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In Indiana and Illinois the general condition resembles that in Ohio, 

 and lor like reasons. In the former State out of forty counties twenty- 

 six return a condition above average ; Decatur, •' rather poor on ac- 

 count of the great amount of rain and mud through the winter ; " Ham- 

 ilton, poor, "the warm, wet winter being unfavorable for out-door feed- 

 ing ;" Gibson, AVarren, Wells, and Pike, thin but healthy. 



In Illinois seven counties return average condition, ten below and 

 thirty-five above. In Effingham, there being an unusual amount of 

 rain-fall, " stock of all kinds not sheltered have not done as well as 

 usual ; " In Ogle the weather in March was hard on cattle not provided 

 with shelter; in Richland bad crops and changeable weather have con- 

 spired to make cattle poor ; and in Mercer they are poor from scarcity 

 of grain and forage, the stalk-fields having been rendered nearly worth- 

 less by drought last season ; in McHenry, " lean, owing to the condi- 

 tion in which they went into winter-quarters, occasioned by scarcity 

 of pasture last autumn ; " rather poor in Eock Island, for a like reason. 

 In De Witt they were never seen looking so well as this spring 5 Ran- 

 dolph, ten per cent, better than for several years. 



From Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa the returns of condition are 

 almost uniformly favorable. Whether from more general provisions for 

 housing stock and feed, or from more favorable meteorological condi- 

 tions west of the Mississippi, there is no complaint of damage from wet 

 weather. Of twenty-nine counties in Wisconsin all except Adams and 

 Washington report higher condition. 



Among thirty returns from Minnesota, Faribault alone is below aver- 

 age, and that slightly ; the winter mild but very long, and coarse grain 

 scarce and high. Isanti, in which hay had been fed up to April 1, "just 

 six mouths," reports average, but " many are very poor, chiefly from 

 neglect." Chippewa reports that all are stabled and the condition first- 

 rate. The same in Martin, Douglas, Fillmore, Murray, and Waseca. 



From Iowa fifty returns have been received ; six of which range below 

 average ; nine from fair to full average, and thirty-five from good to 

 superior. In this last grade are Jasper, Taylor, Louisa, and Allama- 

 kee. In Pottawattomie cattle are not in as good flesh as usual, but 

 " those fed principally on corn-fodder and straw are in better condition 

 than those fed on prairie-hay." Muscatine reports that cattle are thin- 

 ner than for some years, for the reason that " in consequence of the 

 drought last season fall-feed was very poor, and also the shortness of 

 the corn-crop and the advanced price of grain rendered heavy feeding 

 impracticable." Morrow, rather thin, owing to the destruction of the 

 corn-crop by grasshoppers ; Grundy, poor ; " most of the farmers at- 

 tempted to get their stock through on rough feed." 



In sixty-one returns from Missouri, eighteen are below average and 

 thirtv-four above. Scarcity of feed is reported in Platte, Clay, Stone, 

 Jasper, Dallas, Christian, Clinton, Montgomery, Ralls, Livingston, Ver- 

 non, Holt, De Kalb, and Jefferson. 



In Kansas and Nebraska stock have suffered to some extent from 

 scarcity of feed, partly occasioned by drought and chinch-bugs, and 

 partly by neglect to store up, in the season ofit, grass "that was abundant 

 and might be had for the cutting." Out of thirty-three returns from 

 Kansas, ten are below average, and sixteen above. Some of them 

 have been noticed under " Condition of farm-animals." In Labette, cat- 

 tle are poor " from shortness of pasture in the fall, scarcity of feed and the 

 extreme length of the winter. Many skeletons scattered on our prairies." 

 In Ottawa, the loss is greater among Texas cattle than among natives. 

 " The past winter has clearly demonstrated that cattle cannot be success- 



