4 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE [Crre. 18 
since the war. Table 5 shows the changes in the numbers of livestock 
in the United States and California between 1920 and 1928. In the 
United States all cattle have decreased while milk cows have increased 
but slightly. Sheep have had a large increase and swine are about 
on the same levels as they were in 1920. In California there were 
material increases in milk cows, sheep and chickens while the total 
number of cattle, swine and horses decreased. 
TABLE 6 
PERCENTAGE OF CHANGE IN PRICES OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 
CALIFORNIA BETWEEN 1021-1922. 1926-19927 
Beef Cattle ................. 
Veal calves ooo 
Milk cows .... ERE 
Butter ................_.. ee 
Boms coommnmriitonons 
Hogs oie 
Lambs coool 
Horses ooo. 
PropuCTS IN 
Per cent 
+ 12.6 
+ 16.4 
+ 1.8 
+ 8.1 
— 11.3 
4 25.1 
+} 33.6 
- 11.7 
Generally speaking, the prices of livestock and livestock produets 
with the exception of eggs have been rising since 1921 (table 6). This 
statement should not be interpreted to mean that there is need for a 
wholesale increase in the production of dairy products, beef, sheep 
and swine—mnor does it mean that there should be a decrease in the 
number of poultry in the state. There perhaps are places in which 
adjustments might take place. Let us examine our animal industries 
more in detail so that we may see actual conditions more clearly. 
The Dairy Industry. —The dairy industry is in a fairly strong posi- 
tion as compared with many of the agricultural crops of this section. 
The purchasing power of butter in the United States and in California 
in 1927 was again up to the prewar level (fig. 5). Most of the other 
agricultural products are still substantially below their pre-war levels. 
The present tendency in the dairy industry seems to be toward a 
stabilization of values such as existed between 1910 and 1915. This 
is indeed a healthy condition, because it is much better to have stable 
prices than to have periods of very high and very low prices. Further- 
more, there appear to be no forces yet apparent which are likely to 
cause a permanent change in this situation, unless it is through 
influences outside of the United States. First, however, let us con- 
sider the factors that are responsible for the present strong posi- 
tion of the dairy industry, particularly as they apply in this state.