24 THE BEEF BONANZA. 



stood or appreciated. The day will come when the 

 government will derive more taxes from the grazing 

 country than the best agricultural regions. These arid 

 plains, so long considered worthless, are the natural 

 meat-producing lands of the nation, and in a few years 

 30,000,000 of people will draw their beef from them. 

 All the figures I have seen published have rather 

 understated than overestimated their capacity. 



In 1869 the whole of the live-stock in the United 

 States was estimated to be worth $1,500,000,000. In 

 1840 the average number of cattle in America to every 

 100 persons was less than 100 head, and in 1850 

 only about 75 head to 100 people. In 1860 the 

 States and Territories had the following ratio to 100 

 people: Alabama, 81 head; Arkansas, 126; Cali- 

 fornia, 387 ; Connecticut, 48 ; Delaware, 51 ; Florida, 

 274 ; Georgia, 95 ; Illinois, 87 ; Indiana, 87 ; Iowa, 

 79 ; Kansas, 81 ; Kentucky, 72 ; Louisiana, 73 ; 

 Maine, 59 ; Maryland, 37 ; Massachusetts, 22 ; Michi- 

 gan, 71; Minnesota, 68; Mississippi, 91; Missouri, 

 98 ; New Hampshire, 81 ; New Jersey, 34 ; New 

 York, 50; North Carolina, 69; Ohio, 70; Oregon, 

 292; Pennsylvania, 48; Rhode Island, 22; South 

 Carolina, 72 ; Tennessee, 68 ; Texas, 579 ; Vermont, 

 115; Virginia, 65; Wisconsin, 66 ; District of Colum- 

 bia, 1 ; Dakota, 30 ; Nebraska, 100 ; New Mexico, 

 108 ; Utah, 100 ; Washington Territory, 259. The 

 stock-producing region of Wyoming was then unknown. 

 If we consult the tables it will be observed that if 

 cattle-breeding in the United States was stopped for 

 five years all the cattle would be eaten up. Since 1860 



