232 ANNUAL RMPORT OF THE Off. Doo. 



tlie absence of a food ration that will produce the desired products, 

 with the least possible waste. The best linowu methods of overcom- 

 ing these dilliculties are published free for the asking, in bulletin 

 form by our Department of Agriculture both State and National, and 

 we would ui'ge the more general reading of these bulletins by our 

 practical farmers, dairymen and stock raisers. If by a little better 

 breeding, care, feeding and general selection, the dairy stock of this 

 State could be made to produce one hundred quarts of milk per head 

 more per annum than they now do, at two and one-half cents per 

 quart, it would put into the pockets of the herd owners of Pennsyl- 

 vania f.o,OUO,000 annually ; or nearly eight per cent, of the money in- 

 vested in dairy cattle throughout the entire State. What could pay 

 better and be easier done than to make a cow that gives 1,700 quarts 

 of milk in cne year (which we believe is the avereage yield), give less 

 than one-half quart per day more, or 100 quarts per annum, by care- 

 ful feeding and attention, stabling, breeding, and the like. In shoit, 

 your committee wish to urge upon the dairymen of Pennsylvania the 

 necessity of better breeding of dairy cattle, by the iotroductiou of 

 better bulls of known milk or butter strains or families into the herds, 

 and more careful selection of the calves to be raised; a more thorough 

 knowledge of the individual production of their cows; the benefits to 

 be derived from more careful feeding and general stable care; and 

 the vast importance of preparing the product for market in the best 

 possible manoer. We are also of the opinion that it would be more 

 profitable to raise the stock with which to replenish our dairies, 

 rather than purchase cattle shipped into our State that have been 

 sold for reasons that make them objectionable members for us to add 

 to our herds. If our 1,200,000 cows would produce one-half as many 

 heifer calves and one-half of them should be raised, we could produce 

 in Pennsylvania alone 150,000 cows annually, or six times the number 

 now brought here from other States, which would turti the curreut 

 of the cattle trade in the opposite direction, with an increased revenue 

 to the State. 



The sheep industry represents in Pennsylvania $3,237,000, and is 

 very much scattered over the State. Near the markets, a few flocks 

 are kept for the production of early lambs, yielding a very fair profit; 

 but we are informed that the greater number of sheep are kept in 

 counties more remote from earlier markets, for the production of wool 

 and mutton. The greatest diHiculty in the way of the sheep industry 

 IS the lack of protection against the inroads by dogs. There have 

 been numerous efforts made to protect them by taxation of dogs, 

 which only results in compensation for animals killed or injured, but 

 does not restore the flock to its normal, thrifty condition. We would 

 suggest that the taxes on dogs be so arranged as to favor the spraying 



