The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1915-09-23
A7XZZNZZD P0JIZALLLZZS3 A5A
dairy 5ZHZE~
,From mi, Aigan-the Land of Plenty.D

AIN and bees on Michigan
M farms was $197.S0S,795, an
EE Increase of 74.3 per cent
over the preceding decade.
The percentage of increase
in values during this period for the
different classes of animals, was
as follows, viz: For horses, $3.50 per
cent; cattle, 43.S per cent; swine, liz
per cent and sheep and lambs, 34.7
per cent. Cattle valuations are only
about four-sevenths of those for
horses and colts, but the two together
represent 80 per cent of the total live
stock valuations, swine representing
IL per cent; sheep, per cent and
poultry, Al per cent. OF the 2O6,96O
farms in Michigan, 1868 or 80 per
cent report domestic animals of some
kind.
Horses.
In 1910 there were 610,033 horses
and colts on Michigan farms, valued
at 81 ,312,474. Horses were reported
on SO per cent of the farms in the
state, out only 1876 per cent reported
colts foaled in 1909, despite the fact
priced. There is no reason why
farm work mare, properly fed and
handled, cannot produce a good years
work and a strong, vigorous foal at
the same time. The climate, soil and
crop products Of a large portion OF
Michigan are eminently adapted to the
production of heavy horses, for which
the market is so willing to pay pre-
MUM. Michigan is a purchaser rather
than seller of horses; in this re-
spect she is neglecting a valuable op-
portunity. At this writing, though we
have probably reached the crest of the
high wave Of horse prices, the indi-
cations are that there will be good
profits III horse breeding for some
time to come Mules and mule colts
are reported from 1866 Michigan
farms, to the number of 300, worth
$493,S25.
Beef and Dairy Cattle.
Cattle numbering 1,497,S23 head
valued at $40, 500,31S, are reported on
1S5,0S1 farms or S9.4 per cent of all
farms, though in some cases the stock
consisted of one or more cows only
for the production of family dairy
supplies. At this time there was
total of 767,0S3 dairy cows, worth $685.,
312,252. During this year the dairy
products of Michigan farms, not in
GLIDING milk and cream for home use,
was $26, 727 ,53S, rating the state in
eighth place. There has been a con-
slant increase in dairy cattle and
their products in the state during the
past decade and a half Much i'm
provement has resulted from i'm
proved methods of breeding through
the greatly extended use of pedigreed
sires, including Holstein, Guernsey
and Jersey breeds. There never was
such a keen demand for dairy cat
tie as at present, with prices at an
unprecedentedly high level. Large
areas of the unreclaimed portion of
the northern part Of the state are
eminently adapted for dairy produc-
ton.
The number of cattle other than
dairy cows amounted to 730,74O head,
worth 81, 1897 These animals were
not all of the beef type, as the classi-
fication contained both males and all
young stock of both beef and dairy
breeds under fifteen months of age
The number of dairy cows given in a
preceding paragraph, undoubtedly in
cludes many grade animals largely of
beef breeding, such as Shorthorn
grades which are at least average
milk producers. The conditions con-
fronting the settler were not favorable
to cattle production, for the country
was heavily timbered and the grasses
growing within the forest shades and
along the water courses and swamps
were sparse in the former case, and
unnutritious in the latter. The set
tier was all absorbed in land clearing
for crop production and his live stock
equipment was meager, consisting Of
one or more cows and few pigs and
chickens, to provide meat and milk to
meet the family necessities. The pio-
neer's sacrifices in crop production
made him loath to feed to stock the
products of a soil reclaimed at so
much personal sacrifice. Pedigreed
beef cattle were introduced into Mich.
igan at early dates. Devons in 1910,
Shorthorns, 1913; Galloways, 1854;
Herefords, 1854, and Aberdeen Angus
in 1884. Devons, though numerous at
one time, have practically disappeared
The production of beef hourished in
Michigan almost up to the eos, when
the abundant cheap productions of the
West became serious competitive
factor, from which the industry has
not yet fully recovered. During the
Interval which elapsed in the transit
ton from beef to dairy production,