Show CHANGES IN BEEF production IN UNITED STATES SINCE 1850 0 4 A V I 1 ai N 1 11 1 76 I 1 A bunch of purebred shorthorn Snort horn corsand cows and calves prepared by the th united state department of agriculture Aerl culture reef beef production in the united states has bas undergone marked changes chii ngos since 1850 and chief among them Is the difference in age to which animals destined for slaughter laughter are kept on the farms tills Is one of the ninny phases ot of tile the industry discussed in the 1021 1921 yearbook article our beef supply prepared by live stock specialists find and economists in the department of agriculture tills change Is discussed in connection wit with h variations in the di dc wands of consumers and the per capita consumption of beet beef with a larger proportion of beet beef cows kept find with cattle slaughtered tit at an earlier age it Is now possible to raise more beet beef each year titan than when there were more cattle in the country than nt at present however tile the system of using younger cattle for beet beef involves the use of more harv harvested eted feed per pounds of beef produced since bince a larger proportion of the gains in weight are made in the feed fd lot than was fort formerly the case when steers were carried tour four or five seasons on gras situation not serious Se riou while the total number of 0 cuttle cattle in tile the country hit ams decreased in recent deurs the situation Is not as serious us an might appear since the number of cattle Is gro greater let l now than in any year from to to 1917 the census figures far 1910 1900 ind IP 10 show that there has been hec n fin an inoreno In creno u in fit the percentages of beef chiv li elfers cows and bulls end and a dec decrease rense in the percentage of steers especially aged steers the number of entile crittle in the country in reli sod from 1014 to 1910 1010 during tile last three years there has been it decrease of head but the greater proportion of cows nt at present makes it possible to grow more beef especially it if more of the calves instead of being slaughtered are fed out ns as yearlings yearnings year lings that the country can readily respond to a quickened demand for beet beef wits was demonstrated demonet rated during the war when production was to so t o stimulated that during 1917 and 1018 1918 combined combine more than pounds of beef were exported which was 7 per cent cen of our production and 22 per cent of exports of tile the world during lint period since about 1105 1905 south amer irn and an have hae been the chiet sources of surplus beef americans are euting eating less lesis beef per epta than formerly but the figures slim aliat ali it when demand and prices izolde stimulus tha supply can bo be increased nt at a surprisingly rapid rate tile of beet beef wid veal ell in the lie united states de from 87 pounds per person in 1007 to fio CA pounds in 1015 1915 a net variation of 27 pounds between the periods of 1907 to 1910 and 1911 to 1921 there tins lifts been a decrease in tion n mounting amounting to approximately 20 per cent the article contains ns interesting in on the variations in demand for different kinds of beef in various cities and in the different ducci sections of the country high class hotels in the larger cities want prune prime fat and finished beet beef while alle the average housewife wants beef involving less les waste lil in warm weather the principal demand Is for steak and chops while the winter trade demands wore roasts and boiling beef the orthodox jewish trade uses the fore forequarters quarters while gentiles as ai a rule prefer hind ter beef beef consumed in east A S survey arvey made in 1020 showed that at that time neary nearly 32 per cent of the beef was wan consumed in the north atlantic states which comprises new eagland Ur Er gland new york Penn sUvanIa and new ne jersey the next largest amount or 24 percent per cent was consumed in the kast enst north central division in other words more than 65 per cent of the total consumption of beef and veal occurred in the territory enst of the find and north of the ohio river and maryland the smallest consumption occurred in tile the douthat Sou south thAt at 1 dintle dl dallon llon comprising lie die staten beaten or of delaware maryland virginia north mirth carolina Coio llna south carolina georgia gia and florida per capita con varied from froin 83 pounds in the western division to 89 39 la in the south central the north atlantic division which was first in total consumption was ras second in per capita consumption io 11 tills this survey suney of tile ilie beet beef cattle situation which includes in addition to the discussion of consumption and present trend information on various factors of production and marketing leads to the conclusion that the period of liquidation Is over oer and that when industrial conditions and retail prices price permit a normal consumption of beet beef cattle producers should be prosperous again |