346 



Cattle Industfly of United States. 



Canada, which in the year ending June 30th, 1898, supplied 

 172,171 and 116,477 head respectively. The Mexican cattle 

 are stunted and poor in quality, and the numbers available 

 for export from the northern provinces are said to be running 

 low. The Canadians are imported chiefly into the more 

 northerly of the mid-western States, such as Ohio, Illinois, 

 and Iowa. The ranchmen of the north-western States are 

 said to find it more profitable to procure Canadian stock from 

 the North-west Territory of Canada, even from points remote 

 from the railway, than to buy young cattle in the United 

 States. The duty on imported cattle under the Dingley 

 Tariff is estimated to represent about 25 per cent, ad valorem 

 on the average class of cattle imported. 



It is, however, mainly from the south-western region 

 (Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico) that the mid-western 

 •States have replenished their stock of young cattle, and the 

 stock-growing industry of this region has been very noticeably 

 affected by the rapid growth of the demand made on its 

 resources. There are, however, two additional reasons for the 

 great diminution in the number of oxen and other cattle in 

 this region ; namely, the rapid reduction in the carrying 

 capacity of the Texas ranges, owing to exhaustion of 

 pasture,* and the Texas fever. The presence of this disease 

 greatly hampers the cattle industry of the southern States, 

 as, with a view to the prevention of its spread, the export of 

 cattle from the infected area is prohibited to all parts north 

 of a line fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture, except during 

 three winter months, or unless for immediate slaughter. 



It need scarcely be said that the advance in prices of 

 10 per cent, has had a considerable effect on the rate of profits 

 -derived from the cattle industry. 



In 1896 a comparison between the prices then ruling and 

 the estimated cost of production led to the conclusion that, as 

 regards breeders, while there was a large profit in raising 

 cattle on the range, and a considerable profit in regions where 

 pasture land and meadow were abundant and cheap, there 

 were important parts of the cattle-growing region where, 



See the June number of this Journal, p. 62. 



