16 



the probable future trend of beef production in the corn-growing 

 section of the United States. 



The undeveloped state of cattle production' in proportion to 

 the population and the area of the United States as compared 

 with the condition of the industry in older countries justifies the 

 expectation of an ultimate extension and development of cattle 

 raising and feeding in this country. Tin rapid increase of pop- 

 ulation and the slower rate of increase in the number of cattle 

 have rendered the export beef trade a relatively insignificant fac- 

 tor; but with a large domestic demand in proportion to the 

 supply, and limited competition from abroad, the industry should 

 be practically independent of foreign trade. General market con- 

 ditions are now and promise to remain favorable to the producer, 

 for he has a domestic market as a regular outlet and a foreign 

 market as an influential regulator of prices and as an elastic con- 

 sumer of surplus. 



The "passing of the range" has not diminished the number 

 of western cattle entering the markets, but the growing popula- 

 tion of the West and, consequently, the increased amount of beef 

 slaughtered and consumed in that section have reduced the rela- 

 tive importance of western cattle as a factor in corn-belt markets. 

 Further, corn-fed beef cattle, which can be properly and profit- 

 ably finished only within a limited section of the country, doubt- 

 less will continue in deman^l by a class of trade in which the 

 cheaper grass beef of the West cannot compete. 



Notwithstanding the general subdivision of western ranges 

 and ranches by settlers, the fact that large areas of the West and 

 Southwest are 'adapted only to grazing indicates that these sec- 

 tions w r ill continue to produce a considerable number of feeding 

 cattle. As Ireland with her abundance of grass has grown 

 "store" or feeding cattle for the farmers of England and Scot- 

 land for many years and continues to do so, similarly the grass 

 lands of our great West and South may reasonably be expected 

 to supply stockers and feeders to large markets of the corn belt 

 for many years to come. 



An increasing proportion, and eventually a large proportion, 

 of the cattle matured in the corn belt, however, must be reared 

 there; because, as explained in Circular 164, the quality of west- 

 ern cattle will be adversely affected by an increased proportion of 



