Advance In Beef

With the extraordinary ímpetus given to cattle raising in the far west and southwest during the past decade, the present scarcity in the supply of cattle available for beef purposes, which has led to the recent advance of twentyflve per cent. in the prices of beef, is qui te unexpected to the average citizen. For sucli cattle as are fitted for market the present is an unusually good time for realizing, since the present range of prices can bebut temporary. Grassfed beef will soonarrive on the market, while high prices of meat also have a tendency to bring forward cattle, which under ordinary circumstances would be held back for fattening and marketing later in the season. Had it not been for the mild weatherof the past winter and the excellent feed which has prevailed in most of the great grazing sections, the present scarcity of fine cattle would have been of still greater severity. Next fall increased suppties of beef may be looked for. Returns from the ranchmen say that the winter in Texas and the southwest, and even in Montana, has been very favorable, and the losses in cattle unusually light. It should also be remembered that extreme prices for heef checks its consumption among the masses of the people, who are forced to substituto flsh, eggs.beans, pork and mutton. Again, the demand for beef during the summer months is niuch lighter than in the winter season. One of the most potent factors in thé present enhanced cost of beef is the extensive export trade in American oattle and meat. In 1880 280,032 cattle, valued at $16,877,382 were shipped abroad, and in 1881 215,762 head, valued at $10,590,850. Upwards of 40,000 tons of American beef were ported into England last year, at a cost of about ten cents per pound. In the seven years between 1874 and 1881 the decrease in value of the live stock of Great Britain and Ireland showed $22,620,180 in cattle, $69,876,600 in sheep and $2,905,000 in pigs, heneé with an ever increasing population, especially mong the tnèat-consuming classes, the Seficiency in home supplies must be made up by imported meat. America seems to be the most natural source of supply, as, notwithstanding the great ado made over the shipment of Australian beef, recent attempts have turned out failures, and the United States need have no fears from either Australian or South American competition. As the Australian beef had to be transported through the tropical heat of the Indian Ocean,it was necess.iry to freeze it, and the result was it became tainted and unflt for f ood shortly after its arrival. The American beef is carried across the cool Atlantic in ref ngerators which are kept a few degrees above f reezing point, and the beef, when exposed for salewill keep as long as it will in our own market. The American beef generally reaches the English markets in flf teen days at the latest after slaughtering. As illustrating the immense drain the export trade is continually making upon our live stock we ' may aention that 3033 cattle, 7120 quarters of beef and 2334 carcasses of mutton were shipped abroad per steamers last week. The enormous additions to our population, both from natural inerease and f rom unprecedented immigration, adds largely to the demands lor beef for home consumption. It is quite probable that from these two sources combined an addition wiil be made to our population during the current year exceeding 2,000,000 souls, demanding a corresponding increase in the daily food supply. The magnitude of the business transacled in a few of our leading cattle markets shows a most remarkable growth in this industry. It is only twelve years since beef cattle were iirst shipped to èastern markets from the región west of the Missouri, and now Chicago receives 28,000 to 30,000 head per week. Forty years ago 200 head of cattle were sufflcient to meet the wants of the Boston beef market for a week, yet now, in addition to heavy supplies of dressed meat from the west, between 3000 and 3500 head of cattle are required to supply Brighton and Watertown markets. New York city markets consume weekly receipts of beeves averaging 13,500 head to say nothing of 4000 veals, 30,000 sheep and 25,000 swine. The trade in dressed beef interferes with the shipment of cattle, the use of refrigerator cars giving certainty and despatch to the industry. Five years ago Chicago shipped 33,381,508 pounds of dressed beef. Last year her shipments exceeded 65,000,000 pounds. The advance in the price of beef has been very marked of late and, as compared with one year ago, export steers, worth at Chicago $6 per 100 pounds, are now worth 7.25 to $7.85. Beef cattle at Boston, worth 8 to 8J cents per pound dead weight last year, are now selliDg at 10 to 10J cents. Prime cattle, quoted at New York in 1881 at $11.25 to $11.50 per hundred, are now held at $13.25 to $13.50 dressed weight. The future price of beef in this country must depend largely upon the demand abroad, as well as the abundance or scarcity of cattle in the great west.