TRENDS OF ALL CATTLE 



The trend of numbers of beef cattle alone will not tell the whole story 

 of changes in the potential production of beef. 



All dairy or milk cows are ultimately slaughtered as beef and in the end 

 compete with the meat of the beef animal. The trend of milk cow numbers 

 and dairy production is, therefore, of interest to the beef cattle producer. 



BRIEF SKETCH OF SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF DAIRY DEVELOPMENT 



. In 1850 there were about 6,400,000 dairy, or milk cows and in 1920 there 

 were 23,722,000 milk cows in the United States. Total population was 23,- 

 200,000 in 1850 and 105,700,000 in 1920. In 1850 there were 275 milk cows 

 per 1,000 population and in 1920 only 215 per 1,000 persons. 



From these figures it is apparent that the dairy industry in the United 

 States has not expanded as rapidly as has population. Furthermore dairying 

 can not be expanded rapidly and favorable years have never resulted in any 

 serious over-production. 



In the twenty years, 1870 to 1890, in spite of the scientific methods and 

 machinery that were brought into dairying, the number of milk cows per 1,000 

 population increased only 31, that is to say from 231 per 1,000 persons in 1870 

 to 262 in 1890. 



Some of the important contributions to dairying between 1870 and 1890 

 were : 



1 — First silo constructed in 1873. 



2 — First refrigerator car used in 1875. 



3 — First centrifugal separator brought from Sweden in 1882. 



4 — Babcock test given to world in 1890. 



5 — Use of thermometer and large number of dairy organizations started dur- 

 ing this period. 



1920-1925 TREND IN UNITED STATES NUMBERS MILK COWS 



The total number of milk cows and heifers two years old and over in 

 the United States in 1920 was 21,427,000. From 1920 to 1925 there was a 

 slow expansion to a high point of 22,481,000 on January 1, 1925. The Jan- 

 uary 1, 1926, number receded to 22,148,000 and the January 1 1927 number 

 to 21,824,000. 



As affecting the yearly meat supplies of the nation, the development of 

 the dairy industry does not seem likely to produce any serious unexpected 

 surpluses, either through over-expansion of total numbers or forced marketings 

 of milk cow stock. The reason for this lies in the inherent stability of the 

 industry itself and the fact that dairy production can be readily increased 

 to meet higher prices by heavier feeding. Regulation of feeding is a more 

 satisfactory adjustment for short time fluctuations than increased breeding, 

 the effect of which could not be secured in less than two to three years or the 

 time required for a calf to develop into a producing milk cow. 



On the other hand there is reason to expect that the consumption of dairy 

 products in the United States will have a tendency to increase. In 1914 the 

 United States was SIXTH in per capita consumption of Whole Milk in prin- 

 cipal nations of the world; FIFTH in per capita consumption of Butter; and 

 EIGHTH in per capita consumption of Cheese. Since then available records in- 

 dicate some increase in per capita consumption of both whole milk and butter 

 in the United States, although not to an extent to change the order of rank. 



At the same time the above ranks were determined, the United States 

 stood SEVENTH among nations of the world in average milk production 

 per cow, being exceeded by Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Den- 

 mark, Germany and Canada. It would seem reasonable to expect that future 

 expansion of the dairy industry will come more largely through increasing 

 the average production of milk per cow rather than through increasing the 

 number of dairy cattle, since efficient production of dairy products offers 

 the largest gains to the dairy industry. The average yearly production per 

 cow in the United States is 4,000 pounds of milk containing about 160 pounds 

 of butter fat. Selection, feeding and better breeding, it is claimed could double 

 this average, with the result that fewer cows than at present could furnish 

 the present supply of dairy productions at much less cost and the same number 

 as at present could furnish a much greater production of dairy products to 

 meet future expansion of a consumptive demand. 



