LIVE-STOCK IN MISSOURI. Number and value of farm animals in Missouri January 1, 1893, as compared with January 1, 1892. $25 95 $24 34 $26 91 $25 74 $24 84 $27 90 26 71 34 33 49 11 67 15 1.00 32 72 av. price per hd. bt. 1 and 2 yrs. 43 61 av. price per hd. bt. 2 and 3 yrs. 61 52 av. price per hd. over 3 yrs..... Milch cows Heavy shipments of horses from western ranges have increased the number on hand as compared with last year, and also lowered the market price of all ordinary animals. For well-bred horses there is ready sale at good prices, and good horses rather than poor mules are likely to be raised to a much greater extent hereafter. The mule market is very dull for any other than extra-sized, wellmatched ones. From a few of the central and southwest counties cases of fatal distemper are reported, but in other sections of the State there has been almost total immunity from disease. Home consumption usually regulates the number of milch cows, and the supply and demand the price, but the comparatively high price of feed and dullness of the cattle market for a number of years has perceptibly reduced the number of breeding cattle now on hand, and the prospect is that much better prices for good stock will prevail in the near future. All other cattle are low in price, "scrub" stock hardly paying for the feed, and the condition not up to an average at this date, although the weather has been favorable and there has been an almost absence of disease. Interest in sheep is growing, and but for fear of loss from dogs the industry would be much more rapidly developed. In counties where the flocks are large very little loss has occurred, but in rougher and more sparsely settled counties, where flocks are small, numbering from ten to fifty, the per cent of loss has been very great. The price and demand for mutton has caused the sheep to be sold close, so the number now on band is a little below that of one year ago. There are fewer hogs now in the State than for many years past. The heavy loss of young pigs during the long, cold, wet spring affected the supply, and the heavy demand at high prices during the fall has drained the farms of all marketable hogs. The demand is so great for stock hogs that the price paid for them almost equals the market price. They are usually free from disease. LIVE-STOCK STATISTICS. For the accompanying complete live-stock table, showing the number of different classes of live-stock, together with the increase or decrease in the assessments of 1891 and 1892, thanks are due the county clerks, returns having been received from every county in the State and the city of St. Louis. The total increase in the number of horses in the State is less than 3 per cent, or 28,086 head. The counties of Putnam and Ralls in the northeast, Clay, Clinton, Grundy, Jackson and Mercer in northwest, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Crawford, Franklin, Madison and Perry in southeast, Barton, Bates, Cass, Lawrence, Newton, St. Clair and Stone of southwest, and Miller, Morgan, Pettis and Randolph of the central sections, show a decrease in number of horses. Mules are growing in favor, there being an increase in number in every section and in almost every county. The increase for the State is 7 per cent, or a total of 16,755 head. Cattle have decreased in number 95,601 head, or 3 per cent of the assessment of 1891. Hogs have sustained a loss of 23 per cent, or a grand total of 730,236 head. This great reduction is, however, not due to an epidemic or to lack of interest, but to the very large shipments made at remunerative prices. Sheep are encouragingly on the increase in almost every county in the State the greatest increase, 30,839, being in the northeast section. The total increase in the State is more than 8 per cent, or 71,371. 1,283 1,306 18 56 40 22 No. 1892... 2882 27,475 25,919 1,556 18 039 11,340 6,699 5,314 5,721 407 29,488 29,943 455 32,015 23,205 8,810 21,649 30,448 8,799 22 053 22,266 213 17 660 12 453 5,207 7,327 6 23,096 22,706 390 25,523 17,094 8,429 6,069 57 20 5.0 19,725 855 20,807 15,553 5,254 13 90 16 164 2,255 10 20 760 19,421 1,339 35,359 24 749 10,610 8.694 9 748 1,(54 36 37,095 37,271 176 26 472 16 301 10,171 9,201 9 696 495 14,675 14 595 80 20,200 14,503 5,697 11,278 11 771 493 4 42,719 39.270 3,449 40 866 26,985 13,881 11.687 12,004 367 46 25 804 26 127 323 33,231 26,985 6,246 26,856 33,803 6,447 12 16 993 16 553 440 27,031 18,918 8.113 7,66€ 8,6 5 999 24,559 22.797 1,762 27 018 19,070 7 948 13 670 14,639 9691 8 44,892 44 707 185 24 343 14 536 9,807 12,610 13,488 878 72 2 19,233 17,501 1,732 24 408 16,059 8,349 7,570 8,059 489 24 27 3 21,016 19,784 1,232 17,795 13,198 4 597 28 658 29,631 973 6 25,158 24,615 543 15 801 11 513 4,283 10,021 10,846 825 11 21.441 21,411 30 31 511 22 994 8,517 12,160 14.455 2,295 29 83 4 14,827 15 716 889 31,154 25 165 5,989 6,222 6 860 6 8 23 234 9,426 786 16.612 63 : 12,137 10,007 :::: 60 509,510 497,373 2242 14,379 509,079 359,047 150,082 235,537 266,376 31,382 543 14 851 8,3-0 9,529 13,572 478 3,040 5,497 30,839 150,032 |