The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-03-20
Extracts from the Report of the
Department Of Agriculture,
Upon the Numbers and Values Of Farm
Animals for January and February 1856.

The returns of the number of horses
Indicate an interes. in horse-breeding
of late, which j. due to the steady de
mand for servIceable animals for draft
purpose and for the farm and road.
A gradual improvement, Is noted by the
introduction Of famous breeds of Euro
pean draft horses, especially the Nor
man aud Percheron. and to i consider
able extent the English Shirehor>e
and the Clydesdale. 1t is evident
that the every day working horse
of America is to be heavier and strong
er animal than has been seen hereto
fore, and that the expectation Of hor
ses may in the future couduce to the
stability of prices and the profit Of
breeding.
Almost every State makes som" in
crease Most of the Atlantic States
show an increase of about l per cent.
as we'll as Louisiana, Texas. and Iii
nois New York and Virginia, :; and
about the same rate in Arkansas, Ten
nesse-, West Virginia. Ohio. Michietn
and Wisconsin. The States Of the
Missouri Valley. with rapid advances
in settlement and population, show "a
much larger rate Nebraska, an in
crease of 10 per cent, and Dakota of
Is. There is also a considerable al
vance on the Pacific coast. There has
been a large increase in the Rocky
Mountain region, as horse ranches ale
becoming numerous and profitable.
The total increase in the United States,
as estimated, aggregates 5l3.O85.
The number of mules has not al
vanctd faster than population. but the
increase is distributed with some irreg
ularity, being greatest in the States
and Territories 5etweea the Mi-sissip
pi and the Rocky Mountains. The az
gregate increase is placed at SO,02l.
The number of cows has decreased
somewhat III Vermont, New York, and
Ohio, on account of low prices of dairy
products. Elsewhere there has gpner
ally been advance with increase of pop
ulation, while there has been inc,t.>~
more or less marked in the dairy States
of the West. In the South the increase
is general though small. In ~the:.aggre
gate a showing of 33O,6 66 more cows
than last year is made.
Coming to sheep, it must be ob.erv
ed that sheep husbandry is in a period
of deeper depression than any other ami
NAL industry of the country. The re
suits of this inquiry manifest a loss of
about two million sheep. 1t is est
mated that Pennsylvania has lost in
n year a fifth OF her f1ocks, or neatly
three hundred thousand sheep. The
loss is the more s%erioGs, as it falls main
~ on a region peculiarly adapted 10y
It's grasses and irregularities of surface
for sheep farming, which has long stood
in the fore front of Improvement in
wool growing. The decline is almost
universal east of the Mississippi.
In swine there has been a small in
crease in the record. due rather to a
better enumeration of tho stock Of
the rapidly developing regions Of the
Missouri Valley rather than to actual
increase. In most of the older States
there is noticed a small reduction ; for
two years past the supply per capita is
less than formerly. The reduction in
values, to which the falling off in ex
ports contributes, tends somewhat to
this decline in numbers.
The decline in horses, mules. and cat
tie has been in progress two years. In
sheep and swine it was noticed in the
January report of 1884. The extent of
the reduction is greater in this return
than in that of a year ago.. 1t averages
only about 3 per cent in horses and
mules. 1t is about 8 per cen in cattle,
IL per cent in sheep, and Is per cent.
in swine.
Last year the aggregate decline in to
tai values was small the present valu |
alton is $9l ,266, 121 less than last year,
notwithstanding increase in numbers
of horses and cattle. The grand ag