262 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



ACTUAL DECREASE OF MEAT ANIMALS 



Total De- 

 crease (D) Average annual 

 January, 1914 Census or Increase decrease or 



(estimated) 1910 (I) increase 



Beef Cattle ...35,855,000 41,178,000 (D) 5,323,000 (D) 1,330,000 



(12.9%) (3.2%) 



Sheep 49,719,000 52,448,000 (D)2, 729,000 (D) 682,000 



(5.2%) (1.3%) 



Swine . ..58.933,000 58,186,000 (I) 747,000 (I) 180,250 



(1.3%) (0.3%) 



Total meat animals, Census of 1910 151,812,000 



Estimated number, January, 1914 144,507,000 



Estimated decrease 7,305,000 



The figures by years are as follows, those subsequent to 1910 

 being estimates of the Department of Agriculture: 



Beef Cattle Sheep Swine 



January 1, 1914 35,855,000 49,719,000 58,933,000 



January 1, 1913 36,030,000 51,482,000 61,178,000 



January 1, 1912 37,260,000 52,362,000 65,410,000 



January 1, 1911 39,679,000 53,633,000 65,620,000 



Census, April 15, 1910. .. .41,178,000 52,448,000 58,186,000 



The actual figures of decrease or increase as stated above, 

 however, do not take into consideration the increase in the 

 population of the United States, and therefore do not show the 

 difference in the ratios between meat animals and population 

 as between January, 1914, and the census year of 1910. The 

 report of the last census shows a population in 1910 of 91,972,- 

 000, and estimates an annual increase subsequent to 1910 that 

 would make the population in 1914 equal to 98,646,000. 



Taking this figure of estimated population : 

 Beef cattle are 19.2% short of the number nec- 

 essary to maintain the per capita ratio of 



1910, or 8,536,000 head; 



Sheep are 11.6% short, or 6,509,000 head ; 



Swine are 5.2% short, or 3,214,000 head ; 



Making an indicated total shortage of meat 

 animals since the census of 1910 of ap- 

 proximately 18,259,000 head 



Notwithstanding the fact that the estimates show there is 

 actually a decrease of 7,305,000 food animals since the census 

 of 1910, the estimated farm value of the cattle, sheep and 



