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CONDITION OF SHEEP AND CATTLE. 
Though the past winter, over much the larger portion of the country, 
has been one of extraordinary and protracted cold, it has on the whole 
been favorable for farm animals. The weather has béen comparatively 
uniform and dry. There have been comparatively few sudden changes 
and very few storms of rain and sleet followed by freezes. One conse- 
quence has been unusual exemption from wide-spread suffering and 
death which wet winter storms inflict upon unsheltered farm animals, 
especially sheep. The severity of the winter in certain sections has in- 
duced greater care, and more attention to feeding. Farmers are learn- 
ing that care and kindness to these useful creatures are repaid with in- 
crease of profit. Our correspondent in Labette County, Kansas, states: 
‘‘T have learned from observation that a cow, when well sheltered and 
watered, can be kept on less than one-half the feed required when left 
to the exposure of winter storms.” Those who now neglect to provide 
suitable shelter in winter for their herds and flocks, if they would care- 
fully observe and study results, would reach a similar conclusion. The 
agricultural districts in this country are very limited in which farmers 
can afford to winter stock without any provision for sheltering and feed- 
ing them. 
In the Pacific States, and in the Territories, except Utah, the winter 
appears to have been unusually mild and pleasant. Inthe Gulf States, 
especially Texas, there has been an exception to the general exemption 
from storms of rain and sleet. The consequences, as will be seen from the 
figures and extracts which follow, are manifest in comparatively low 
condition and heavy losses. In the Northwestern States much suf- 
fering and considerable loss among cattle and sheep were occasioned by 
the unprecedented snow-storm of January 7. On the whole, taking the 
country together, owing to the circumstances above referred to, in con- 
nection with a general abundance and cheapness of feed, both cattle and 
sheep have come out of winter-quarters with much fewer losses, and in 
a condition much better, than average. The returns make it quite man- 
ifest that wherever they have been properly sheltered and fed, flocks 
and herds have come through the winter in a healthy, thrifty condition. 
CONDITION OF CATTLE. 
Out of 1,032 counties reporting with some degree of explicitness, 238 
return average condition ; 500 above, 294 below. New England returns 
42 counties, 5 of which are average and 37 above. York, Maine, reports 
“never saw them looking so well;” Hillsborough, New Hampshire, 
‘never better ;” Chittenden, Vermont, “‘better than for a number of 
years;” Hampden, Massachusetts, “ extra,” and Franklin, ‘“ 25 per cent. 
above average.” 
In some returns the description of relative condition is too vague to 
admit of classification as either average, above, or below. Such counties 
are not included in the classifications which follow. Under “average” 
are placed not only those so reported explicitly, butimpliedly; such as, 
‘in fair condition,” “pretty good,” “ good as usual,” &c; “‘ aboveaverage” 
includes those returned as “in good condition,” without any qualifying 
epithet, and all grades described by stronger terms, among which “‘excel- 
lent,” “splendid,” “first rate,” ‘““never better,” ‘+ better than ever before,” 
&c., abound. The extracts which follow the summary given in figures, 
will be mainly such, or specimens of such, as assign a reason for the rel- 
ative condition. 
