THE CALL OF THE LAND 



another cause whose full scope is not yet in 

 sight. All along east of the free pasture belt 

 are small herders, who, a few years ago, 

 were herders and nothing more, but are now 

 to a considerable extent producers of butter 

 fat. The great majority, to date, use milk- 

 beef breeds, beef stock still being their main 

 interest. But this is rapidly changing, the 

 dairy profit being found greater than the 

 other. As this goes on, many of these will 

 buy Jersey or Holstein instead of Hereford 

 bulls, and cease raising beef altogether. 



The number of cattle in the United States 

 other than milch cows was, in 1880,* 

 21,000,000 odd. In 1 88 1, the figure fell a 

 little, but rose in 1882 to 23,000,000 odd. 

 Then the million figures ran 28 in 1884; 29, 



29, 3i, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 35, 3^, 34, 32 (in 

 1896, beginning to fall off, you see), 30, 29, 

 27, 27, which is the million figure for 1900. 

 Then there is in 1901 an astonishing leap to 

 45,500,000, the maximum figure till then 

 attained. Then another fall occurs, the fig- 

 ure for 1902 being 44,750,000 and for 1903, 



* No figures given here or below for dates later than 1903. 



162 



