DECREASE IN LIVE STOCK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 7 May 1921, Page 3

DECREASE IN LIVE STOCK.

ON FARMS DURING LAST YEAR

Nearly 10,000.000 less head of live stock were on farms in the United States on January 1. 1921, than a year preceding,. accord jis: to estimates based ■-upon report* of agents and correspondents of the Bureau of 'Ciop Estimates, United States Department "of Agriculture. Horses decreased about 602,000 ''head, or 2.9 r»er cent; mules decreased"' slightly, 42,000 or 0.8 per cent-, milk cows decreased 298.000, or 1.3 ncr cent; other cattle decreased 1.880,000, or 4.2 [■per cent; s^in.e decreased 5,078,000, rr .7.1 tier cent; and sheep decreased 2,----f 047 000, or 4.3 per cent. THIS YEAR'S TOTALS.

The total numbers on farms and ranges January 1. are estimated as fol- . lows: Horses, 20,183,000- mules, 4.----999,000; milk cows, 23,321,000; other cattle. £42,870,000- swine, 66.649,000: and sheep, 45,067,000. The results of the 1920 census of live stock ho >c been Issued for a few States only; the two sets of figures (census and crop estimates^ are not made from the same basis, and therefore are not , comparable, in that the Bureau of Crop Estimates figures are the result of at>plyuig yearly est;mated changes to the •' census figures of 1910, which were taken on April 15, instead of on January 1, as was done in 1920. No» attempt has been made to readjust the bureau's 1920 figures to the new census basis m the few States for which census figures have been published. Readjustments will be,deferred^intil the census ! will be complete for all States. The total value of live stock has delmced 2,271,576,000 dollars, or *>6 7 per cent, during the year, that is from a total of 8,507,145.000 dollars on Jan- 1 ary 1, 1920, to 6,235:569,000 dollars on \ i Janury 1,, 1921. This decline is due L partly to the reduction in numbers, but i more to the lower value per head Horses, with a value of 82.45 dollars, per head as compared with 94.42 dollars a year-ago, are lower than they have been since 1906. The total value of horses is estimated at' 1,664,166.00 dol- i lavs which is 298,337,000 dollars, or ' *r p,er cent- less t.nan a year ago Mules have declined iii m-ice re- •? Li y more than have hoi'ses", due probably to the depression in the cotton btates, where mule? are largely used, j The January 1 price, 115.72 dollars is ! the lowest value since 1916, whereas the value a year ago. 147.07 dollars was the highest on record. The total value of mules is 578.473,000 dollars, a re duct:.on of ,162,927,000 dollars, or 2 1? per cent, as compared with a year ago Milk cows have declined 24 8" per Tn^'tn n ft QQ7cT Pn r h**d. P™ 86.11 dol.lars to 63 97 dollars, and m total value have declined 518.228,000 dollar!, ir per cent from 2,010 128 000 dnl lars to 1,491:900.000 dollar^ 'Other cattle have declined 27.3 per cent Z value per head, from 43.22 dollars to 31.41 dollar*; and f n total value have declined 687,520,000 dollars, or 30 4 f^fift^rS?l^ l-^-IS^OOO dollars io x, I*™ docll' ned in value per toT9QQ 1 ?i er COnt', - fr°m 19- 01 dollails fn the nriee decline «f the:r rirndu^

! 1920, as determined hv the Bureau of : Estimates, United States jJtjji. ment of Agriculture, is below the average of 1914-1918 by 25 per cent, in i liano.s, by 20 per cent, in Nevada, by j 19 per cent, in Georgia, by 18 per cent, in Minnesota. lowa, and Monc ■ tana, by 17 per cent, in North Dakota, r j by 15 per cent in Indiana., by 14 per 3 cent, in Nebraska, by 12 per cent, in Louisiana, by 9' per' cent", in Missis- [ sippij by 3 per cent in Ohio, and by 2 r per cent, in Missouri. GeneraUy speaking, wheat, corn, and cotton, wliere predominating crops, caused the decline :u ' the total value"of all crops. On the other hand, the highest crop values for 1920 in relation to the fiveyear average are found :in California and Oregon, some of the Motnta n States, all New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Caro- ; l.tna, and Wiscons-in.- Diversificatilon of ' production avoids having "all the eo-gs in one basket." 6