230 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



788,000 horse @ |75, |59,100,000 



(570,000 of these are kept and used on farms — 

 over two-thirds of whole number.) 



61,107 mules @ $80, 4,893,360 



(39,000 of which are kept and used on farms, 

 leaving only 22,167 to be used in mines, 

 cities, etc). 



1,200,000 dairy cows («! PS, 42,000,000 



750,000 steers, growing dairy stock and bulls @ |29,. . 21,750,000 



830,000 sheep (^i). |3.90, 3,237 000 



6,500 goats @ 13.50, 22,750 



1,100,000 swine @ |7.61, 8,571,000 



P'ouitry, (we make 4io estimate of pigeons, 

 hares, dogs and cats, which are not without 

 value), 8,236,000 



Considering horses and mules, it is evident that the farm teams of 

 the State must either be a heavy expense to the agriculturist, or they 

 might be a source of a handsome revenue besides the work that is ex- 

 pected of them in the regular routine of farm duties. The profit di- 

 rectly derived from our farm teams depends upon quality, and what- 

 ever source we look to for supply, and how they are treated and dis- 

 posed of after the work is done. For want of definite information, 

 it is hard to estimate what proportion of farm teams are produced on 

 the farms where the}' are intended to be used; but we are inclined to 

 think it is not so large as it should be; for in the sections of the State 

 that possess the best natural facilities for horse raising, they depend 

 almost wholly on shippers of western and southero horses for their 

 supplj', paying the outside cash value for very uncertain quality, in- 

 stead of reaping a revenue from other localities for stock raised in 

 excess of the home demand. And it is a lamentable fact that when 

 colts are raised there is generally little or no attention paid to quality, 

 adaptation of kind to work, and much less to selecting stock that will 

 command the best prices in our city markets. 



W liile we are well aware that a mixed husbandry is not suitable to 

 all farmers, nor to all farms, we are of the. opinion that if a careful 

 study were mad»^ by each farmer or stock raiser, of just what he was 

 best fitted for, ; nd what his farm was best adapted to, there would 

 be plenty of peoj'le found in Pennsylvania to raise all of our farm 

 teams, and furnish a large part of those used in other cities besides, 

 if oot all. Or, if a definite and desirable type known to exist here, 

 we would have no difficulty in finding export trade for our surplus, as 

 does Denmark, in addition to her immense dairy industry. In short, 

 we wish to suggest, or even insist, that when colts are raised there 

 should be more attention paid to proper selection of kind for a definite 



