20 BULLETIN 1421, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
horses, and beef cattle remained at a very much lower level than did 
crop prices. While the price of hogs rose 116 per cent above the 
five-year base average, the prices of the grain crops used for hog feed 
rose to a much higher level. Sheep reached their peak price in 1917 
and wool in 1918. Each then declined in price during the next four 
years. In 1923 the price of wool again rose to an attractive level 
and the prices of sheep and lambs advanced considerably in 1922 and 
1923. 
CHANGES IN PRODUCTION OF LIVESTOCK 
The classes of livestock that have been of more or less importance 
in the development of the project are dairy and beef cattle, hogs, 
sheep, poultry, and horses. Poultry was not included in the livestock 
census taken by the Twin Falls Canal Co., and is omitted from this 
discussion for that reason. The number of animals of each class 
kept per 100 acres of erop and pasture land from 1914 to 1924 is 
shown in Figure 15. Prior to 1914 such information is not available. 
Horses.—The number of work horses and mules kept per 100 acres 
of crop and pasture land increased from 2.6 head in 1914 to 5 head 
in 1924. This increase was doubtless due to an increase in the 
intensity of farming. The percentage of the crop and. pasture land 
devoted to the row-tilled crops (potatoes, sugar beets, beans, and 
corn) increased during this period from 6.5 per cent in 1913 to nearly 
35 per cent in 1924. The row-tilled crops, it is well known, require 
a much greater amount of horse labor than other crops. The com- 
bined number of mares, stallions, jacks, and colts, in contrast to ~ 
the work horses, decreased from 3.4 head per 100 acres of land in 
1914 to 0.9 head in 1924. This was owing to the decline in the value 
of horses. In other words, the raising of colts became very un- 
profitable. 
Dairy cattle—The number of dairy cattle per 100 acres of land 
slumped suddenly in 1917 and began to increase again about 1920. 
By 1922 the number had passed the previous high point reached in 
1915. The price of milk cows and butter advanced slowly from 1915 
to 1919, whereas crop prices increased rapidly during this time. 
As a result there was a decrease in dairy farming and a swing to 
crop farming. Dairying began to increase again when the prices 
of crops reached low levels. 
Beef catitle.—Beef cattle (other cattle) was a very minor enter- 
prise that about held its own during the 11 years covered by Figure 15. 
Among the beef cattle kept on the project are a number of purebred 
herds that are maintained primarily for the production of breeding 
stock. Although the price of beef cattle advanced less than 70 per 
cent during the period of inflation, as compared with the 1910-1914 
average, the number kept per 100 acres of crop and pasture land 
remained fairly constant. 
Hogs.—The number of hogs per 100 acres of land increased con- 
siderably in 1915, decreased slightly in 1916 and precipitously in 1917, 
reached the low ebb in 1921, and then made a substantial advance 
in 1922 and 1923. The highest price of hogs shown in Table 3 is 
$15.37 per 100 pounds in 1918. This is 115 per cent above the 
1910-1914 average price. The increase in the price of the grain 
crops (wheat, barley, and corn), on which hogs are fattened in the 
Twin Falls district, on the other hand, was much greater. The high 
average price reached for barley and wheat during this time was 
i San 
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