125 



miles south, considerable, say one-tenth, of both cattle and sheep died 

 from want of water and feed. Cattle, in some instances, were sold for 

 five dollars per head, and sheep for fifty cents." 



The few returns received from Oregon represent farm stock there in 

 an average condition. The correspondent for Linn County says : " Three 

 months of February and March, and the present month, have been un- 

 usually wet — so much so, that no plowing worth naming has been done. 

 For the last twenty hours it has rained more than usually hard, andtlie 

 ground is fully saturated with water. The spring sowing must, of ne- 

 cessity, be late and probably limited. However, the grass for grazing 

 is excellent." 



The correspondent of Seattle, Washington Territory, says: "The 

 winter has been mild and open ; no snow or cold weather with the ex- 

 ception of about ten days in January, tolerably cold, and a snow storm 

 about the first of March. As a general rule, cattle were not fed at all. 

 None of my own stock, except cows and work-oxen, have had any hay 

 or other feed, and they are in as good condition as those that have been 

 housed and fed on good timothy hay." 



The corresi^ondent writing from Kane County, ZJfa/i, says: "Cattle 

 have come out poorer than for many years before. Cause : last fall . 

 (18G9) the ISTavajo Indians made several raids, stealing a large percent- 

 age of our horse stock, and killing many cattle for beef. For our own 

 protection, we have been compelled to keep our cattle very close and 

 guard them, and owing to the ravages of the grasshoppers last season, 

 hay was very scarce. These two causes, combined with the fact that 

 this has been our (^oldest winter, have served to bring our cattle into the 

 spring range very poor." 



LOSSES. 



Losses from debility, starvation, or neglect have been less than usual 

 during the past year. A smaller loss of lambs occurred last year than 

 is sometimes recorded. A few exceptions are given. The correspond- 

 ent of Des Moines County, Iowa, says : " In sheep, the loss has been 

 much larger than common. A neighbor told me the other day that he 

 had lost all his last year's lambs, and out of twenty-four dropped this 

 spring he had saved but four, and out of m;y own flock of thirteen 

 lambs dropped we have saved but three. I estimate the loss at ten per 

 cent." 



In Monterey County, California., the loss has been twenty times as 

 great as in the preceding year ; and in Mendocino it is said, " if any one 

 lost, it is the result of negligence on the part of the herder, or by mere 

 accident." 



DISEASES OF FARM STOCK. 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



J^o prevalent disease has swept away the cattle of any portion of the 

 country during the past year. Isolated cases of mortality occur from a 

 multitude of causes, many of them arising from palpable neglect. 



Abortion. — A few cases of abortion are reported in Hillsborough 

 County, New Hampshire; in Essex and Berkshire, Massachusetts; 

 in Otsego, Herkimer, and Ontario, New York ; in Westchester, New 

 York, more than usual ; in Tompkins, less than usual — the correspond- 



