No. 4.] BEEF PRODUCTION. 61 



BEEF PEODUCTION IN NEW ENGLAND. 



HERBERT H. WING, PROFESSOR OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, CORNELL 

 UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NEW YORK. 



I am asked to speak to you on the subject of beef produc- 

 tion. I have taken the liberty to broaden the subject, and 

 if you please, will attempt to discuss the whole question of 

 meat supply in its relation to the New England farmer. 



INIuch attention has been given to the number of meat- 

 producing domestic animals in the United States, particularly 

 since the Federal Census of 1910 called attention to the fact 

 that there had been a sharp decrease in the number of such 

 animals during the preceding decade. This was the more 

 noticeable to the public, since the first sharp increase in price 

 occurred at about the same time. Students and statisticians 

 who had given attention to the question of meat production 

 in the United States had long been aware of the fact that 

 meat-producing animals were relatively decreasing, but as 

 these matters were largely confined to trade journals and 

 occasional references in the agricultural press, the general pub- 

 lic remained to a large extent indifferent to them. It might 

 be well for us to briefly review the condition of the country 

 and more especially of New England with respect to the num- 

 bers of meat-producing domestic animals, and since dairy cattle 

 are intimately associated with meat-producing animals and the 

 meat-producing industry, these have been included as well. 

 In order not to burden you with extensive quotations of sta- 

 tistics, I have arranged the most important figures on a chart, 

 so that you may the more readily see at a glance the more 

 important facts. 



