INTRODUCTION 



THE live stock interest of the United States has ex- 

 panded so rapidly during the last two decades and has now 

 reached such proportions as to lead every other agricultural 

 industry. In fact, it may be said that most other branches 

 of farming are merely incidental to the great live stock 

 industry that is, all our cereal grains and grasses, except 

 wheat and rice, are raised with a special reference to their 

 value as food for animals. 



That the importance and value of this great interest 

 in agriculture may be apparent, we will glance at the 

 statistics of each of its specialties, giving only the numbers 

 and value of each class of live stock, without considering 

 their annual income : 



HORSES AND MULES. 

 1840. 1850. 1860. 1870. 1880. 



Horses 4,000,000 4,336,719 6,249,174 8,702,000 12,000,000 



Value in 1880 $740,000,000 



Mules 335,669 559,331 1,151,148 1,242,311 2,000,000 



ValueinlSSO $140,000,000 



Total value, horses and mules $880,000,000 



These figures follow closely the census reports and those 

 made by the Department of Agriculture for these periods. 



CATTLE. 



1850. 1860. 1870. 1880. 



Milch Cows 6,385,094 8,728,862 * 10,023,000 13,433,000 



In 1880 the number must reach 12,000,000, value $322,392,000 



Other cattle 11,993,763 16,911,475 18,348,581 23,982,560 



And must now reach 25,000,000, value $481,686,080 



Total value of cattle . . ... $803,078,080 



