The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-04
LIVE STOCK ON
VIRGINIA F AR MS
ny W. J. LAUGH.

20" returns OF the last census which
nave just become available. snow az,
extraordinary growth in the value OF
1--we stock on Virginia farms. rhe rate
Of Increase during the past ten years
has been IS per cent IN 1910 tie value
% all domestic animals. owned by viz.
GINA farmers was - million dollars.
Ia 1900 SUCH live stock had a. valuation
OF only - million dollars. Domestic
animals gained la value during tho
Same decade from 80 20 II million dol
lars Poultry raising was also cntere.t
into much more extensively. the value
Of poultry I'm 1910 being <9.t3o.ooo as
contrasted with only ylsop.OoV "a 1900
Cattle on Farms.
The increase In the total number OF
cattle on Virginia farms IN 1910 as
eontrasted wiki 1900. wnen Measured
Ia terms OF money. represents about
nve million dollars. The most pro-
nounced tendency at work among the
farmers who have 1--we stock is shown
by the remarkable growth in the num-
Der 81 dairy COWS ana tho decline H.
cattle for market; During tile past ten
Years farmers IN Virginia have acquired
5000 dairy cows with & total yalUa-
tion OF S3.fOO.0Du Tho number and
value OF cattle Tor market during The
same period practically remaiie. sta
uonary. This would indicate the con-
stan; development; u the carrying busl-
ness and corresponding decline In the
raising of beef cattle.
Horses and Mules.
Horses nave Increased in number
slightly more titan 80 per cont since
the last census period The total NUM-
Der owned hy Virginia farmers in 1910
was 10000. Tho grade OF farm horses
however. has been greatly Improved.
Tho average value Of Virginia farm
horse IN 1910 was approximately sos
as against an average valuation OF only
$50 twrIv. years ae. When tho census
figures were collected there were in
addition TO the mature horses, 1900
ycaring horses and $500 horse colts
The number Of full grown mules
owned by the farmers ~ the state
was also greater Dy 5000 in 1910 as
compared with 1870 The average value
In 1870 was double what It was at the
beginning OF the century Two years
ago the value OF mule on a farm
was approximately $3.50 In 1900 the
average valuation was sos
Sheep, Goats and swine.
The sheep holdings of the farmers
show large gain There We're l0o.-
600 more In 1910 than in 1900. The vol
uation OF the nocks during the last
census was also :l.300.0oO greater than
few goats on Virginia farms. In 1910
the number was 1900 with an aggre-
gate value Of $4,000 There were 500.
600 swine owned by farmers in 1910
worth Si.lOo,Ooo In 1910 the value ~
swine on Virginia farms was only Sc.
100000.
Poultry.
One of tho most interesting fac,s
developed by the census returns is tn.
interes; which has been manifested in
Virginia in raising poultry. Virginia
farmers had s.lO0,0 600 fowls OF all Kinds
in 1910 as against 5000. 900 in 1900
Their value IN 1910 was sS4O0. 600 ana
in 1900. $l.S0O.ooO BY far tho greater
number. or 800. 600. were chickens and
guinea fowls During the past ten
years the number of turkeys, ducks. ana
geese has fallen off to tho extent OF
10000. The average value OF all farm
fowls considered together was found 10y
the Census Bureau TO be fifty cents.
Other Domestic AnimnIs.
In addition TO those on farms. Viz
ginia has other domestic animals valued
At S6.so0.o00. They consist mainly of
900 cattle. $4,000 horses $500 mules.
$500 sheep and $4,000 swine The total
value of domestic animals in the state,
both on and not on farms. is, there
fore. more than seventy eight million