242 



Live Stock in Germany. 



due mainly to young cattle under two years old and to cows. 

 Of the cattle of two years and over, cows (and heifers) have 

 increased at every census since 1873, when they numbered 

 8,961,221 ; while steers and oxen have shown a progressive 

 decline, the total drop since 1873 having been 304,205. There 

 is a rather remarkable drop in the number of bulls over two 

 years old, these being just 52,000 fewer in 1900 than in 1892. 

 But this is apparently to be chiefly explained by a change in 

 the age of the bulls kept for breeding, for there were 133,387 

 bulls between one and two years old used for breeding in 1900, 

 as compared with 96,333 of this age in 1892. The number of 

 calves born in the year is put at 7,616,927. 



Sheep have continued the decline which has been so apparent 

 of late years. Since 1873 the decrease has amounted to 

 15,306,905 head, or over 61 per cent, of the number then 

 existing, and the diminution in the last eight years has been 

 3,897,000. The decline is equally marked in all classes of 

 sheep. 



Pigs, on the other hand, have shown a correspondingly rapid 

 rise. In 1873 there were only 7,124,088, and this number has 

 now been considerably more than doubled. Almost exactly 

 half the number are under six months old. 



The number of poultry is given in the accompanying table. 

 No comparison can be instituted with previous years. 



The progress of bee-keeping has been considerable since the 

 last census, the number of stocks having risen from 2,034,479 

 to 2,605,350. Nearly the whole of the increase has been in 

 hives with movable combs (1,151,771), which are rapidly 

 displacing the other kinds, now numbering 1,453,579. The 

 honey yielded in 1900 (exclusively from stocks which had been 

 brought through the winter) amounted to 32,960,000 lb., of 

 which about 17,825,000 lb. were produced from hives with 

 movable combs. 



In addition to particulars of the number of animals, their 

 live weight and value were in some cases also estimated. 

 Considering only mature animals, it may be noted that the 

 live weight of cows and heifers of two years and over was 

 4,525,003 tons ; and that of bulls and oxen 726,000 tons. These 

 totals indicate that the average live weight of a cow was about 



