6 THE WORLDS MEAT FUTURE 



meal bias affected the United States as well as Europe. Russia, 

 which before fche war bad Borne 50,000,000 head of cattle and 

 vo thirds as many sheep as Australia, has ceased, temporarily 

 at Least, to be a factor in the European trade. The herds of 

 \\»>t nil Europe, small before the war in comparison with the 

 demands of the increasing population, are now greatly depleted 

 and cannot be replaced for many years after the war. The 

 situation in the United States is reaching an interesting stage. 

 Within the last ten years the population has increased about 

 18 per cent, while the herds have decreased 20 per cent. In 

 I 893 the United States imported 3293 head of cattle, and from 

 it> abundant supply exported over 287,000. In 1915, twenty- 

 three years later, the import and export figures are practically 

 reversed. In the latter year the United States exported only 

 5484 head and imported 538,167 cattle. However, since this 

 report was issued, the export of meat has again assumed 

 enormous proportions through the increase of stock and the 

 magnificent economy of the American people. 



The report goes on to ask whether South America, with its 

 extensive areas suitable for cattle raising, and its growing meat- 

 packing plants, will help to relieve the situation ? The outlook 

 in that direction is, indeed, favourable. Already Argentina and 

 Uruguay, and in a lesser degree Brazil, Colombia, and some of 

 the other countries, are figuring as meat-producing possibilities. 

 In the development of this industry, the general installation of 

 refrigeration by steamship lines has been of great service. 



In South America stock breeding is a resultant industry of 

 meat freezing. Before the introduction of refrigeration, salted 

 and dried meat, tough and unpalatable, was in general use 

 locally and exported in limited quantities to Europe. This 

 meat is known variously as jerked beef, in Argentina as tasajo, 

 as xarque in Brazil, in Peru as charque, and as biltong in 

 Africa. It is still used in some parts of South America and in 

 the Tropics, where it is almost impossible to keep fresh meat, 

 but it has never been popular in Europe. As the saladeros 

 (meat-drying establishments) could make use of almost any 

 animal, and since the demand was quite limited, there was 

 really no incentive to breed fine stock. 



Stimulated by the increasing demand from Europe for im- 



