13 



The average value of beef cattle in the Atlantic and south cen- 

 tral states is shown to be comparatively low. Altho the north central 

 states have only 41 percent of the cattle of the country (other than 

 milch cows) numerically, the aggregate value of such cattle in these 

 states is more than 46 percent of the total value. 



The so-called "corn-belt" states Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, 

 Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas have about one-third of the cat- 

 tle other than milch cows in the United States, but they represent 

 more than one-third the value of such cattle in the country. In ad- 

 dition to the cattle regularly enumerated, upon which the preceding 

 statement is based, we must consider the hundreds of thousands of 

 feeding cattle that are annually brought into the corn belt to be fat- 

 tened. Including this supply of cattle, and considering their qual- 

 ity and value, perhaps one-half the beef-producing industry of the 

 country is centered in the seven states mentioned. 



It is interesting to note that while more than two-thirds of the 

 cattle represented on the accompanying map are west of the Missis- 

 sippi river, more than two-thirds of the population of the United 

 States is in states east of the Mississippi. In 1880, 78 percent of 

 the population 1 was east and more than one-half (about 55 percent) 

 of the cattle 2 west of the Mississippi. 



Another striking comparison is that of the manufacturing and 

 the non-manufacturing sections of the United States. At the time of 

 the last census, more than one-half of the population was found in 

 less than one-seventh of the area of the country, viz., the states east 

 of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers. This 

 portion of the country produces more than three-fourths of our 

 manufactured products, pays more than four-fifths of all salaries 

 and wages, and contains more than two-thirds of the assessed value 

 of all real and personal property. It is therefore the great consum- 

 ing area of the country; but (east of Chicago) it has less than one- 

 eighth of the beef cattle and less than one-fifth of all cattle of the 

 United States. In other words, seven-eighths of the beef cattle and 

 four-fifths of all cattle are produced west and south (principally 

 west) of the manufacturing district. Consequently, there has been 

 an enormous movement of cattle from west to east to supply the de- 

 mand for beef in the more densely populated sections. This has 

 brought about the establishment of the great cattle markets at Chi- 

 cago, the "Missouri river points" Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha, 

 St. Joseph, Sioux City and South St. Paul. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREAT CATTLE MARKETS 



A study of the growth of the important market centers sheds 

 much light on the development of the cattle-raising industry of the 



lAbstract of the I2th Census, pp. 32, 33. 



2U. S. Dept. of Agr., Bureau of Statistics, Bui. 64, p. 57. 



