LIVE-STOCK. 



503 



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 1000 

 of population does not, therefore, represent 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 imformation as to the num- 

 ber of steers slaughtered annually in this country for beef, or to 

 reach this number by even an approximate estimate. For this 

 reason, the actual beef supply which yearly goes upon the mar- 

 ket 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 to grave errors, which 

 are liable to arise from a larger proportion of cattle being mar- 

 keted one year than another, in order to meet financial emer- 

 gencies, 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 toler- 

 ably constant in a series of years like those of the present 

 decade, during which there has been no marked financial de- 

 pression. There is undoubtedly, however, a considerable influ- 

 ence exerted upon the demand 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 reversed. The quan- 

 tity 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 cattle in the country and the mean price of steers. It is im- 

 possible to give a true average price of steers from the data on 

 hand, but the mean price is a sufficient indication of the extent 

 and direction of the fluctuations from year to year. The mean 

 prices of cattle and hogs given in the tables which follow are 

 computed from quotations given in the Drovers Journal. 



