414 EEPOET OF THE BUEEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTEY. 



better quality of the range .cattle are preferred by buyers to the 

 grass-fattened cattle from farms. 



Some years since many young cattle were driven from Texas to 

 the more northern ranges to be matured, but more recently the 

 supply of cattle bred there has been sufficiently large. On the part 

 of many of the cattle-owners commendable efforts have been made 

 to improve the quality of the herds by the purchase of large num- 

 bers of pure-bred or high-grade bulls. The change in the conditions 

 of life was so great with -these that many of them died, but there 

 has already been a very noticeable improvement. The Hereford, 

 Shorthorn, Angus, and Galloway breeds have been chiefly used for 

 this purpose. It is undoubtedly true that many rangemen prefer a 

 bull with comparatively little of the blood of the improved breeds, 

 believing the better bred animals have less of hardiness and are less 

 fitted to withstand the privations unavoidable at times. 



It is probable there will be very considerable changes in the ranch- 

 ing system in the near future. As hitherto conducted it has not 

 proved permanently profitable in very many cases. Something of a 

 reduction of the total numbers kept, with closer supervision, prob- 

 ably the utilization of the regions which can be irrigated for the 

 production of hay, millet, etc., are lines of change believed prob- 

 able by many. 



An interesting feature which has become common in the last few 

 years is the shipment of large numbers of cattle from the ranges 

 for fattening in the regions in which Indian corn is most cheaply 



E reduced. There are establishments in Nebraska, for instance, fitted 

 31- fattening some thousands of cattle in stables arranged with every 

 convenience. 



There is every reason to believe, however, that by far the largest 

 percentage of the better grades of beef-cattle will continue to be 

 reared and fed in the States properly classified as corn and grass 

 States. 



SWINE BEEEDING AND EEAEING. 



The United States stands easily first among nations in the number 

 of its swine. There has been some decrease in the last few years, 

 but the estimates of the Department of Agriculture gives the num- 

 ber, January 1, 1888, as 43,544,755, or nearly 75 for each 100 of human 

 population. This estimate is made at the season of the year when 

 the total number is nearly at its minimum, as a very large percentage 

 of the pigs are produced in the spring months, and vast numbers of 

 fattened hogs are sent to slaughter during the closing months of the 

 year. 



The abundant and cheap production of Indian corn is the control- 

 ling factor in pork production in the United States. Thus the seven 

 great corn-producing States are estimated to have had, in round num- 

 bers, 20,800,000 hogs, or almost half the total number, and an aver- 

 age of nearly 3,000,000 for each State. Their respective rank was, 

 Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Indiana, and Nebraska. No 

 other State had 2,000,000 hogs save Texas, and the poor quality of 

 these largely offset the large number. 



The rapidity with which swine increase, the early age at which 

 they may be profitably sent to market, the ease with which the meat 

 may be preserved for future use, and the large use made of the fat, 

 as also the abundance of maize so well adapted as a fattening food, 



