The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-02-07
MISSOURI LIVE STOCK
JANUARY, 1918

I cept horses, advanced in value and
numbers during 1918, was announced
| here today in the annual live stock
report of f. A. Logan and Jewell
,Mayes of the U. S. Department and
State Board of Agriculture. The
grand total value of live stock in Mis-
souri, is $406, 1862 900, averaging $135
for each person in the State, and ST.
4SO for each of the 274,460 farmers.
The grand total of meat animals is
9,183,000, or about per person in
Missouri. There were 8,652,000, or
l2.8 animals per person in 1918. New
err before have the values been at such
a high level. The increase is due in
part to the high prices, but mainly
to the farmers patriotic desire to
meet the world needs.
The number of horses is 1,040,OOO,
the same as January, 1918, and the
value per head is 1872, loss of 50 dur
ing the year. The use Of tractors has
to some extent fostered tendency
among farmers to limit the ratn"a'
increase of horses. Sales have been
slow and draggy lately, even with the
better grade of horses now produced.
The present average price OF colts
($47) is considered improbable IN
many sections. The total value of all
horses in Missouri is now $95.68O, 600.
The number of mules is $4,000, an
increase of 1000 over one year ago.
Mules find more ready sale than
horses, hence the increase. The class
of mule colts is above past years. The
average price of mules is SIG, or 81
per head above January, 1918, with
total value at $43,384,00O for Mis-
souri,.
There are $4,000 mich cows in
Missouri, or 5000 more than last
, year. The dairy business is increas-
, ing, particularly in the northeast and
Ozark sections, due to the good work
of the State Dairy Commissioner and
the College of Agriculture. Much
poor breeding stock has been disposed
of during 1918 because of the drouth
and lack of feed, but the quality as
: whole has been materially bettered.
| In the dairy sections near the large
= cities much complaint is heard of the
high prices of mill feeds, and there
, has been a tendency to decrease the
herds. The average price of mich
cows is STA per head, a total of $685.
100000.
: The number of other cattle, 1882
( 600, is the same as last year. In the
| west and southwest considerable Mis-
n souri, stock had to be sold to hold the
h remainder. In most sections, the cat
" tie have been carefully culled, result
I ing in much improvement in quality.
4 The total of feeding steers is less
= than last year, and those remaining
on farms are lighter and younger
stock. Many feeders in many sec
: ions did not fill their feed lots be-
p use Ct the short corn crop. The av-
1ga a'un of other cattle in the
i otc i, $4940 per head, or $88,031,-
:. oNO
The number of sheep in Missouri is
y, l $4,000, an increase of $4,000 ovei
: last year. This compares very, very
- favorably with five or six years ago
The increase is due to the wartime
e demands for meat and wool, together
e with the high prices. Small flocks are
e appearing in nearly all sections of the
l. State, even where sheep were mo-
a seen before. Sheep clubs of the State
n Board of Agriculture are spreading
.s the "more sheep more WOOL gospel
There is no apparent disposition tt
over-stock, and the increase. seems
e stable. An unusual amount of sheep
" scab has been found among sheer
brought in through the public stocl
d yards. Farmers desire some sort OF
T. dog law, and say that in man!
w counties (and especially the Ozarks
dogs and wolves prevent the keeping
q of sheep. The average value of SHEEP
- is 1920, totaling $2O,215,00O.
= The hog population of Missouri il
: 4,943, 900, or 449, 900 more than a yea
ago. This number consists largely o
- brood sows and young stock, whic
10 show a decided increase. Fattenini
IS hogs have been well shipped becaus
of the shortage of corn. There i
much complain of the current cost o
. ground feeds, and considerable dissat
''' isfaction was expressed during tn
I'd early fall on account of the break il
ne prices. A large portion of the ia
d. hogs was sent to market early, an
H. hogs were lighter in weight than las
Is. year. In some sections pigs died o
NJ the new swine diseases, which was nd
,b so fatal to the older hogs. There hav
~ Deen no very extensive outbreaks U
" cholera, such as occurred in forme
us years, the losses being controlled i
w. small local areas through the COOP
In erative activity of the State Veterir
to arian, the U. S. Bureau of Animal In
IN, dustry, and the College of Agriculture
I'd thus saving millions of dollars to Mis-
re souri, farmers. Average value $18.5
of per head, total $83,139,000.
We Live stock are generally health
he and wintering we'll. Water is suff
re Gent, the winter has been mild wit
90 only one snow covering the groun
Ia generally, and the splendid fall whes
&c pasture Of 4,243,0 900 acres is being flu
n s iy utilized. Scarcity of roughage
lu prevalent, but more corn was cut fe
II fodder than usual, so with normi