was s1406. a decrease
of S9.46 per head, as compared with the
average price In 1884. At that period tho
scarcity Of cattle had reached a noint
which resulted in a slight upward turn in
prices. bringing about an average price OF
Sl5.S6 in 1896. and then moving steadiiv
upward to s24.90 in 1900 Sheep advanced
to an average of 1888 per head in 1883. and
declined to an average of 81. 10 in 1886 and
then started with cattle an upward move
ment to 1922 in 1900. In the price of hogs
the conditions We're about the same.
1t Is rather startling situation to
lind that, notwithstanding the great in
crease In the Misunderstanding capacity