WESTERN COMPETITION. 237 



continued drouths, and not until a 83'stem of irrigation is established 

 can cattle raising be made successful. It is too risky to undertake 

 to winter large herds of cattle in tiiat country without shelter. 



When these requirements are met we nervier need to fear — the beef 

 cannot be shipped into the State of Maine and sold at a mean fig- 

 ure. If it is, it will be at the loss of some one. Some few years 

 ago the cattle business in this country was good. Men with capital 

 saw this, and large amounts of capital were invested in this indus- 

 try. English capital was brought in and invested ; even statesmen 

 who handle the reins of government invested in ranching. Law- 

 yers, orators, theatrical managers, invested in the business. Pur- 

 chasers were sent into the South and Southwest, and 3'oung cattle 

 brought a good price. These cattle were moved North upon the 

 cheap feeding grounds. This made room to raise more in the South, 

 and so the business boomed as no other industry ever did in our 

 country, and the consequences are the business has a little over- 

 reached the demand in the East, and prices have fallen below a rich 

 harvest for the western ranchemen ; and of course it affects us in 

 Maine in the same ratio, and no more. 



Now, I would not be the one to put the argument too strong, for 

 certainl}' if we cannot compete with other sections of the country, 

 it is high time we knew it. But I will stand behind this statement, 

 that whoever raises good beef and ships it two or three thousand 

 miles into the State of Maine, cannot get very rich at the present 

 prices, after paying the necessar}' expenses of slaughtering, com- 

 mission, freight, &c. As I have been engaged in this business all 

 my life and have made it somewhat a stud}*, I feel safe in saying 

 that the prices of beef have reached hard pan, and the next change 

 will be for the better. Of course the prices of beef will vary ac- 

 cording to the seasons of the year. The demand will be the best in 

 the spring and early summer. Last spring I sold ten three-year-old 

 steers for nine cents per pound, averaging $80 each after the com- 

 mission for selling was taken out ; and a year ago this fall beef was 

 as low within one cent per pound as it is this fall or winter. In 

 order to steer our agricultural ship into a safe financial harbor, we 

 must keep our eyes upon the points of the compass. I say emphat- 

 icall3' that the State of Maine is a good agricultural State, and I 

 think you will bear me out in the statement that we can compete 

 with other sections of the countrs' when we consider that it requires 

 two and a half steers in the State of Texas, of equal weight and 



