Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-10-31
THE MEAT SUPPLY
USE OF WASTE LAND
MAY SETTLE MATTER

siauahterin1 Essential to erestest
Eeonomy--More Pastures Neees.
sity--Summing Up Of Suggestions
BY Department Of Agriculture.
Fully realizing the meat scarcity
with which the United States is con
fronted experts Of the Department OF
Agriculture are putting their heads
together In an effort to get at the root
of the trouble and suggest the rem
edy While they know that the law
Of supply and demand has something
to do with the present scarcity. an
other factor is directly blamed for
the shortage in the meat production
This time IT is put on the packing
houses, for the institution OF these
meat eenters caused the small butch
ers around many cities to give mp
slaughtering and TO buy from the
central depots
The only way to settle the meat
question, say these experts, is to look
to the small farmers They must be
encouraged to use their waste lands
lands that cannot be used profit.
ably for the raising OF crops to
again raise cattle. TO encourge them
there must be market provided
where they can sell their stock with
profit. for no one can expect them to
go to the trouble of producing the
beef cattle unless they are certain
Of a ready market and this feature
is lacking as a result Of the growth
Of range breeding in the west and
the consequent establishment OF cen.
trail markets. These central markets
will now take cattle only In large lots
and this brings about the question
of cooperation among the farmers
in a community. They can grow cat
tletle In small lots, and then by com
bining in small units, can ship in
carloads TO the central markets sug-
gest the experts OF the department.
Imports Not Dependable.
While some meat is beginning to
come in from foreign countries to
help us ont in the meat supply, It is
said further. the people OF the Unit
ed States should not depend on these
imports. for there are other countries
which are bidding Tor the supply and
can use just as much as the United
States.
Getting down to the packing house
question, bulletin just issued by the
department says that "before the
days of the packing house each local
ty produced Is own meat. The pack
ing house with artificial refrigeration
made it possible to ship dressed meat
long distances. Live stock produced
on the range and finished on cheap
corn supplied the packers with cheap
meat, with which they soon captured
the markets of the country Che
local butchers stopped butchering
and began to handle the packers
meats. This destroyed the local mar
kets for live animals, and as a result
the production of beef in the older
farming sections was practically dis.
continued and the production OF 9TH
er meat animals was greatly reduc-
ed"
There are many FACTORS which en-
ter into the question Of thfs reduc-
ton Of meat supply with consequent
high cost These include the means
of improving pastures and dangers
from diseases. Even the very meth
cd of distributing the meat products
in this country is attacked by the
Agricultural Department experts.
But" says the departments bulletin.
with all these factors properly ad-
justed. the meat problem cannot be
solved until improved pasturage and
cheap feed make economical produc-
ton of meat on the farms possible,
and until the farmers are supplied
with good markets for live stock"
However, the department experts
know that in recent years the high
price of corn and the reduction in
the area of the range has wrought
great change in the live stock situa-
ton At present the meat supply is
decreasing and the consumption is
Increasing This situation has fore
ed upon us a problem which cannot
be met In but one way. they say. and
that is more live stock must be pro
duced upon farms. Two things, they
continue are necessary TO induce the
farmer to produce live stock first,
he must have a ready market for his
animals, whether few or many, and,
second, he must be able to realize a
nrofit on thpir DrOductiOu