IN THE UNITED STATES 



The general trend of beef cattle numbers in the United States has been 

 downward since the peak, of nearly fifty million head, that was reached between 

 1890 and 1900. The immediate downward trend that followed this peak brought 

 numbers to the thirty million mark between 1900 and 1910 and below the thirty 

 million mark by the beginning of the world war. During the war numbers 

 increased reaching the forty-three million mark by 1920 but during the post- 

 war period there has again been a pronounced downward trend that has averaged 

 a yearly decrease of about two million head since 1921. Some idea of this 

 trend may be gained from the following table: 



NUMBER OF CATTLE OTHEK THAN MILK COWS AS OF 

 DATE JANUARY Ist IN YEARS NAMED 



United States Montana 



1920 42,926,000 1,192,000 



1925 36,320,000 1,112,000 



1926 33.091,000 1,052,000 



1927 31.320,000 967,000 



From this table it would appear that the same general factors operating 

 to shrink inventories of the beef cattle industry in the United States at large 

 have exerted a similar influence in Montana. This conclusion is generally ac- 



MONTANA LIVESTOCK 



Numbers of Livestock. 

 (1870 to 1927) 



Vear ^^^^ ^luil Ca"tle «°^«« Sheep Swine Mules 



1870 12,400* 24,000* 36,400 5,300* 2.000* 2,600* 500* 



1880 11,500* 162,000* 173.500 36,000* 185,000* 10,500* 900* 



1883 14.000 590,000 604.000 39,900 405,000 17,000 900 



1884 14,200 672,600 686,800 45,900 466,000 17,500 1,000 



1885 23,000 615,000 638,000 105,000 625,000 19,000 2,800 



1886 25.300 725,700 751,000 120,700 719,000 19,000 8.900 



1887 29.000 812.800 841.800 129.000 755,000 20.000 9.200 



1888 31.000 934,500 965,500 187,000 1,265,000 22,000 5,500 



1889 31.400 962.500 993.900 200,000 1,391,000 23,000 5.300 



1890 33,000 981,800 1,014,800 216.000 1.990,000 29.000 2.400 



1891 34,000 932,700 966,700 152.000 2,089,000 35,000 1,800 



1892 35.700 1,026,000 1,061,700 107,000 2,089,000 35,000 1.200 



1893 36,400 1.036,000 1,072.400 207,000 2,528,000 39,000 1,200 



1894 36,400 1,057,000 1,093,400 197,000 2.781,000 39,000 900 



1895 39,000 1,078,000 1.117,000 198,000 2,809,000 46,000 900 



1896 42,000 1.154,000 1.196,000 183,000 3.061,000 52.000 900 



1897 43,000 1,177,000 1,220,000 175,000 3,123,000 51,000 900 



1898 42,700 1,082,000 1,510,000 171,800 3,248,000 47.000 900 



1899 44.000 953.000 997.000 165,000 3,378,000 42.300 1,000 



1900 48,500* 926,500* 975.000 347.000* 6.170.000* 50,000* 2.800* 



1901 49,400 960,200 1.009.600 302,000 6,417.000 47,000 3,400 



1902 50.000 998,000 1,048,000 275,000 5,081,000 49.000 3,400 



1903 52.400 1.048,600 1,101,000 246,600 5,120,000 51,700 3,400 



1904 53,900 1.059,000 1,112,900 244,000 5,270,000 54,800 3,400 



1905 55,000 1,048,000 1,103,000 236,800 5,639,000 57.600 3.400 



1906 61,600 965,000 1,020.600 239,000 5,752,000 59,900 3,600 



1907 66,000 916,300 982,300 292,000 5,637,000 62,900 4,000 



1908 69,000 879.000 948.000 292.000 5,524,000 66.000 4,000 



1909 75.000 905,000 980,000 304.000 5.634.000 68.000 5.000 



1910 80.000 842,000 922,000 319,000 5,747,000 75,000 5,000 



1911 80,000+ 818,000t 898,000 344,000 5.230,000t 124.000 4.500t 



1912 91.000 732.000 823.000 350,000t 4.926.0001 145.000t 5.000t 



1913 95.000 750.0001 845.000 385.000t 4.675.000t 168.000t 5,500t 



1914 104.000 826.000t 930.000 440.000t 3.850,0001 187,000t 6,000t 



1915 114,000 836,000t 950.000 485,000t 3.340.000t 245.0001 6.500t 



1916 125.000T 1.035.0001 1.170.000 520.000t 3.020.000t 270.000t 7,000t 



1917 140,000t 1.114.000t 1.254,000 580,0001 2,670,0001 260,000t 7,500| 



1918 150,0001 1,310, OOOt 1,460,000 640,0001 2,380.000t 202,000t 8,500t 



1919 163.000t 1.447.000t 1.610.000 720.000t 2.530.0001 ISO.OOOt O.OOOf 



1920 178,000 1.192.000 1.370,000 369.000 2.450,000 167,000 9,000 



1921 181,000 1,088,000 1,269,000 669,000 2,328.000 160.000 9,000 



1922 185.000 1,195.000 1.380.000 650.000 2.561,000 180,000 10,000 



1923 192,000 1.168.000 1.360.000 643.000 2.408.000 225.000 10.000 



1924 209.000 1.151.000 1,360.000 611,000 2,480.000 292.000 11,000 



1925 222.000 1.118.000 1.340,000 596.000 2.579.000 280.000 11,000 



1926 228,000 1,052,000 1,280,000 576,000 2.880.000 250.000 11.000 



1927 223.000 967.000 1.190.000 564,000 2,736,000 240,000 11,000 



NOTE: Many earlier estimates were made to exact figures. These have been rounded to irven 

 thousands or hundreds in above table. 

 *Ba8ed upon Census Data. 



fTentative Revision. All others are United Stetes Department of Agriculture Estimates. 



