8 
BULLETIN 425, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
As shown in Table 3, cows represent 41 per cent of the total number 
of animal units, and together with young stock and bulls, comprise 
over 63 per cent of all the live stock. This gives some idea of the 
extent of dairying in the district as compared with other live-stock 
enterprises. 
The sheep business and beef -cattle industry, though relatively 
unimportant, are financially successful when well managed. To be 
highly successful these industries require considerable capital and a 
thorough knowledge of the business. In both types of farming labor 
costs are relatively low. On the farms tabulated, steers constituted 
4.2 per cent of the total animal units and sheep 2.1 per cent. A study 
was also made of a few selected typical sheep and beef-cattle farms. 
These farms had the advantage of large acreage and considerable 
capital. The labor incomes were very good. The average farmer in 
this district hcs not sufficient capital to buy enough animals or to 
control enough suit- 
able land for beef cat- 
tle or sheep farming. 
Unless he can furnish 
winter feed he is com- 
pelled, regardless of 
price, to buy his live 
stock in the spring 
and sell in the fall. 
This tends to make the 
business speculative 
for the man of moder- 
ate means. Briefly 
stated, the requirements for success in the production of beef and 
mutton on a large scale in this territory are plenty of feed and water, 
sufficient capital, and a knowledge of how and when to buy and sell. 
Though there are not many exclusively sheep or beef-cattle farms 
in the district, it is not unusual to find such animals kept in small 
numbers at a profit. They help to utilize unimproved land. The 
sheep, especially, are of considerable importance in connection with 
the clearing of new land. (See fig. 5.) On the average farm in the cut- 
over district both these enterprises are at present very much limited 
through lack of winter feed. 
The crops that can be grown successfully in this district are well 
adapted to the production of hogs of the bacon type. At present 
hogs constitute only 5.8 per cent of the animal units on each farm, 
but as larger acreages of corn, rye, barley, clover, alfalfa, soy beans, 
and Canadian field peas are grown more hogs can be produced at a 
ENTERPRISE 
ANIMAL UNITS 
1 13 4-5 
DAIRY COWS 
YOUNG CATTLE 
BULLS 
STEERS 
WORK HORSES 
COLTS 
SHEEP 
HO OS 
POULTRY 
■ 
Fig. 4. — Animal units per farm. (Average of 801 farms in norhtern 
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.) 
