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AGRICULTURE

corn, and 10'7 bushels of oats, the computations being made from the figures for population, production, and exports for 1888 to 1892. The following number of acres in these crops are required, therefore, to supply the home demand:—0‘43 of 1 acre in wheat, 1'15 acre in corn, and 0'43 acre in oats per head of the population. If we take the year 1890 as an illustration, this gave a surplus area in wheat of 11,264,478 acres, of 2,648,404 acres in corn, and of 238,162 acres in oats. There were 4,008,907 farms in the United States in 1880, and in 1890 there were 4,564,641, an increase of 13’9 per cent. In 1880 the average number of horses to Number ^ ^arm was and in 1890, 3*1. In 1880 and value there was an average of 0'4 mule per farm in of animals the United States, and in 1890 the number had per farm, increased to 0’5. There were on the average three milch cows on each farm in 1880, and in 1890 the number had increased to 3'5. The number of other cattle per farm was 5‘3 in 1880, and in 1890 it was 8'1. The average number of sheep fell from 10-2 in 1880 to 9‘7 in 1890. There was a corresponding decrease in value. The number of swine rose from 8-5 in 1880 to 1U3 in 1890. There were on the average farm in the United States in 1880, 30'2 animals, whose total value was $393, and in 1890 there were 36'2 animals valued at $529, an increase in numbers of 19'9 per cent., more than keeping pace with the increase in number of farms, which was 13'9 per cent.; and in value the increase was $136, or 34'6 per cent.1 Table XI. shows the average number and value of animals on farms in the United States in 1880 and 1890, with the percentage of increase or decrease during the decade. In 1880 there were 23 horses to each 100 of population in the United States. The number increased to 25 in 1893, and declined to 21 in 1896. For the decade 1880-90 the average was 2l£, and for the period 1890-98 the average was 23. The average value of horses per 100 of population for the ten-years period 1880-90 was $1462, and for the period 1890-98 $1300. In 1880 there were 3 mules for each 100 of population, and after increasing to 4 in 1894 it fell to 3 in 1899. The value

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of mules per 100 of population increased from $214 in 1880 to $296 in 1889, and declined steadily to $150 in 1898. Since the war with Spain there has been a marked increase in value, which still continues. Between 1880 and 1890 there were about 25 milch cows for every 100 of population. After 1890 the number increased to 26, and in 1896 fell off to 23. The average value of cows per 100 of population increased steadily from $565 in 1890 to $780 in 1884, but decreased to $520 in 1898. The latest reports indicate a marked increase again. The Table XI.—Average Number and Value of Animals per Farm in the United States in 1880 and 1890, and Percentage of Increase or Decrease. Animals. Horses Mules Milch cows. Other cattle Sheep. Swine. Total

1880.

1890.

Number. Value. Number. Value. 2-8 $153 3-1 $214 0-4 26 0-5 40 3'0 70 3*5 77 5-3 85 8-1 123 10-2 23 22 97 36 11-3 8'5 53 30-2

393

36-2

529

Percentage of increase (+) or decrease (—). Number. Value. + 10-7 + 39-9 + 25*0 + 53-8 + 167 + 10-0 + 52-8 + 44-7 - 4-9 - 4-3 + 32-9 + 47-2 + 19-9

+ 34-6

number of sheep in proportion to population increased from 82 per 100 in 1880 to 93 in 1884, from which there was a steady decrease to 53 in 1898. The values increased from $182 per 100 of population in 1880 to $234 in 1883, from which there was a downward movement, reaching the lowest point, $92, in 1896. The number of swine per 100 of population commenced with 69 in 1880 and reached their highest point, 85, in 1882, then decreased to 75 in 1888, and to 63 in 1898. The values started at $295 in 1880, went up to $550 per 100 in 1883, and then declined to $270 in 1898. The total value of all farm animals per 100 of population increased from $3185 in 1880 to the highest point, $4454, in 1884, from which there was a steady decrease to $2300 in 1898. The following tables (XII. and XIII.) give the number, total value, and average price of farm animals in 1880, 1890, and 1900 :—

Table XII.—Number and Value of Farm Animals in the United States, 1880 to 1900. January 1. 1880 1890 1900 January 1.

Horses. Number. Value. 11,201,800 $613,296,611 14,213,837 978,516,562 13,537,524 603,969,442 Other Cattle.

Number. 21,231,000 $341,761,154 1880 1890 36,849,024 560,625,137 1900 27,610,054 689,486,260

Mules. Number. 1,729,500 2,331,027 2,086,027

$105,948,319 182,394,099 111,717,092

Sheep. Number. 40,765,900 44,336,072 41,883,065

Value. $90,230,537 100,659,761 122,665,913

Milch Cows. Number. Value. 12,027,000 $279,899,420 15,952,883 352,152,133 16,292,360 514,812,106

Swine. Total Value of Farm Animals. Number. 34,034,100 $145,781,515 $1,576,917,556 51,602,780 243,418,336 2,418,766,028 a2,042,650,813

a Exclusive of swine. of horses reached the highest figure, 16,206,802, an increase of over 5,005,002, or 44'6 per cent, over the number in 1880. The average farm price of horses increased from $54.75 in 1880 to $74.64 in 1884, after which there was an uninterrupted decrease to $31.51 in 1896. The extension of street-car lines, and the substitution of cable and electric power for that of horses, and the use of bicycles have been factors in decreasing the demand Since the Civil War the number of horses has increased for these animals. The record for mules has been parallel and prices have gradually declined. In 1893 the number to that for horses. 1 The returns for milch cows show an increase throughout Condensed from Report of tlie Division of Statistics of the U.S. the period 1880-99 in every year, with the exception of Dept, of Agriculture, 1899. Table XIII.—Average Value of Farm Animals in the United States on ls£ January, 1880 to 1900. Other Tear. Horses. I Mules. Milch Cows. Cattle. Sheep. Swine. $54.75 ! $61.26 $23.27 ! $16.10 : $2.21 §4.28 1880 68.84 I 78.25 22.14 ! 15.21 I 2.27 4.72 1890 44.61 I 53.56 31.60 ! 24.97 I 2.93 1900