CATTLE-RAISING IN COLORADO. 201 



that this country is destined to be the beef market for 

 the whole world. No other country has such immense 

 grass-growing districts. 



" 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 

 four States and Territories have increased their stock, 

 five have stood still, and thirty have decreased in com- 

 parison with the population. The rapid increase of 

 our population will soon require that more cattle be 

 raised, or we shall have to pay higher prices for beef. 

 The number of people are increasing much faster than 

 the number of cattle. The ratio of annual increase of 

 stock in the country now is If per cent., to an annual 

 increase of population of 2f per cent. So it will be 

 seen that we must raise more cattle, or in a few years 

 pay higher prices for beef. For ten years yet, at least, 

 stock-growers need have no fear of overstocking the 

 market. The beef business cannot be overdone. The 

 census of the United States will probably show a popu- 

 lation in 1880 of not less than 47,000,000 of people, 

 and the cattle-raising does not keep pace with this rapid 

 increase. In the Eastern and Middle States there has 

 been a rapid decrease of cattle, and in a few years the 

 West will be called on to supply almost the whole 

 Eastern demand. Land worth over $10 per acre is too 

 valuable to be devoted to stock-raising, and farmers 

 can do better in cereals. 



"It is for this reason that our Eastern farmers are 

 giving up cattle-breeding and devoting their land to 

 growing corn, wheat, rye, oats, and vegetables. They 



