The United States for a quarter of a century was the world's greatest export nation, and this trade has fallen off only in recent times, because of the shortage at home.
Our export business well illustrates the changing conditions in the cattle industry, and the record of live cattle exported from Chicago is a notable example, namely:
| Cattle | |
| Exports in 1905 | 321,301 |
| Exports in 1912 | 23,006 |
| Exports in 1913 | 260 |
| Exports in 1914 | 182 |
This table shows that the export trade was virtually extinct a year before the European War began; and if revived, it will be because of exorbitant prices brought about by the abnormal European demand, due to the depletion of the cattle herds abroad.
Official statistics show that prior to the European War 90.55 per cent of all the European cattle were within the boundaries of the now-belligerent countries.
The records at that time, covering both beef cattle and dairy-herds, were as follows:
| Russia | 36,237,000 |
| Germany | 20,944,000 |
| Austria-Hungary | 17,787,883 |
| France | 12,286,849 |
| United Kingdom | 12,030,789 |
| Turkey | 6,726,000 |
| Italy | 6,198,861 |
| Rumania | 2,667,000 |
| Belgium | 1,831,000 |
Even prior to the war, the world-supply of cattle was diminishing, and now the herds of these nations, representing nine-tenths of the European supply, are depleted as never before, while the one-tenth remaining supply of the neighboring neutral nations is reduced by the drafts of the warring powers.
The immense demand in recent years has caused the marketing of vast numbers of the best improved cattle in the United States, including great inroads upon the breeding herds, as cattle growers have marketed their stock without regard to the future, looking solely to the large immediate profits.
The depletion and deterioration of the breeding herds is a source of great danger, as it cannot fail to result in a still further decrease in production, and threatens to seriously impair the meat supply of the American people.