342 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



of obtaining some good, reliable stock to breed from, but the subject 

 has been dropped, and we are at the same point we were five 

 years ago. I hope this interest may be renewed, and a committee 

 appointed to investigate and formulate a plan whereby we may 

 be able to get some new blood of the right kind, and not depend on 

 any other state for our good horses. 



The breeding and raising of mules' is another branch which could 

 be taken up and a handsome profit derived from it. At the present 

 time a good mule will bring from $175 to $200, and are very scarce 

 at that price. A good Jack that will stand from 14 to 16 hands 

 high, and weigh from eleven to twelve hundred pounds can be 

 bought at from |300 to $500, and if bred to rangy mares the off- 

 spring will find a ready sale at from ^'50 to $100 each, at four months 

 old. The expense of raising mules is small in comparison to that of 

 horses, and the risk so far as blemishes and unsoundness is con- 

 cerned, is less than one-half. The field is open to this line of breed- 

 ing, and a fortune awaits the man who will take it up. 



The sheep industry is not in a very prosperous condition, and will 

 not be, as long as farmers and others continue to keep from two 

 to four or five dogs that are allowed to go where they choose, at any 

 time of day or night. More stringent laws should be placed on dogs, 

 which would not only aid in restoring the sheep industry, but have 

 a strong tendency to decrease the loss of live and prosperity of 



rabies. 



For lack of statistics it is impossible to give an accurate estimate 

 of the meat-producing animals of Pennsylvania, but from the report 

 of Secretary Wilson, we gleam the following, which covers the 

 United States, and of which Pennsylvania is a part: 



In the last census year, 1900, 93,502,000 animals were slaughtered 

 and imported. 



The national consumption was 16.753,295,000 pounds. This may 

 be better understood if these figures are reduced to the average 

 of the census family, which is 4.6 persons. To such a family, in 1900, 

 the farmers supi>lied 49 pounds veal, 431 pounds beef, 30 pounds 

 lamb, 39 pounds mutton and 465 pounds of pork, including lard, or 

 in all, 1,014 pounds. Every time the clock ticks a second during ten 

 hours of a work day, the farmer drives nine animals to the butcher. 



Meat products are continually -advancing. In 1900 the average 

 price of meat per pound was 12|^c., and has increased until now it 

 will average 14c. per pound. An increase of one cent a pound costs 

 this nation $167,533,000. 



The CHAIRMAN: Since Dr. Funk has come in now, w^e will listen 

 to the report of the Poraologist. 



Dr. Funk's report is as follows: 



