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5. Cattle. — Are raised to some extent for market; but 

 the common are the prevaihng breeds as yet. Our farmers 

 are, many of them, waking up to the importance of improv- 

 ing their breeds of cattle, and have introduced some fine 

 specimens of the Devon and Durham breeds. The average 

 price of cattle at three years old of the common breeds 

 is $12. 



6. Sheep. — The rearing of sheep is beginning to attract the 

 attention of many of our farmers, and they are introducing 

 the Leicestershires, the Spanish and Merinos, and Saxony 

 breeds. The large common sheep of the country and the 

 Leicestershires are esteemed the best for mutton, and the 

 Saxony and Merinos the most valuable for wool. Our dis- 

 tance from market, the uncertainty of the wheat crop, the 

 cheapness of land, and the fact that sheep and cattle are 

 almost exempt from disease, render it probable that the rear- 

 ing of stock must soon be the great avocation of our agricul- 

 turists. 



7. Soil and Timber. — We have almost every variety of 

 soil. Our prairies are a dark sand and loam on the surface, 

 while from two to three feet below is found a coarse lightish 

 colored gravel. The Bur oak land (as it is called from the 

 timber,) is a dark colored gravel; our common openings are 

 clay, yellow sand and a chocolate colored earth, sometimes a 

 dark colored loam. 



Most of the timbered lands are clayey, except from six to 

 eighteen inches of the surface, which is a rich vegetable 

 mould. 



Every variety of timber common to the rich soils of the 

 west are found here. Such as several varieties of the ash, 

 oak, maple, poplar, buckeye, walnut, &c., &c. Perhaps as 

 much of our county is covered with marshes or natural 

 meadows as any other in the north-eastern portion of the 

 State, producing marsh hay in large quan ties, which answers 

 a good purpose for wintering cattle, and does well for horses 

 and sheep, if a small quantity of grain is fed. Most of the 



