Domestic Animals in United States. 



57 



Three different schedules were employed for the collection 

 of the data, the first relating to live stock on the farms, the 

 second to stock on the unfenced public domain and on 

 ranges, and the third to the animals in barns and enclo- 

 sures other than farms. Particulars of this latter enumera- 

 tion were published towards the end of iqoo, and have 

 already been reproduced in this Journal* These figures 

 (apparently with some corrections) are, however, included in 

 the foregoing table, which thus comprises all the domestic 

 animals in the United States, wherever located. 



Comparisons with preceding censuses are, in many cases, 

 rendered difficult owing to the uncertainties in the classifica- 

 tion of live stock in 1890. This applies more particularly to 

 the age distribution of the animals, as it is not clear 

 whether, in 1890, all or any of the animals born in the spring 

 of the census year were included in the general report made 

 on June 1 of that year. It cannot, therefore, be stated with 

 any certainty, for instance, what has been the change in the 

 relative positions of the beef and dairy industries in the 

 United States during the past decade. 



Cattle were reported on 4,730,920 farms and ranges, 

 and in 801,817 other barns and inclosures. The total 

 number of cattle reported on hand on June 1, 1900, was 

 69,438,758, of which 67,822,336, or 977 per cent, were on 

 farms and ranges. 



Comparisons with previous censuses are not possible, but 

 calculations by the Census authorities, based upon esti- 

 mates made for the omissions and uncertainties at earlier 

 censuses, indicate that there has probably been a decrease 

 of about 7 per cent, in the number of cattle in the United 

 States during the past decade. This decrease in the total 

 number of cattle has not been accompanied by a decrease 

 in the number of dairy cows, and probably not in that of 

 other cows or calves ; but the rise in the relative and actual 

 number of calves and cows has been accompanied by a 

 decline in the so-called beef cattle — steers of two and three 

 years old. This is attributed mainly to the fact that beef 

 cattle are now marketed at an earlier age, on the average, 



* Vol. VII., March, 1901, p. 508. 



