220 EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



mirsg, Montana, Utah, Oregon, and the Indian Territory great],y en- 

 larged their quotas of supply. These extreme western cattle, which at 

 first were suspiciously regarded under the name of "half-breeds," rapidly 

 grew in favor and began to supersede the natives of the same weight 

 aiid flesh, with ordinary feeding. The bulk of these far-west receipts 

 way taken by local butchers and i^ackers, either for home consumption or 

 for export as beef. 



CattlGiJrodiicts. — Beef. — The excess of receipts of cattle ever shipments 

 anjouuted to 29[),021, against 224,309 in 1875. Of this aggregate., about 

 70,000 head were taken by the beef packers and pressers. A direct 

 exi)ort of dressed beef from Chicago to Europe had been inaugurated in 

 1874:, and had increased its operations during 1873, but it still was 

 largely of an experimental character. During 187G this business de- 

 veloped a permanent relation to the demands of the English market, and 

 became one of the established features of Chicago trade. A larg-^ 

 amount of capital has been invested in sea-going vessels with refrigera.ii- ' 

 ing apparatus, and orderly methods have been introduced into the busi- 

 ness which have greatly secured its success. Among the precautions 

 for the delivery of the beef in good order in the Euglish raajkets is the 

 inclosing of each quarter in cotton-sheeting, thus protecting it from dirt 

 in handfing. On the day following the arrival of the vessel at Liver- 

 pool the cargo is shipped by rail to London, the largest meat-consuming 

 market in the world. A considerable amount of dressed beef, embracing 

 last season 00,000 carcasses, was shipped to the manufacturing towns of 

 New England and New York. Some of this is from the smaller towns 

 and rural districts of the Northwest, which is sent to Chicago for ship- 

 ment eastward. This trade somewhat interferes with the business of 

 the city butchers. 



During the last eleven years the numbers of cattle annually packed at 

 this point were as follows : 1SG5-'G6, 27,172 ; 180U-'07, 25,990 ; lS67-'68, 

 35,348; 18G8-'G9, 2G,950 ; 18G9-'70, 11,0G3; 1870-'71, 21,254; 1871-'72, 

 1G,080; l872-'73, 15,755; lS7:5-'74, 21,712; l874-'75, 41,192; lS75-'76, 

 75,000. The heavy increase in the slaughter of beeves at Chicago is 

 due especially to the development of the canned beef trade, which is 

 supposed to absorb at least four-fifths of the beef annually packed here. 

 This new article has found its way to many points in Europe, aud Chi- 

 cago packers claim ^ fair average profit from their operations. The can- 

 paeUers do not slaughter their own cattle, but procure dressed carcasses 

 either from wholesale lirms in the city or from parties at neighboring 

 points. The regular barrel-packing business is on the decline, as the 

 l3usiness can be more profitably carried on nearer the base of supply of 

 the raw material, and hence it is {pursued more largely in the far West. 

 Only one firm in Chicago during 1S7G pursued the old method of bar- 

 reling. Of barreled beef, the receipts during 187G amounted 3G,1G2 

 barrels, agaiUvSt 2G,949 in 1875 ; 3G,G70 in 1874; 7,158 in 1873 ; 14,512 in 

 1872; 53,289 in 1871; 20,554 in 1870, and 1,478 in 1869; showing a 

 verv irregular supplv I'rom other points. The shipments amounted to 

 72,004 barrels in 187G, G0,454 in 1875, 72,5G2 in 1874, 33,938 in 1873, 

 39,911 in 1872, 89,452 in 1671, G5,3G9 in 1870, and 48,624 in 18G9, show- 

 ing a great fluctuation in the dispatching trade. The prices of mess 

 beef at the beginning of each month in 187G ranged from $8.50 © 89 

 in March to 810.75 'g) $11 from May to October, falling to $9.50 ® $9.75 

 at the close of the year. Extra mess ranged about SI per barrel higher. 



Tallozc. — lieceipts 5,305 tons, against 3,259 in 1875, 3,374 in 1874, and 

 4,203 in ]873; shipments G,209 tons, against 3,701 in 1875, 4,051 in 1874, 

 and 5,787 iu 1873. 



