REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 41 



proportion being almost exactly the same as in 1850. From 1880 to 

 1885 there was a continuous and rapid increase, which was due to 

 the remarkable development of the range cattle industry in that 

 period. Thus, in 1881 there were 502 per 1,000; in 1882 there were 522 

 per 1,000; in 1883, 536 per 1,000; in 1884, 550 per 1,000, and in 1885, 562 

 per 1,000. The increase in the five years from 1880 to 1885 was 72 

 per 1,000 of population, or about 15 per cent. 



Since 1885 there has been a perceptible and continuous decrease in 

 the proportion of cattle to population. From 1885 to 1886 this de- 

 crease was only 6 per 1,000 of population; from 1886 to 1887 it was 8 

 per 1,000; and from 1887 to 1888 it was 11 per 1,000. In the three 

 years the decrease amounted to 25 per 1,000 of population, or about 

 4.4 per cent, of the number given for 1885. The proportion of cattle 

 to population in 1888 was almost exactly the same as in 1883. 



In considering the proportion of cattle to population and in draw- 

 ing conclusions as to the relative beef supply in different years, the 

 fact should not be overlooked that there has been a great change 

 within the last twenty years in the character of steers that have been 

 sent to market. New and better blood has been infused into the old 

 stock, and the result is that steers are marketed younger, weigh 

 more, and yield a larger proportion of carcass than formerly. The 

 beef supply obtained from a given number of cattle is for this reason 

 considerably larger than it was a few years ago. The increased 

 number of cattle per 1,000 of population does not, therefore, repre- 

 sent the whole increase in the beef supply which has taken place 

 since 1870. There is, in addition, an increase resulting from early 

 maturity, size and quality, which can only be estimated with great 

 difficulty and uncertainty. 



It is impossible to obtain accurate information as to the number of 

 steers slaughtered annually in this country for beef, or to reach this 

 number by even an approximate estimate. For this reason, the ac- 

 tual beef supply which yearly goes upon the market is an unknown 

 quantity. It becomes necessary, therefore, to judge of the supply 

 by the total stock of cattle on hand in the country. Such deductions 

 are subject at best to grave errors which are liable to arise from a 

 larger proportion of cattle being marketed one year than another, in 

 order to meet temporary financial emergencies, because of lack of 

 feed, or because of a better price for cattle as compared with the 

 price of corn and hay. 



The demand for meat for home consumption should be tolerably 

 constant in a series of years like those of the present decade, during 

 which there has been no marked financial depression. There is un- 

 doubtedly, however, a considerable influence exerted upon the de- 

 mand for beef by the quantity and price of pork products. In other 

 words, when the production of pork is abundant and the price low 

 there will be less beef consumed than when these conditions are re- 

 versed. The quantity of beef exported must also have an important 

 influence upon the demand and upon the price. 



With the facts mentioned above in mind the following table is 

 presented to show the relation between the relative number of cat- 

 tle in the country and the mean price of steers. It is impossible to 

 give a true average price of steers from the data on hand, but the 

 mean price is a sufficient indication of extent and direction of the 

 fluctuations from year to year: 



