18 a 
The epizooty has temporarily disabled a great many horses; deaths very few 
Cattle, sheep, and hogs doing well. A _ few isolated cases of hog cholera 
Lincoln: The epizooty appeared about the Ist of December; in a few days almost 
_ every horse in the county was infected; only 2 deaths heard of. Perry: The epizooty, 
of a mild type, in full blast. In this county the cattle are generally of the scrub breed ; 
very few of improved breeds. The price of hogs very much depressed. Lawrence: The 
epizooty raging, but not fatal. Nodaway: The number of sheep is believed to be de- 
creasing, owing to the numbers killed and to disease. Sullivan; Epizooty prevalent in 
a mild form; no fatal cases reported as yet. De Kalb: The horses are now afflicted 
with the epizooty; have heard of only 2 deaths. In its western course its severity is 
mitigated. Pulaski: There seems more disposition than formerly to improve the breeds 
of sheep and hogs. Maries: Horses have suffered some from the epizooty, but scarcely 
any mortality. Nearly all kinds of stock in bad condition for winter, but cattle very 
healthy; sheep generally so; hogs lousy and looking bad. All kinds of fowls have suf- 
fered from the extreme cold weather. Moniteau: The epizooty has swept over this 
county without any damage; stock looks well. Taney: More sheep have been killed 
by dogs and wolves (mostly by wolves) in 1872 than for five years before. - 
KANSAS 
Republic: Shéep have been moved farther west. Some talk of bringing in sheep 
from Missouri. Crawford: The epizooty has much reduced the prices of horses and 
mules. Doniphan: The epizooty rapidly extending over the county; few fatal cases, 
but a general stagnation in moving farm produce. The heavy crop and low price 
of corn will give an impetus to the stock interest. Although the price of beef and 
pork is low, farmers generally find it more profitable to convert as much of their grain 
and other crops as they can into these articles, as they are thus in a shape to be nearly 
always turned into money, and require less labor and expense in moving. The sheep 
interest in this county, now searcely worth mentioning, grows less every year. Jeffer- 
son: The large increase of cattle is due to the bringing in of Texas cattle by farmers 
generally, to consume the large surplus corn crop. All stock low in price on account 
ot the extreme scarcity of money. Centralia: About two per cent. of yearlings and one 
per cent. of two-year-olds have been lost. by black-leg. All kinds of stock were taken 
off the ranges fat last fall, have been well cared for, and look remarkably well. Cher- 
okee: The horse-disease has been very general, but mild; few remedies used, except 
good treatment. Most farmers in the county are disposing of their Texas cattle and 
raising more domestic breeds. The average grade has improved in quality 25 per cent. 
within the last two years. Lincoln: A few droves of Texas cattle are being wintered 
here, and for that reason the number of oxen and other cattle has fallen off since Jan 
uary, 1871. The number of milch cows is steadily on the increase™ Sheep have also 
been brought in plentifully, and the probability is that within the next six months 
they will double in number, since a number of sheep men from Iowa are coming with 
their droves in the spring. Sumner: The low price of cattle is attributable to the fact 
that much of our stock is Texan. Hogs are worth 5 to 7 cents per pound; work-oxen 
$40 to $80 per yoke. Dickinson: The epizooty, in a mild form, is general; very few 
deaths. Marion: A great many Texas ponies in the county make the average price of 
horses quite low. A great step has been taken to improve the cattle in the county; 
there have been brought in, by two parties, sixty or seventy fine short-horn bulls, 
some of them splendid animals, valued at $3,000 each. Osage: The mules and 
sheep in this county are too few to enumerate. Horses and cattle are all lower in 
price than last year. Morris: Stock of all kinds a little lower than one year ago. 
Atchison: Horses have declined in price since the epizooty broke out. Cattle declined 
in the fall on account of the Texas fever; but that having abated, the demand and 
price are now increasing. Labette: We have a better stock of horses in the county | 
than a year ago. The old scrub-ponies are disappearing, and improved breeds are 
being brought in to fill their places. On account of the epizooty reaching our county, 
the price of horses has fallen 20 per cent. within the last two months. The increase 
in cattle has been nearly one-third greater than last year, principally in cattle driven 
in from Texas since cold weather set in. The cattle in this county were freer from 
disease the past season than ever known before; did not hear of a single case of Texas 
fever, or any other fatal disease. This is owing to the fact that the legislature of this 
State, last winter, passed a law which forbids all kinds of domestic animals to run at 
large, unless under the care of a herder, to go into effect in each county whenever it so 
voted. This county adopted it, and that law was the means of keeping the Texas fever 
out of the county. No cattle were seen roaming over our many acres of uninclosed 
prairies, and occasionally breaking into our inclosed pastures and spreading disease 
among our native stock. Now that farmers are compelled to keep them from roaming 
at large, they fix better pastures and take better care of them. JAfontgomery: The 
epizooty is prevailing extensively, but hardly ever fatal. The great increase in the 
percentage of horses and cattle is due mainly to immigration, Sedgwick: Under our 
system of herd-law, there are few horses and cattle caised; supply from Texas, do- 
