The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-03-05
FARM ANIMALS.
Thslr Number aud Value IN WSSt Viz iRIa'
Statistical Report.

country.

Their Number aud Value IN W0St Wiz lhla
Statistical Report.
COrtROaG.sVes Of he htcGliaslotT'
WAsHISGToS, d. o., March S,-Fhe Feb
ruary report Of the ssatIstlcian Of the Agri
cultural Department, Just issued, contsinl
some interesting facts and figures concern
| ing the number and value ofiaIm animali
in the United States, / CLEAN from tht
report such stltiatics as sre Of most inter
est to your West Virginia readers. In The
commencement Of his report, Prof. Dodge
Gays that the returns oil the number o.
horses indicate an interest in hOTse'bTeed
ing OF late, which is due 10 the steady de-
maud for sArviCeable animals for dTal
purposes, and for the farm and road. a
gradual Improvement Is noted by the In
PRODUCTION Of famous breeds OF European
draft horses, especially the Norman and
Percheron, and, to 4 considerable extent
the English shire hoTse and the CIydes
dale. There is little need Of now blood In
thoroughbred rRtiug or In trotting stock
IL ia evident that the every day working
horse Of America Ia to be heavier ant
stronger animal than has been seen hers
tofnre, and that tho exl ortation Of bOrSet
may in the future Conjuc1 10 the stability
Of price aud the profit Of breeding.
AImCs.eytry State makes some increase
Most oil tho Atlantic States show All iu
crease Of about one percent, West Viz
ginis, Ohio and Pennsylvania ShOT an in
rreasu Ot abouE two percent, during the
past year. The total increase Of hOlsss Ia
the United States aggregates 6l3,OS5
The number OF mules has not advanced
faster than population, but the Increase ID
distributed with some irregularity, being
greatest in the States aud Territories be.
tween the Mississippi and the Rocky
Mountains. Tho aggregate increase ID
placed at S0,09l.
The num0er OF cows has deceased soma
what IN Vermont, New York and Ohio,
on account OF low prices OF dairy pToduCls,
Elsewhere. there has generally been ad.
vance with increase OF population, while
there has been increase more or leta
marked in the dairy States Of the West,
A showing OF 33U,GCG more COWS than last
year Is made.
A larger rate OF increase has prevailed
in other cattle, largely in the distant West
ern States and In the Rocky Mountain re'
giou. The winter Of lSsi-'S5 was complr-
atively favorable for the ranch cattle and
for the unhonsed animals Of the farm re-
gion, 80 that numbers have increased in
those regions. Though prices have been
lower Ia sympathy with the general de-
preston III values, there 10 an abiding
faith In tho future OF btoGk.breeding in
this country. Tie wide range Of public
land, tho broad prairies Of the farms, must
be cropped, and when prices Of farm labor
arc high In comparison with products,
stock.iarming is ever preferable to arabic
culture and the results more profitable.
The narrowing OF the margin OF profit III
matchmaking In recent years Is teaching a
necessary and valuable lesson that waste
must be avoided, animals kept constantly
growing, and meat produced in shorter
time.
According to the statistiClan, the sheep
interests are greatly depressed-moro than
any other animal industry. There has
been loss OF two million Of shGep-owing
principally to the influences Of the dc.
preston Of prices Of wool. On account Of
the low prices Of wool aoCks have been
slaughtered in the farm States. Pennsyl.
Vania alone lost ne.lllth Of her tloCks.
There has been small increase Of swine
4 A i