THE BEEF SUPPLY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CONDITIONS 

 GOVERNING THE PEICE OF CATTLE. 



For a long time there has been a desire on the part of those inter- 

 ested in the production of beef cattle to obtain an approximately 

 correct statement in regard to the number of cattle in the country, 

 and the relation of this number to the population for a series of years. 

 The simple estimate of the number of animals from which the beef 

 supply is drawn gives no idea whether this supply is increasing more 

 rapidly than the demand, or whether, on the other hand, it is dimin- 

 ishing. Our rapidly increasing population, and also our fluctuating 

 export trade, must be constantly borne in mind if we expect to ob- 

 tain any clear views on this important subject. 



The great diversity of opinion among well-informed persons as to 

 the relative number of beef cattle, taking the whole country into con- 

 sideration, shows how meager has been the available information 

 vnvui tuis subject. And with this first question unsolved it is evi- 

 dent that the extent and direction of any relative variation which 

 may have occurred could not be estimated. In order to clear up this 

 question somewhat, and to give an idea as to the extent which the 

 price of cattle is governed by the law of supply and demand, an effort 

 has been made during the year 1888 to obtain reliable data as to the 

 number of cattle in the Territories. It is probable that no accurate 

 census of the range cattle has ever been secured, and nearly all of 

 the estimates, on account of the inherent difficulties of the case, have 

 varied widely from the true figures. Accordingly, trusted agents of 

 the Bureau, well acquainted with the range-cattle industry, were 

 sent into the different Territories to gather the most accurate figures 

 possible from the cattle-owners' organizations, and from any other 

 sources of information. In addition to the figures collected in this 

 manner the estimates of the Statistical Division as to the number of 

 cattle in the States in the years since 1880 have been carefully gone 

 over and revised in accordance with later information at our com- 

 mand. The number of range cattle in 1880 is also taken as some- 

 what less than was estimated in the census. The population since 

 1880 has been estimated on the basis of 2 per cent, annual increase 

 in addition to the immigration. 



Taking our figures from these sources we obtain the following 

 table: 



Table showing population, total number of cattle, and number of cattle per 1,000 

 of population (estimated since 1880) in the United States and Territories. 



