THE CALL OF THE LAND 



for beef thus reveals a very strong net 

 tendency to increase this demand. 



Now, recalling what was presented ear- 

 lier, we have confronting us a strong net 

 tendency to decrease the supply of beef cat- 

 tle and also an equally strong net tendency 

 to increase the demand for beef. From this 

 exhibit it would appear inevitable that beef 

 prices must in the next few years consider- 

 ably advance. 



But let us not conclude till we arrive at a 

 conclusion. Must not higher prices imme- 

 diately act to obstruct the enlarging de- 

 mand? No, not necessarily, at least for a 

 very long time. The same logic is here in 

 place which I have in Chapter II employed 

 in reference to agriculture, proving that it 

 must hereafter be a more profitable busi- 

 ness than heretofore. 



The argument is briefly as follows : The 

 population of the world is increasing with 

 great rapidity. All of it must live off earth 

 products, which, of course, include beef. If 

 the fruits of man's toil other than husbandry 

 were to grow in cost as husbandry articles 



172 



