| OCR Text |
Show The census of sheep on farms in the United States indicates a satisfactory satis-factory situation so far as supply is concerned. In 1920 the sheep poula-tion poula-tion was set at about 40,250,000 and in 1027 the figures show slightly under un-der .12,000,000 head. This shows a stable condition of holding the supply steady and, of course, gravitates to the benefit of the producer in the face of a consistently increasing consumer con-sumer demand to be supplied. It is interesting to note that the position of states in point of sheep recorded has shifted somewhat. The first five states in the 1927 census shows Texas, California, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah in the order named. The most radical change in the figures was in Texas as present figures indicate that state leading it's nearest competitor with -1,250,000 sheep. Reports from Arizona state that prices received for wool during the season just closed have been higher than at any time in the past several years. The wool is reported of better quality than ordinary years and the bulk of the crop was sold East, the highest reported sales being 44 1-2 per pound and the general range around 40c. In looking back over hog statistics for twenty years, it is noted that there are 58,000,000 hogs on the farms in the United States in 1928, showing a slight increase over 1920 when there were 51,000,000 and in 1927 when there were 54,000,000. during the twenty year period. There are thirteen thir-teen years when a large number of hogs were reported on the farms, the highest year being 1919 when 74,-000,000 74,-000,000 hogs were present. From an economical standpoint it . has always been a problem to get the consuming public to purchase the cheaper or less desirable cuts of beef along with the more desirable and higher priced cuts. The creating of these less desirables cuts into various products has answered the need to a certain extent but still the necessity remains of cutting up the beef to realize a considerably higher price for the more desirable cuts in order to offset the losses on the cheaper portions of the animal. It can readily readi-ly be seen that when the bulk of the demand is for only a very small part of the beef animal that prices for these particular cuts are likely to soar and the cheaper cuts go begging, so to speak. A nationally known packer recently recent-ly commented on this situation and stated if the public would use a greater great-er number of cuts from the forequar-ters forequar-ters of beef, pork and lamb that the meat bill could be materially reduced and a pleasing variety of meats be enjoyed with just as high a nutri-tous nutri-tous value as is received from confining con-fining consumption to the higher priced cuts. This is a situation that can be met by placing proper kinds of information .in the hands of the consuming public and is a question well worthy of the consideration of the producer of meat food animals as well as packers, retailers and distributors. |
