15 



sheep-raiser could wish. Wool is the great staple orowii here. Bell : Very few hogs 

 raised outside of iuclosures, owing to depredations of bad white and black men. Hogs 

 greatly improved in quality by importations of Poland, China, and black Berkshires. 

 Neat cattle have been stolen, sold, and driven out of the couuty, until there is not 

 enough left for home consumption. Medina : All the prices reported are in gold. 

 Bandera : Mules mostly imported. Fat cattle, for shipping, are selling at .|20 per head 

 in coin. Austin: The tendency of horse-raisers is to increase the number of mules. 

 Osen fast disappearing, their place being taken by teams of horses and mules. The 

 number of improved hogs Jias increased very materially. 



Arkansas. — Garland: Never did we see horses so low. I can buy a horse, saddle, and 

 hridle for l|40, which one year ago would have cost |150. The great increase in cattle 

 is due to those driven here from Texas. The decrease in sheep, caused by the heavy 

 consumption at Hot Springs ; but about 5,000 are coming from Texas, which will stock 

 our couuty again. Van Buren : The decrease in oxen and other cattle owing to the 

 short crops ; every farmer sold olf all his surplus stock. Ouachita: Scarcity of provi- 

 sions has compelled the farmers to kill all cattle that were fat enough. There 

 have been scarcely any hogs here ; they were killed by cholera in 1871. Fulton : 

 Owing to scarcity of corn and forage, farmers have disposed of their surplus stock, and 

 consequently all kinds are low in price, particularly cattle and hogs, except fatted hogs, 

 which are scarce. Izard : Horses, mules, and cattle as plenty as last year, but no de- 

 mand for them, and but little to winter them on. Hogs exceedingly scarce. Pope: 

 Owing to a light crop, stock of every kind is much lower in price than last year. A 

 great many more cattle have been killed for beef than usual, owing to scarcity of 

 bacon as well as of feed. Hogs have been neglected, but there is now a disposition to 

 give them more attention, and they are increasing. Arkansas : A more ready sale for 

 mules than other stock ; several droves have been brought in and sold at $120 per head, 

 cash, and at $170 on a year's time. The farmers are now raising mules. Cattle are . 

 plenty and cheap, owing to the want of hay. The wild hogs are mostly killed, and 

 wild-hog claims are cheap. TFashington: Owing to scarcity of feed, those that would 

 buy hold over until spring ; the seller would take a reduced price for all kinds sooner 

 than buy feed at the high figure. 



Tennessee. — Lincoln : Scarcely any demand for stock of any kind. It probably 

 would not bring more than half of what it would twelve months ago, if sold for cash, 

 owing to stringency of money and scarcity of feed. McNairy : Cattle, except milch- 

 cows, have been killed almost by wholesale, owing to the high price of bacon (for 

 which beef was substituted) and the very short corn and hay crops. Coffee : No de- 

 mand for stock of any kind, except hogs, which have been sold at $7 per hundred, 

 gross. Bedford : Decrease in stock, owing to scarcity of feed, which has forced owners 

 to sell off all surplus stock ready for market at reduced prices. Giles : Owing to the 

 drought most of our stock and pork hogs were sold off in July — not enough fattened in 

 the county for home consumption. Very little demand for stock, and more on hand 

 than formerly. Blooded cattle command $50 to $200 ; blooded or trotting horses, $200 

 to $5,000 ; Cotswold and Southdown sheep, $10 to $20. Fayette : The price of every- 

 thing is low compared with any year since the war. Many complaints of hog-stealing ; 

 it is almost impossible to keep up the stock. Green : Bacon-hogs scarcer than 

 usual ; more attention to improved hogs. Perry : Except hogs and sheep, stock of all 

 kinds is lower, and there is less demand for it than for twenty-five years. Smith: 

 The improvements in breeds of sheep is very decided, and a greatly increased in- 

 terest in sheep husbandry is growing up in the county. Jackson : Hogs exceedingly 

 scarce in this county ; scarcely a supply of pork for home consumption. Owing to the 

 low prices of pork heretofore farmers have neglected hog-raising. Woodruff: The fail- 

 ure of mast for the past two years, with the short corn-crop, has considerably reduced 

 the hog-crop, both in numbers and quality. Grainger : Very litttle market for live- 

 stock of any kind, and all except hogs quite low in price, owing to scarcity of money. 

 The average price of stock-cattle is $1.50 to $2 per hundred, gross ; some few fat cattle 

 are shipped East and South at $2 to $3, gross. Fat hogs, 7 cents, net. Monroe : Horses 

 and mules low ; no sales, and a surplus on hand. A slow but steady increase of 

 blooded sheep ; and if we had a stringent dog-law, sheep husbandry would be 

 greatly increased. The low price of pork for a few years past has caused the 

 decrease in the number of hogs. Bobertson : No local demand for stock at any 

 price. Hawkins : During the first quarter of the past year a larger number of 

 iiogs of all ages died than for some years previous. Gibson : Farmers were com- 

 pelled to slaughter their surplus cattle to be able to winter the remainder, and 

 as there is neither corn nor forage to be had except at the most extravagant 

 prices, it is feared that large numbers of those will fall victims to extreme hunger. 

 Wayne : Stock of every kind is low down, owing to shortness of crops and a scar- 

 city of money ; might say no sale at all. Blount : While there is a small increase 

 in numbers of horses and mules, there is a corresponding decrease in price. Quite a de- 

 crease in price of cattle. Think sheep will command a higher price within the year, 

 as a woolen factory will be in operation here in a short time. Hogs scarce, and in de- 



