123 



Alabama. — The cattle in this State are generally reported in poor con- 

 dition. The " short commons " resulting from drought last summer, and 

 the cold and wet weatlier of the latter part of winter, have left farm ani- 

 mals more unthrifty than unusual. An exception is named in Butler, 

 where " milcli cows are taken care of." 



Similar reports come from Mississippi, mollified by a few exceptional 

 statements, as in Washington and the regions of the Mississippi bottoms. 



Louisiana makes returns of avei-age condition for the spring season. 

 " Cows kept for milking, and regularly fed, look well." 



From Texas returns are favorable, with very few exceptions ; " unusu- 

 ally good " is a common report. In De Witt " many are fat enough for 

 beef." The Medina correspondent says, " Several good rains in Novem- 

 ber gave the grass a new start before winter set in, the latter i^art of De- 

 cember, affording a better winter feed than usual ; the winter has, besides, 

 been mild and short. Cattle came out of winter quarters in a somewhat 

 better condition than an average." 



Arkansas and Tennessee send conflicting reports. In some places scar- 

 city of fodder is mentioned, and the fact is noted that cattle are in a 

 poor condition ; in other sections there is abundance, and cattle nearly 

 fat enough for beef. A fair average may be assumed. 



Sheep have generally wintered better than cattle throughout the 

 Southern States ; they accept a greater variety of food, and will often 

 grow fat where neat cattle will starve. 



Kentuclcy reports her stock in average condition. 



In West Virginia stock generally looks well. A few exceptions are 

 noted. In Berkley, their poor condition is attributed to moldy corn- 

 fodder; in Jefiersou, to scarce pasturage in consequence of drought. 

 The following, from the mountain county of Pendleton, speaks well for 

 the capabilities of this State: " Cattle have come out of winter quarters 

 in fine condition. I have wintered one hundred head of stock cattle, 

 and have never known them to come out better. Cattle are our great 

 resource; everybody handles more or less cattle." In Boone, " sheep 

 have generally run at large in the mountains all the winter, except 

 ewes ; they are taken in a short time before the season for lambs. Sheep 

 do better out than in, as far as they have been tried, in small flocks — say 

 not over one hundred in number — in winter. They can find food sufti- 

 cient to keep in good condition. Sheep are never diseased." 



Ohio. — Eeports from most of the counties are favorable. In Vinton, 

 where it is said there was not a period of thirty-two hours without a 

 change of weather in the early part of winter, cattle are thin; in Cham- 

 paign, wet weather and poor feed were unfavorable ; in Fayette and Ross 

 similar complaints are made. 



Indiana. — The condition of farm stock may be placed at a full av- 

 erage. A few counties, as Elkhart, Noble, Steuben, and Kosciusko, 

 report cattle thin and poor ; in the latter it i& mentioned that wheat has 

 been fed to stock considerably, but that it is not equal to corn for that 

 purpose. 



Illinois. — A similar statement maybe made of this State. Cows ap- 

 pear to be in better order than usual in localities where cheese factory 

 enterprises are flourishing, where they receive better care. In Rock 

 Island a lack of nutriment in hay is given as a cause of poor condition ; 

 in Warren, cattle have wintered badly ; and in Cook, Fayette, and Gal- 

 latin, reports are unfavorable; while Marshall, among other counties, 

 never wintered stock in better order. The correspondent from William- 

 son says : " Cattle are coming out of their winter quarters in rather poor 

 condition, thinner in flesh, upon an average, than they were a year ago. 



