The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-08
EDITORIAL
Meat Products in the South,

n olden times the South's wealth came out OF
xhe soil. Since the war it has developed great
manufacturing industry, but it has gained also
HI agriculture retaining its monopoly OF the cot
ton growing industry and increasing ITS produc-
Il tion of grain and other crops.
IN Ruf speaking for the section whole, the
tEonth is not doing as well as formerly III the
#nrodnction of meats. From figures recently pup
8hshed its appears that in the fifty years from Iooo
Il II 1910 the population of the United States has
8Sncreased from 36,5O0,0o0 to S9,0oo0o0 while the
&neunlation of the South in the period grew
*from II 100000 to 2s,o00,oo0.
N according to figures furnished by the Census
Bnreau beef cattle IN 1860 in the Southern states
4 numbered say s,5Q00O0, and IN 1910, l3,ooo,ooo'
fwhlle hogs in 1850 were 100000 and III 1910
kwcre 15,200,o00
III II 4 shown bv detailed statements that there
4fNprs fewer beef cattle, not including mich cows
Nh 1910 than IN 1850 III Alabama, Georgia, Mary
Hand. North Carolina and South Carolina and that
1.-THE increase for the whole South Is largely ae-
|NrDunted for by the increase of 4l9bOuO IN leAas'
XAl7.0o0 in Florida $4,000 IN the two states en-
hraeed in Virginia in 1860 and 203000 in Arkansas.
In the showing for hogs the increase IN the Whoie
country in the tfty-year period was only at the
t.
crut In the population but against an increase OF
E772 per cent in the population of the South the
hunaber of swine decreased by more than 3,oVpOoo,
in fhe face of an increase of 1s33000 in Texas, OF
|3R4o0o in Florida of 100000 in Louisiana and OF
f07 600 in Alabama, the only four States OF the
Efonrfeen Southern States showing an increase
Figures show that in 1850 the South had 90 per
esnt Of the beef cattle of the country - per cent
III the sheep and 81 per cent of the swine, though
sts population only about % per cent ol the
tptaI 1910 with almost 81 per cent Of the total
UOpulaton of the country, the South has less thah
10 per cent of the cattle less than IL per cent OF
ths sheep and less than b per cent of the SWINE.
Yet the New Orleans Picayune says that 1t is
not too much to claim for the Southern people
Ihaf they could raise their own meat supply more
sheaTly than it can b. done III the Northern States
md if they fail to do so, they have only them
5rfves to blame.
ii points out that in the Gulf States live stock
ran live ont Of doors all the year round and Will
siwHys find ait abundance of food from the native
grasses and heritage for grazing animals and a
Exast profusion Of wild nuts and edible roots for
hogs.
Before the war, as our contemporary says,
cattle and hogs could not be slaughtered in large
Sumber an the South because Of unfavorable
veather conditions But that difficulty is now met
y cold storage and the South is al disadvantage
M this respect ,<On the other hand as remarked
HID other day the west has lost much of its adj
FMnfage in the stock-raisng industry by reason O
thc fact that pasturage has greatly deceased, mucl
MI t4t- grszif9t. land having been converted int
farm land A fine opportunity is thus offered t.
8Oufhern farmers to produce meat for market ant
"a fhey do not profit by it. the fault will be the
own-