The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-01-08
Changes in Center
OF Beef Production

In 1850 the center Of beef-cattie
production In the United States VIA
located in the vicinity OF Rtchmond.
Ky. TO the south OF Lexington. says
the November Monthly Letter 70
Animal ~Husbandmen, sent out by
Armours Btfrenu OF Agricultural Re-
search and Economics 10y 1880 "A
great change had taken place. The
center had moved some $50 miles
westward tn Loves. KY. "A short dis
tanCe to the southwest Of paducAh.
The rate OF movement was directly
due 20 the rapid settlement Of the
west. while the direction depended
ON the increase in other cattle
from 10000 to approximately g.
900, 900 head) reported by the consu
from the state OF Texas.
The civil war altered the direction
of displacement for the center ~
h~eof-caitle production by about the
same degree to the northwest that
II had deviated TO the southwest dlr
ing the previous decade. The Con-
tcdcrate states exclusive Of rcNiA,
lost approximately 1900, GOO hca l.,
while the corn bell aud the north
west showed the Impressive gain Of
about s,00o. 900 head, The center wac
in the vicinity of Bixby. Mo. some
90 miles southeast OF RellW
by 1850 the center had reached
Vienna, Mo. about IS miles south
east of Jefferson City. This relative
" snfah displacement was due IN
part 70 the recovery OF the south.
which Tended To Fetard any north
ward or westward movement. md ln
part to the lowered rate OF in~creas,
in the northwest and the corn belt.
In 1890 the center was az Creish-
ton. about 90 miles southeast u
- 49, A. a
was almost dae west during this de-
cade, a. n result 81 the balanced in
crease to cattle production In both
the northwestern ana southwestern
range n the decreased production
~ beef cattle farther east.
The 1909 census saw "a westwor I'd
move, the center in that year being
located a few miles northeast OF
Waverly. Kansas, about 30 miles to
the southwest OF ottawa A slight
southerly deviation thus occurred
from the almost due west line follow
ed in previous decade, owing TO the
relatively better conditions IN the
southwestern range NJ compared with
that 81 the northwest, and also "a
he further recovery 81 the south
Gust.
The displacement between ~ and
1919 was relatively slight. Tho al
rection was almost due ~nprthwr.t,
ard the location was in the viciniiy
of Eskridge. ab1ut 40 miles snlnh
west of Topeka. Kansas. This NORTH
ware shift was dependent on The
great decrease In Texas and Okh
homa, some 100000 head boine lost
in these two states alone.
By 1880 the center OF production
had passed 20 the west of the geng'
raphic center OF the country aud wa
in the vicinity OF Ellsworth. KansSs
Part Of this westward shin was at
tributable "a the unparalleled De-
creases in all OF the New Engiund
middle Atlantic. south Atlantic. and
eastern corn belt states,
Jus, how much dependence cor
he placed ON the census figures foi
other cattle ~ a measure % bccI
cattle H. not known" SAYS tbs
Monthly Letter. "'Other Cattle In
clude that portion Of the diary nnpn.
lation not actually producing milk a
tho time the census figures are col
lected. Hence. dairy bulls dry cows
Young hciferH. and steers % Jalr,
blood would be included in tho lie
Of other cattle while many cows q
beef breeding tina were being milkel
ut the time the ccnHus-takcr visitss
the farm were probably included un
der milk cattle. Since there seeri
10 be no way to compensate for thns'
errors, the censu figures have becl
taken AZ face value