THE GENERAL ASPECTS OF ANIMAL BREEDING 



445 



breeds of livestock is made up of elements drawn from that variety of 

 material which constituted the early foundation stock; the hereditary 

 material for the most part represents a recombination of factors already 

 existing rather than discovery and utilization of new factors. 



The Animal-breeding Industry. Any just conception of the extent 

 and magnitude of the animal-breeding industry can only be gained by a 

 consideration of the statistics of animal industry. In crude form these 

 are given for the United States in Table LVII. The total number of the 

 major kinds of livestock on date January 1, 1916, exceeded 200,000,000. 



TABLE LVII. ESTIMATED NUMBER AND VALUE OF LIVESTOCK ON THE FARMS OF THE 

 UNITED STATES ON JANUARY 1, 1916 



Their total value which was perhaps slightly augmented by war conditions 

 obtaining at that time was in excess of $6,000,000,000. Animal 

 industry on an average contributes over 35 per cent, of the total 

 income of the agricultural industries. These totals when examined 

 closely show how great is the need and opportunity for improvement. 

 For in this connection it is the average value which is of most importance, 

 and average values as given here do not reflect much credit on the quality 

 of livestock in the United States as a whole. 



Particularly is this true when the average value or production is com- 

 pared with the high-water marks which have been reached within the 

 past few years. Thus to consider a matter upon which we can get fairly 

 specific statistical data of value as a basis of comparison, the average 

 production of the dairy cow in this country is about 3500 pounds of milk, 

 yielding about 150 pounds of butter. The figures are not very accurate, 

 but they are sufficiently so for purposes of comparison. We may compare 

 this figure with the records which have been made by pure-bred cows of 

 dairy breeds. Thus the Holstein-Friesian record is above 30,000 pounds 

 of milk, and is very nearly 1500 pounds of butter. The Jersey record 

 stands at about 1200 pounds of butter, and other breeds are not far be- 

 hind. The Holstein-Friesian cow Tilly Alcartra produced almost as 

 much milk and butter in 1 month as does the average cow in 1 year. 



