United States Meat Industry. 



389 



the range does not recover for some years, and in many cases 

 fires, disastrous to all ranging interests in the State, have been 

 started through carelessness. 



The prices of fat stock show a considerable rise in 1902 over 

 the previous year, but animals for stocking have shown little or 

 no improvement in price. There was a great shortage in the 

 maize harvest of 1901, and farmers found it more profitable to 

 sell their corn than to use it for food ; its price in 1902 having 

 been about double that of 190 1. As a result, animals ready 

 or nearly ready to kill have been scarce. It is stated that it is 

 only the best-fed cattle that can be exported and bring in any 

 return, although the exporters maintain that there is very 

 little profit in the business. The prices of maize-fed cattle 

 range higher than fat grass-fed beasts, hence the market 

 depends chiefly on the cattle fed in the maize-growing States. 

 Corn can only be grown on a limited area, which can, how- 

 ever, be increased to some extent, and no roots are grown 

 for feeding purposes, although some cattle are fed on the refuse 

 of the beet-sugar refineries. 



There are 61,606,000 sheep in the United States, the North 

 Central and Western States containing over 80 per cent, of the 

 number. Thus the grazing States have by far the largest supply, 

 so that with the growing restrictions on grazing on public lands, 

 it is doubtful if the number of sheep will ever be so great again. 



About two-thirds of the hogs in the United States are in the 

 North Central States, the corn-growing ones, and are fed econo- 

 mically with the corn-fed cattle. Their average weight has run 

 about 10 lb. lower than usual this year, and many underfed hogs 

 have been sent forward. Some complaints are made that the 

 hogs are reduced in size and strength by a system of breeding 

 very young and selling the sows after two or three litters, and it 

 is said that this system is undermining the strength and breeding 

 powers of both sexes. 



There are numerous stock yards situated all over the States, 

 which are often really collecting places for animals to be sent 

 to the feeding districts, although some cattle are bought for 

 killing at most of them. The principal stock yards are at the 

 big slaughtering centres — Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, St. 

 Louis, and St. Joseph. 



