Foreign Commerce of the United States for 1878. 551 
and Pbiladelpbia, Zl. 10s., although it has been as high as Al. Cattle landed 
in England will cost there from DO dols. to 110 dols. per head, clear of any 
charges (18?. 15s. to 23/.). 'J'ho freight on kinc from Baltimore to England 
averaged 4?. 5s. per head ; it was as low as 'iJ. and as high as 5Z. 15s. during 
this past season. 
" Boston. — Cattle here are reckoned at so much per lb. living weight. Tlie 
average weight of each animal sent over is 1150 lbs. 5^ cents (2>\d.) per lb. 
is the average price on board. Freight averages the same as the other ports, 
Zl. 10s., although it has been as high as 4/. Cattle cost, landed in England, 
on an average, 22/. 
" As to the future prospects of the cattle trade between Great Britain and 
the United States, I tliink the following points should be known. 
" If the present restrictions in England on cattle from the United States were 
removed and they were allowed to be landed alive, the trade would increase 
enormously, and give employment for a large number of British steamers now 
lying idle ; in fact, more would be built expressly for this trade. Notwith- 
standing the present restrictions and the prejudice created by reports of 
pleuro-pneumonia and other diseases among American cattle, the shipments 
from the United States have shown a substantial increase this year. One firm 
alone in New York sent 2800 head of cattle the last week of July to Great 
Britain. Dead American meat is sold in London at Gh'l. per lb. at a profit, and 
it is said that even if sold at bid. it would give a small profit. 
" As long as shippers from New York obtain in Liverpool not less than Id. 
or l^d. for their ' prime' beef, so long will a remunerative trade be open to 
them ; but they have obtained readily prices ranging between those given above 
and %d. per lb., according to the state of the market. While these prices are 
obtained, the shipments of American cattle will continue in increasing quan- 
tities, for with the vast stock-raising lands in the West there is practically 
no limit to the exportation ; and with reference to this I will mention that 
in 1877 there were 30,500,000 head in the United States, and next year the 
returns will probably show 35,000,000. Last year 86,000 head were landed 
in the principal ports of the United Kingdom, 67,000 more than in the pre- 
vious year, mostly from the United States, 30,925 from the port of New 
York alone, to various countries in Europe. It is calculated that England 
took 24,834, at 97 dols. a head (say 20/. 4s.), and Cuba 40,000 head, at 17 
dols. each (say 3/. lis.) ; the wild grass-fed lexans to Cuba, and the Shorthorn 
grades with better feeding to England and Europe ; the latter selling for less 
than five times the price of the former. The weight of the Shorthorn grades 
was about twice that of the Texan. Ten years will, it is stated, bring a re- 
markable change in the quality and weight of these Texans, and the improve- 
ment will possibly be more than enough to supply in quantity the present 
exports to Europe. Each year probably adds nearly 100 lbs. per head to their 
live weight. Exportation stimulates careful breeding, enhancing the character, 
quality, and weight of the animal. This improvement in breeding will be 
equal to an increase of 25 per cent, in number of cattle. Better feeding pro- 
duces earlier maturity, and therefore, if 5,000,000 of these are ready for 
market at two and a half years instead of three years, and 5,000,000 at three 
years and a half instead of four years, this would give about 16 per cent, more 
cattle for market each year without increase of the whole number kept. 
" Oxen are raised in the State of Colorado, and ready for market at a cost of 
4 dols. (or 16s. 8c^.) per head, and it is claimed that on a large scale it can be 
done for 3 dols. (or 12s. Qd.) per head. That the United States is destined to 
supply England with its main supplies of food I have no doubt, for as one of 
my informants states, first, it is in the very nature of American enterprise to 
push a trade which affords a profit, and to resort to all manner of ' cheapening ' 
processes and methods to make it more profitable; secondly, the extension of 
