68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Chart No. 3. — Dry Matter in Food required to produce One Pound of 

 Edible Dry Matter in the Product. „ , 



"^ Pounda. 



Dairy cattle, milk, 5 



Swine, pork, 8 



Fowl: — 



Eggs, 14 



Meat, 15 



Sheep, mutton, 17 



Beef cattle, beef, 23 



We may come to a time when we cease to eat beef, but 

 afterward we will still have sheep, swine and poultry to fall 

 back upon. In the development of both sheep and swine in 

 New England it seems to me that there is an opening for 

 increased effort, not as a specialized industry but as a side 

 development along with other lines of effort. New England 

 was once pre-eminent for its sheep. While this pre-eminence 

 may never come back, it seems to me that there are a good 

 many localities and conditions where an increase in sheep 

 husbandry might be attempted with profitable results. The 

 question of the dog in regard to sheep husbandry has often 

 been a prominent one, and is often urged as an objection, 

 but with the modern forms of fencing, the danger from this 

 source is greatly lessened if not entirely done away with. 



Swine may be increased so as to practically supply the local 

 markets. One important feature in the present conditions of 

 animal husbandry in New England has undoubtedly been the 

 absorption of the markets by the large wholesale concerns, 

 and this will undoubtedly have to be reckoned with. Success 

 in increased meat production in New England will undoubtedly 

 depend upon developing small local retail markets. This may 

 be difficult in some cases, but some personal experience has 

 given me good illustrations of the comparative ease with which 

 such local markets can be developed. This would seem to be 

 a good field for co-operative effort in many cases. In very 

 many communities the establishment of a local country market 

 provides a very acceptable outlet for both producer and con- 

 sumer. 



