No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 17 



possible this increase in value instead of the vahie of the materials 

 of wliich these buildings are constructed, and therefore the value 

 of the buildings themselves. 



A DAIRY STATE 



Pennsylvania's greatest claim in the line of animal husbandry, 

 is that of being a dairy state. The number of dairy cows two years 

 old and over in the State, according to census reports in 1900, was 

 943,773, and in 1910 was 933,055, a decrease of 10,718, while the cows 

 not kept for dairy purposes in 1900 numbered 48,807 and in 1910, 

 99,165, an increase of 50,358. The total number of neat cattle in 

 the State in 1900 was 1,896,847, while in 1910 there were reported 

 1,585,570, a decrease of 311,277; whereas, the total value of cattl6 

 in 1910 was |47,202,000, while in 1900 it was $43,003,000, an increase 

 in value of |3, 139,000. From the reports that are accessible, it seems 

 the output of the dairies has decreased but little, if any, during the 

 decade. 



A good illustration of what is taking place with the animal indusliy 

 in the State is fumised by the sheep industry. In 1840 there were 

 1,767,620 sheep reported in the State, yielding 3,048,564 pounds of 

 wool, or 1.75 pounds per sheep. In 1850 there were reported 1,822,- 

 357 sheep, shearing 4,481,570 pounds of wool, or 2.43 pounds per 

 sheep. From 1860 to 1880 the number of sheep remained practically 

 stationary, but the yield of wool per sheep increased from 2.91 pounds 

 to 4.77 pounds, or 61 per cent. Again, from 1890 to 1910 the num- 

 ber of sheep decreased from 954,002, yielding 4,800,610 pounds of 

 wool, or 5.08 i)0unds per sheep, to 882,8512 sheep shearing 5,296,112 

 pounds of wool, or 6 pounds per sheep, an increase of 487,102 pounds. 



This shows that the emergency of the farmers has not been cen- 

 tered so much on increasing the number of animals as on increasing 

 the efficiency of these animals, which is exactly what this Depart- 

 ment has been teaching and which is showing results. If such re- 

 sults can be obtained in the increased efficiency of the animals, then 

 certainly with the right equipment of this Department the efficiency 

 of the acre can be increased, and with the increase of crop yields 

 will come the increase in the number of the most efficient animals 

 the State has ever had. But we must show the farmer that if he 

 produces more he will receive more in proportion to the increase in 

 quantity as well as quality. 



INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE FARM 



The f aimer can buy better animals — cows, sheep, horses, hogs, 

 chickens, etc., bred up to high standards by those who have made 

 a study of this business, and by following the practice outlined by 

 this Department and by those who are breeding animals, he can 

 maintain this standard and sometimes excel in it, but when it comes 

 to efficient farming and the application of better methods, he cannot 

 buy these from his neighbors, but he must himself evolve methods 

 adapted to his conditions, and this is one of the things few farmers 

 undertake to do and the greatest agency in the State to-day for doing 

 work of this kind is the Farmers' Institute, and it is obliged to do 

 its work at a time of the year when practical demonstrations are 

 impossible. 



2—6—1911 



