308 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the bureau has undertaken to point out through the daily press, 

 medical journals, and other publications, especially those printed in 

 foreign languages, the danger of eating uncooked pork. It would 

 seem, however, that these warnings have reached but a small pro- 

 portion of the people, since cases of trichinosis continue to be re- 

 ported. "VVTiile the microscopic inspection of pork for trichinae will 

 not absolutely detect all infected meat, it would probably detect the 

 majority of infected cases, and in that way would greatly reduce the 

 danger of infection. It seems necessary, therefore, that even if all 

 pork is not to be microscopically inspected, that which is intended 

 to be eaten without cooking should be so inspected. To inspect 

 microscopically the entire number of hogs which are now slaughtered 

 at establishments having Government inspection would require an 

 additional appropriation of at least $4,000,000. By inspecting only 

 those hogs from which pork products are to be prepared which are 

 intended to be eaten without cooking, a much smaller •amount of 

 money would be required. The regular meat inspection does not now 

 include the microscopic inspection of pork for trichinae. 



THE BEEF SHORTAGE. 



The situation regarding our beef supply has been a fruitful cause 

 for alarm in recent years. During the present year it reached an 

 acute stage, as indicated by the fact that the hignest prices ever 

 known were paid for cattle at our stock centers this past" summer. 

 We no longer have the former abundant supplies of cattle raised 

 cheaply on the free range. The range is being cut up and fenced off 

 into farms or diverted to sheep grazing. In addition there is the 

 great increase in the price of corn and other feeds, which has made 

 cattle feeding a risky and expensive undertaking, especially as for a 

 considerable time the prices received were unsatisfactory from the 

 feeder's standpoint. For these various reasons cattle raising went 

 into disfavor, and the present greatly restricted supply is the result. 



The home demand for beef, on the other hand, has been increasing 

 along with the population. According to the census we have 29,000,- 

 000 more people to feed than we had 20 years ago. Americans are 

 great meat eaters. A recent estimate made in this bureau shows the 

 annual consu.niption of meat per head of the population to be 162 

 pounds, of which beef constitutes 80 pounds and veal 7^ pounds. 

 This is about 25 pounds per head greater than the British consump- 

 tion of beef and veal and approximately 40 pounds greater than that 

 of France and Germany. 



It is inevitable, therefore, that our beef should have become scarce 

 and the prices high and that our former large export trade should 

 have dwindled to almost nothing. It is a simple business proposi- 

 tion that when the home market demands practically our entire out- 

 put, at prices equal to or better than the foreign, there will be little 

 or no exporting. Some incorrect statements have appeared to the 

 effect that American beef is sold cheaper in England than it is here. 

 A comparison of market quotations shows that there is no material 

 difference in the prices of the same quality of beef here and in Eng- 

 land. It is true that large quantities of cheap beef are imported into 

 England, but it is not United States beef. This meat is from South 

 .America and Australia ; it is mostly frozen and is of very different 

 grade from that exported from this country. 



