62 



when this will be one of the first dairy counties of the West. Sheep are 

 neglected. All for sale, and no buyers. 



If this county has any specialty it is the hojj, and as the dairy interest 

 increases this class of stock will improve. The ruling -breeds are the 

 Cheshire, Chester white, Poland and China, Berkshire, tSufiblk, and Eng- 

 lish Chester. The white breeds are generally preferred. The average 

 Aveight of hogs sold in this market is fully one hundred per cent, greater 

 than it Avas fifteen or twenty years ago, and I am confident there is not 

 as much corn consumed per cai)ita as there was then — the result of 

 improved stock. 



LIVE STOCK IX HARRISON COUNTY, ^Y. VA. 



Harrison County^ W. Va. — The following table shows the number of 

 live stock in this county, as returned by the assessor in 1870, compared 

 with the number returned in 1869 : 



Stock. 



1869. 



Horses and mules 4, 731 i 5, 036 



Cattle 1 16,391 17,857 



Sheep I 15,376 ] 12,166 



Hogs , 1,301 ! 1,332 



Average 



value 



in 1870. 



|73 00 



28 00 



1 82 



5 98 



THE SUGAR BEET IN MINNESOTA. 



McLeod County, Mill. — "I think the soil in this county very favor- 

 able for the production of sugar beets. Joseph Le Maitre, to whom I 

 gave a portion of the seed received from the Agricultural Department, 

 raised forty bushels of beets, two bushels of which he steTimed, crushed, 

 and pressed, by a rude process, and obtained six and a half quarts of 

 molasses of the consistency and taste of ordinary sorghum syrup." 



INJURY TO FRUIT TREES. 



Tazeicell County, III. — January 13 and 14, heasy storm of rain, 

 sleet, and snow, which froze as it fell, coveiing fruit and forest trees 

 with a veryheavycoating of ice, which was followed the succeeding night 

 with a heavy wind, making sad havoc with peach, cherry, plum, and all 

 other brittle wood. Loss in this county estimated at $500,000, which I 

 think a very low estimate. 



Henry County, Ky. — AVe have just got rid of one of the most extra- 

 ordinary sleets known to the oldest inhabitant. Great damage was 

 done by it both to fruit and forest trees ; the peach trees have suffered 

 most. In many localities the peach orchards have been almost entirely 

 destroyed. For four or five days every branch and twig of every tree 

 was thoroughly encased in ice. What eftect it is to have upon the 

 young buds is not yet known. We hope, however, that it will not be 

 disastrous. 



CHANGE OF CROPS. 



Ottatca County, Midi. — Public sentiment is being changed in a rad- 

 ical manner as to farm products and stock. More pork, more beef, 



