Show meo eat LL production smashes mashes record twenty billion pounds Is total for united states in 1918 FARMER WAS BIG FACTOR output never approached in magnitude in this or any other country striking increases in exports P orts are shown washington american meat production product lon include inc ludi ludl 4 I 1 lard a rd amounted in 1918 to pounds a quantity never before approached pro ached in magnitude by the live stock industry of this or any other country the corresponding figure for 1917 WK was pounds three fourths of the enormous increase was n as in pork and one fourth was in beef the meat surplus in ill 1918 1018 was so great that i atra export demands made little impression sion on it although 1918 export shipments of meat and lard neatly neaily doubled the 1917 figure rising from slightly leis than pounds to slightly more than pounds and these figures do not include shipments to american military forces abroad the aggregate 1917 consumption lou of dresse dressel I 1 meat and lard in the united states was approximately pounds this means after allowing ap for increase in population an adal lion of 23 pounds for every man woman and child in the country despite the rood food con conservation servo ito n campaign which in 11 caused to decline considerably farmer was big factor while the people as a whole through ti rough their abstinence averted the immediate crisis it was the farmer who was the really big factor in the ultimate situation says the bureau of animal industry united states department of agriculture tile the producer ot of course was expected to do ills his part but he be did it with such powerful effect that in a single year the meat shortage was turned into a pronounced surplus thus in 1918 there was not only meat enough to supply all foreign demands compatible with the restricted shipping facilities but a greatly enlarged quantity was available tor for the home consumption to bo be sure it cot the fanner more much more to feed his animals and get them to market likewise all other steps from producer to consumer became more costly hence the high prices but the unprecedented prosper lly ity of tile people us as a whole enabled enable el thorn them to afford the iho increased cost in III fact laboring people probably consumed more during tile lust last year than in ili prewar times tile total num number ber of cattle q slaughtered in 1918 is 13 estimated at 0 0 it us ingal against nt 13 in 1017 1 their a vet ag were practically tile the so same me for buth belli ye years ars all und ill lie beet beef produced from thorn them was pounds in 1917 and pounds in 1918 this was vlas a remarkable ns as it hardly would have been credited that beef growers could increase their production a million P pounds 0 ands in one year results called stupendous tile the hog matures quickly therefore a much more rapid increase would be looked for than was the casewitz case with cattle even so the results lor for 1018 1918 can be described only as stupendous the hog liggs marketed in 1018 numbered go 00 as against in ili 1017 1917 furthermore the average weight was nine find and a half pounds more per hog in 1018 1918 thus when the animals are turned into pork and lard we ve have a total production ot of 11 pounds in 1018 1918 as against 8 pounds in 1917 fill an increase of 2 pounds or per cent nearly one third striking increases in exports also fire are bow n by the bureau leet beef shipments abroad in 1018 1918 were 1 ere 04 94 per cent more than in 1017 1917 the chief 1018 1918 items being pounds of fresh beef and pounds pound of canned beef exports of pork and lard in 1018 1918 amounted to which was per cent more than the quantity sent abroad in 1917 1517 the bureau shows that in the aggregate more meat by tar far is eaten in tho the I 1 united states than in ili any otter other country in the world although althou gli some sparsely settled countries country es raising much meat have a larger per capita consumption it also says that there Is room in ili the united states slates for a great expansion in the use of mutton and lamb |