20 



the course it directs too long, until an overstock is the result. From 1855 

 to 1860 horses increased very rapidly, particularly in the west, through the 

 encouragement of State and county agricultural societies. In Ohio the in- 

 crease of stock from 1850 to 1860 was as follows : Horses, 63 per cent.; 

 cattle, 40; hogs, 15; and sheep decreased. This great increase of horses 

 was felt on the markets in 1860 in the west. But even, if we should have 

 peace soon, and with it a large number of government horses thrown back 

 to the citizen by sale, yet still there will be a scarcity of horses in the loyal 

 States for immediate work. The purchases by government have been of 

 this kind only, and the country feels the drain. With the return of peace 

 will soon come a demand for them from the south, which for some time will 

 continue to grow stronger as its means of purchase increase. In these 

 things the farmer should now see every encouragement to continue his pro- 

 duction of this stock. 



2. Mules. — Although the tables exhibit a decrease in this stock of 20,162, 

 yet when we take into consideration the fact that the estimated decrease in 

 Kentucky and Missouri, on account of the war, is 44,893, there will be seen 

 to be a general increase in the rest of the loyal States of 24,131. The pur- 

 chases of government have been large, and when peace returns, the demand 

 for mules will be great for the southern markets. Much of what has been 

 said of the future markets for horses is applicable to those for this stock; 

 and hence the farmer who adheres to mule-raising will not regret his deter- 

 mination. 



3. Cattle. — The increase in cattle is 24,291. But the returns of our cor- 

 respondents in Kentucky' and Missouri show a reduction since 1861 of three- 

 tenths or thirty per cent. This makes the decrease in those States equal to 

 370,*I87, and making proper estimates for an increase in 1860 and 1861, there 

 is an increase for the other States of 395,078. 



Why the returns should show a less proportional decrease of cattle than 

 horses and mules, can be seen from a moment's reflection. Although cattle 

 are purchased largely by the government for the army, yet the soldiers, 

 when in the family prior to going into the army, were consumers of beef, 

 though not to the extent they now are. Hence the government purchases 

 should represent this increased consumption only, and not the whole of it, 

 as in the case of its purchases of horses and mules. 



Ohio and Indiana show a decrease of 122,437, and Iowa the large increase 

 of 213,630. But in the first two of these States tj^ie purchases of govern- 

 ment have been very great, and although the increase in Iowa is large, yet 

 it is not so great in these tables as exhibited in the returns made to the 

 State by its assessors in 1862. They report the cattle, in which we include 

 oxen, and exclude cows, at 605,222, being 44,884 more in 1862 than we 

 place them in January, 1864. But we take as the basis of »ur estimates the 

 census returns of 1860, which are generally lower than those of the States. 

 Thus in Ohio, where the annual increase of cattle did not exceed 15,000, 

 the census fur 1859 places the cattle of Ohio at 243,000 less than the State 

 enumeration for 1860. 



The increase of cattle in the loyal States, since 1859 is so small that, for 

 all practical purposes, it may be disregarded. The average increase annually 

 from 1850 to 1860 was about 2>\ per cent. The warts of the government 

 are great, and domestic consumption of beef is increasing, as may be inferred 

 from the table published in our last report, showing the state of the New 

 York cattle market. In 1862, the number of beeves in it was 236,009, and 

 in 1863, 263,326. The foreign demand has increased largely. Our exports 

 of beef in tierces and barrels have been as follows: 



1861 $1,372,546 



1862 1,963,422 



1863. 2,807,042 



