463 



Grant County, Ind. — The dryest time experienced since our county 

 was settled. 



Perry County, 111. — The season has been dry without i^recedent. 

 Showers have fallen in some parts of this county sufficient to insure 

 reasonable or nearly average crops of corn, potatoes, »&c., but we have 

 had no general rain sufficient to wet the ground thoroughly, since first 

 week in March last. 



Wright County, Minn. — The fall season has been very dry. Fires 

 have run over large tracts of land, destroying buildings, crops, and 

 even lives. Much suffering will be experienced on the frontier during 

 the coming winter. 



Meelxer County, Minn. — A large amount of hay bas been destroyed 

 by fires, and should the winter be severe must occasion scarcity of hay. 



Franklin County, Mo. — Drought continued until October 9. Much 

 destruction by fire in consequence thereof. 



Marion County, Iowa. — Weather extremely dry, and very pleasant. 

 Most farmers are feeding their stock now, in consequence of short pas- 

 turage. Water lower than ever known since the county was settled. 

 Many farmers have much difficulty and great inconvenience in x)rocur- 

 ing water for their stock. 



Nemaha County, Kans. — This fall has been very dry and windj', and 

 with a heavy coat of dry grass on the prairies, much loss has been sus- 

 tained by fires. One thousand tons of hay, many miles of fences, 500 

 bushels of corn, grain in the stacks, stables, and three houses have l3een 

 burned; about one-third of the prairie in this county has been burned 

 over, and night is luminous with fires in every direction. 



Cowley County, Kans. — Near 1,000 tons of hay have been destroyed 

 by the extensive prairie fires which bave raged among iis this fall. Was 

 very dry until October 30, when some 4 inches of rain fell. 



Sedgwick County, Kans. — Corn is the main crop, mostly on prairie 

 sod. Much hay has been destroyed by prairie fires, ranging from one 

 small stack to 000 tons in a yard. The largest portion of the prairie is 

 burned over. It aj)pears that some are determined to drive all the cat- 

 tle out of the county. 



Gage County, Nehr. — Large amount of hay, grain, and some stock 

 burned through this section by prairie fire. 



Hall County, Nehr. — Prairie fires are raging in every direction, but no 

 lives have beeu lost yet ; a considerable amount of property has been 

 destroyed by those fires, and a great many fVirmers have been compelled 

 to take home tUeir cattle from the herds, on account of the prairies 

 being burned about four weeks too early, the loth of November being 

 the date when cattle are usually taken from their pasturing-grounds. 



San Bernardino County, Cal. — The heated term continues, and no rain 

 yet, the thermometer averaging 95° for the month of October so far, and 

 what the grasshoppers left the heat has inarched uj). No feed of any 

 amount in the valleys for months, and the mountain range, for the first 

 time since the county was settled by a white population, is completely 

 eaten up, and unless rain comes within four or five weeks, dead cattle and 

 sheep will literally strew the plains by thousands. 



Yankton County, Dak. — Only two light showers since July ; conse- 

 quen^tly have suft'ered great damage by prairie fires. 



DISEASES OF STOCK. 



Clarke County, Ya. — A disease, improperly called hog-cholera, has pre- 

 railed in this vicinity to a very fatal extent, from early spring to the 



