500 



AGRICULTURE. 



have, as a rule, been taken as approximately correct for the 

 number of cattle in the States ; but in some cases these esti- 

 mates have been revised in accordance with more recent infor- 

 mation received from the agents of this Bureau. The population 

 since 1880 has been estimated on a basis of a 2 per cent annual 

 increase, in addition to the immigration. 



Taking our figures from these sources, we obtain the follow- 

 ing table : 



Table showing population, total number of cattle, and number of cattle per 

 1000 of population (estimated since 1880) in the United States and 

 Territories. 



This table shows some interesting facts. At the first approx- 

 imately accurate census of cattle, in 1850, there were 767 cattle 

 to the 1000 of population. This number increased in 1860 to 

 815, showing a large stock of cattle on hand. In 1870, partly 

 from the effects of the war, and partly from an underestimate by 

 the census of that year, we find the number of cattle reduced to 

 618 per 1000 of population. In 1880 the number per 1000 

 increases to the extent of 120, and reaches 738. In 1881 there 

 is an increase of 6 per 1000; from 1881 to 1882, the increase is 

 14 per 1000 ; from 1882 to 1883, it is 15 per 1000, being the 



