THE DECREASING MEAT SUPPLY 265 



I have tried in a small way to grow a few beef cattle, 

 full-blooded and grade Aberdeen Angus variety. For 

 these steers, when at 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, I am able 

 to get half a cent a pound more than for the ordinary 

 beef cattle. When, however, the cost of feeding these 

 cattle is taken into consideration, and also the cost of 

 care, the profits are not superior to, and perhaps hardly 

 equal to, those obtained in the ordinary method of pur- 

 chasing stock cattle which prevails in the community. 



In regard to this lack of profit to farmers, the De- 

 partment of Agriculture report referred to makes the 

 following comment: 



MEAT RAISING EVIDENTLY NOT PROFITABLE TO FARMERS 



The large increase in the value of meat animals on farms is 

 probably accounted for by the increased cost of production 

 and the increased consumption or demand arising from the 

 fact that production has not kept pace with the increase in 

 population, and in the case of cattle and sheep has actually 

 declined. It is well known that producers of farm products 

 are the last to receive any benefit from higher prices paid by 

 consumers, yet they are among the first to increase production 

 if there is a prospect of realizing better returns. The very 

 fact that there is a present shortage of nearly 19,000,000 meat 

 animals in the United States since the census of 1910 indicates 

 clearly that the business is not profitable to producers; other- 

 wise every farmer and stock raiser in the country would have 

 increased his herds of meat animals. It should also be borne 

 in mind that the estimated average value of meat animals is 

 their value on the farm, and not the wholesale or retail value. 

 The farm value, or average price received on farms, is much 

 less than the wholesale prices and considerably less than the 

 retail prices to consumers. 



Another distinction which is rather discouraging to 

 the farmer who would like to grow his own beef, is 

 this: When the farmer hands in his returns for his 



