OCR Text |
Show I WORLD'S MEAT SUPPLY. It may perhaps bo surprising to learn that, for all tho disturbance and dislocation dis-location of resources caused by tho war, the meat supply of t he world, so far as total number of animals is coru'errticd, is practically as it was before the conflict. con-flict. There i, however, a vast difference differ-ence in the ideographical distribution of the herds and flocks. An interesting bulletin on the subject sub-ject issued by the United States d e -partment of agriculture says that while the number oC lead in nine countries of western Europe has greatly decreased, de-creased, a compensating increase is found in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Ar-gentina, Australia and New Zealand. It is shown that in nine European countries and tho five countries mentioned men-tioned previously the increase in the number of cattle was approximately 9,000,000. The decrease in sheep amounted to about 2.500,000 and in swine 7,2oO,000. Koughly, this decrease counterbalances the increase in cattle. These figures do not take account of tl:? former empires of Austria-Hungary or the Balkan states, concerning which estimates are not available. If data were at hand from those countries, a still further decrease as compared with pre-war numbers of livestock in Europe would no doubt lo shown. Cattle decreased a little more than 7,000,000 in the European countries and increased a little more than 16,000,000 in the other countries named. The loss in numbers of swine in European countries coun-tries amounted approximately to 24,-500,000 24,-500,000 as compared with a gain of about 17,500,000 in the other countries. The decline of sheep in the European countries is estimated at 7,500,000 and the increase in the other countries about 4,750,000. j The department deems that phase of the situation most vitally important i which has to Cut with the decrease of the herds of swine in Europe. "While some countries, particularly Belgium, Franco and Italy, may try to increase their supply of meats and to build up their dairy herds by the importation of a few live cattle, America's chief interest lies in the future market for its surplus pork and lard. The length of timo which will be required to reestablish re-establish the European Ivrds of wine has been vario'i?ly estimated at from one to three y ;irs. Judging from opinions opin-ions expre-se 1 by government ot'ii'-ials and stockn-n in th different countries coun-tries visited and fr-m observation, it appears ap-pears to the, d'trtment tha' two vars will elapse befor- he lier.N r.re brought bark to pre-war normal; that f they will not be rt-tord to former numbers num-bers Wore the l.'if.-r part of 1021. Weather conditions, crops and the quantity quan-tity of L'rain available for fading will be material factors in determining this time pcrio .1. Touching upnn AiiiTb-.i 'h prubabh "report, thf bullrtin say- that, whilo tho "h'jr'a! of Hvr.-tn.-k in Eirop.- n.ay l- felt iu th's? ro-in!,r:M f'jr -.?vrral 'vnr.s, it doe not follow n n ri 1 v that i:n por.v ions of merit and lard equiva!. r.f to t:.: difiVrr :. b v. ot-n pre- wn r and im rr.t-d ia e prol'ir ' on will ! be mado v.hile tr.i l.-rds and fWM ; are b--:n,' brrMih. ba'k to th-- dd :s. Th-" aNili'y to b'iy, crt'dits and ex- linn-, ! taifs and h Tpfi for retfarhrr.ent ' undoii;t'l!y ar' iv-nns whih u-u, b. onsid'-rf-d. Ail nf th wl'l tnd to limit th- .'iou:.; r,f inon' V t-'.'tt to othr o;;ntri-s f'r th; p'jr'ha.ae of food, and "it is -v -TV lik'dy tiiit our f:.Tporta- '"ions n f tti i a t and m f a t z r. , d ' i t c. rn a v i " I ronh he pre-war levd U'fore the h"rdi and flocks of Flurope have b'-fn in-cr'-nsvd to pr-wnr nuinhfTs. ' ' From tho for'going it is gaih'-r'-d that, h.n j,'-:n tho rrha bi li t a t ion of ti' ir drov'-i as m'j h as they possibly can, hc Furc-pf 'ns will till take vast, qijnn-ti'i.ti qijnn-ti'i.ti of r.'-at j-i:pdi'S from tliis country coun-try for s v ( : : l yr-ars in tho im''i'idiate f ii r u r" Th A nw ri fan li nr-V, pro- ';r'-T, t h'T'-for"'. IS W::T- of a prilfiQ ;..r: rlf-t. for a conf :d-r rib!- irc. |