Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-02-07
LIVE STOCK VALUES
In WASHINGTON

The valuations of the various
classes of live stock on farms and
ranges in the state ON January |,
1919, were as follows: Horses, ST.
$4,000; mules, $2,160,00O; milk
cows, $16,200,000; other cattle,
$11,436,000; sheep, $3.2O4,OOO;
swine, $6,974, 1000; or a total valua-
ton of all live stock of $73,877,OOO,
compared with an aggregate valua-
ton of all classes of stock of &c.,
$4,000 in 1918; 61,552,0OO in
1917; $58,146,0OO in 1916; and
$62, 5000 in 1915.
Consideration must be given to the
fact that of the $11,424,000 increase
| in valuation of all classes of live
stock for the state since 1915, the in
crease in numbers of certain classes
contributes $3,465,S0O, and the =,
tual increase in value OF proportion
ate numbers is $7,958, 200. In other
words, if the total number of live
stock in 1915 and 1919 had been the
same the increased valuation of 1--we
stock for the four years, during
which the cost of feed and labor in
| creased materially. would be $685.
200, or IL per cent
With the reduction in area of avail
able free ranges and the advent of
| cereal and diversified farming, con-
siderable decreases in the number of
range stock, especially of other cattle
| and sheep, have occurred throughout
the state. The minimum number
was reached about eight years ago
and since that time, with the excep-
ton of varied fluctuations in the
numbers of swine, the tendency has
been to gradually increase the num-
Der of stock, particularly of milk
cows, other cattle and sheep. The
establishment of this industry has
been accomplished with a great
amount of labor and at much expense
| and not until a little over two years
ago did it begin to produce adequate
financial returns On the preceding
years investments. Immediately
thereafter the cost of feed and labor
advanced. Mill feeds were difficult
to obtain and in many areas entirely
Improbable and the near failure of
oats, barley and grain hay crops IN
many localities added to the serious
ness of the situation. These factors
contributed to the reductions in the
number of milk cows and other cat
tie throughout the state, and swine
in local areas. Even in many irri-
gated sections producing a surplus
age of feed decreases were made in
the number of cattle, the farmers
claiming that owing to high prices it
YVES more advantageous for them to
market their produce than to utilize
it for feed. Only the fairly open fall
and winter this season prevented
greater decreases. especially through
out the areas where oats and barley
were severely damaged and the grain
hay crop practically failure. The
unfortunate feature of the live stock
situation is the fact that after many
years of labor and financial invest
ment the farmer has been forced to
reduce the number of stock at time
when he was just beginning to reap
profitable returns. Additional years
of labor and investment will be es-
sential even under normal conditions
to restore this industry to the basis
on which it was before these reduc-
tions were necessitated, and the con-
certed efforts of all organizations in
terested in the progress of their To-
calities will be required. Only
through the prosperity of the sur
rounding farming community can
cities hope to prosper.
e. T. MARCHETTI,