The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-05-09
1918 MEAT PRODUCTION
BROKE ALL RECORDS
The Farmer Was a Big Factor in
Making 1t SO, Says the Bureau
of Animal Industry.

Washington, April 3.-American
dressed meat production, including
lard, amounted in 1918 to 2O,129, 800
pounds, a quantity never before APP
preached in magnitude by the live
stock industry of this or any other
country. The corresponding figure
for 1917 vas 16,317,3OO pounds.
Three-fourths of this enormous in
crease vas in pork and o%ne-fourth was
in beef.
The meat surplus in 1918 was so
great that extra export demands made
little impression on it, although 1918
export shipments of meat and lard
nearly doubled the 1917 figures-ris-
ing from slightly less than one to
three-fourths billion pounds to slight
ly more than three billion pounds
and these figures do not include ship
ments to American military forces
abroad.
The aggregate 1917 consumption of
dressed meat and lard in the United
States was approximately 14,500 ,OO0,-
900 pounds, but in 1918 it rose to IT,
250,O0O,O 900 pounds. This means, after
allowing for increase in population, an
addition of % pounds for every man,
woman and child in the countrywide
spite the food conservation campaign
which in 1917 caused consumption to
decline considerably.
Farmer Big Factor.
"While the people as a whole
through their abstinence averted the
immediate crisis, it was the farmer
who was the really big factor in the
ultimate situation" says the bureau
of animal industry, United States de-
partment of agriculture. "The pro-
Queer, of course, was expected to do
his part, but he did it with such pow
erful effect that in a single year the
meat shortage was turned into a pro-
nounced surplus. Thus in 1918 there
was not only meat enough to supply
foreign demands compatible with the
restricted shipping facilities, but a
greatly enlarged quantity was avail
able for the home consumption.
"To be sure, it cost the farmer more,
much more, to feed his animals and
get them to market. Likewise, all
other steps from producer to consum-
er became more costly, hence the high
prices. But the unprecedented pros
perity of the people as a whole enabled
them to afford the increased cost. In
fact, laboring people probably consum-
ed more meat during the past year
than in pre-war times.
"The total number of cattle slaugh-
tered in 1918 is estimated at $780,
400, as against 1929 900 in 1917.
Their average weights were practical
ly the same for both years, and the
beef production from them was $685.
100000 pounds in 1917 and 7,641 ,OOO,-
900 pounds in 1918. This was a re-
markable achievement, as it hardly
would have been credited that beef
growers could increase their produc-
ton a billion pounds in year.
Big Increase in Hogs.
1.-THE hog natures quickly, there
fore a much o rapid increase would
be looked for than was the Ease with
cattle. Even so, the results for 1918
car be described only as stupendous.
The hogs marketed in 1918 numbered
SO 1854 ZOO, against 57,483, 800 in 1917.
Furthermore, the average weight was
9k pounds more per hog in 1918.
Thus when the animals are turned in
to pork and lard we have a total pro-
duction of 1925 1884, 900 pounds in
1918, as against 8,478, 289, 900 pounds
in 1917, an increase of 2,747,355,O 900
pounds, or 32.4 per cent-nearly one
third.
Striking increases in exports are
also shown by the bureau. Beef ship
ments abroad in 1918 were "a per cent
more than in 1917-the chief 1918
items being 541, 00o, 900 pounds Of
fresh beef and 141, 100000 pounds of
canned beef. Exports of pork and
lard in 1918 amounted to 2,287, PTS, 900
which was 71.7 per cent more than
the quantity sent abroad in 1917.
The bureau shows that in the ag-
gregate more meat by far is eaten in
the United States than in any country
in the world, although some sparsely
countries raising much meat
have a larger per capita consumption.
It also says that there is room in the
United States for a great expansion in
the use of mutton and lamb.
RIG list OE pOSSTRJ