THE DECREASING MEAT SUPPLY 261 



tion. They have a normal, natural price in the mar- 

 kets, and therefore the Virginia farmer gets more for 

 his wheat or his corn than the Illinois farmer does, and 

 this is in accordance with the legitimate principles of 

 transportation, supply and demand. 



DATA RELATING TO DECREASING MEAT SUPPLY. 



The latest obtainable data in regard to the shortage 

 of meat animals are those issued by the Department of 

 Agriculture, in February, 1914. They are as follows: 



SHORTAGE OF 18,259,000 MEAT ANIMALS IN THE UNITED STATES 



The indicated total shortage of meat animals since the 

 census of 1910 is nearly 9 beef cattle, 7 sheep and over 3 

 hogs for each 100 of the total estimated population of the 

 United States in January, 1914, according to the estimates 

 of the Department of Agriculture just published in the Agri- 

 cultural Outlook. This means that it would take 18,259,000 

 more meat cattle, sheep and swine than the estimates show at 

 present in this country, to give the present population the 

 same meat supply that the census of 1910 showed to exist. 



These estimates are based upon reports and estimates from 

 the Department's field and State agents and county, township 

 and special correspondents, who have reported on practically 

 every county in the United States. The figures moreover have 

 been compared with those of the census of 1910 and with the 

 records of tax assessors in the various States as far as they are 

 available. The Department therefore believes that these figures 

 represent the best information obtainable on the numbers and 

 values of live stock, including meat animals. 



The estimates with regard to meat animals, that is, cattle 

 other than milch cows, and sheep and swine, indicate a steady 

 and fairly uniform decrease in the number of meat cattle and 

 sheep and a slight increase in the number of swine. The figures 

 of the present estimates compared with the census of 1910 are 

 significant in showing the decrease in the number of meat 

 animals especially in comparison with the increase in popula- 

 tion. 



