114 



Baltimore, and Kent, as tlie causes of the unfavorable oonditioij of cat- 

 tle in their respective sections of the State. 



The reports from Virginia have been very full and complete ; the re- 

 porters lor sixty-three counties heard from are almost unanimous in 

 speaking- ^of the unfavorable coarlition of their stock, and all from the 

 same potent causes — " severe winter and insufficient food." The corres- 

 pondent for Meckleuburgh County says : " The utter failure of the 

 wheat and oat crops compelled the use of straw and corn-fodder for 

 teams, leaving only what could be picked up in the fields, and corn- 

 stubble, for the cattle, and many have starved in consequence." The 

 reporter for Bnckinghaui County says: " Provender is now very scarce, 

 and unless the spring opens very soon many must die of- starvation." 

 The only conuties giving anything like a favorable report are Amelia, 

 Highland, Henry, Pulaski, Montgomery, Botetourt, and Alexandria. 



In more than three-fourths of the counties of North Carolina cattle 

 are represented to be in sorry plight, after passing through an unusually 

 trying- ordeal. In fact, the v»anter Vv-as not over on the 1st of April, in 

 some parts of the State, and fears were freely expressed of serious 

 losses from exhaustion of provender before the appearance of spring" 

 pasture, such losses actually occurring in many places. Very few county 

 reporters failed to note the severity of the season, the "oldest inhab- 

 itant" taxing his memory in vain for a parallel, while the scarcity of 

 food of all kinds seems to have been almost as general, caused in part 

 by the unusual demand upoL it, and also by the drought of the preced- 

 ing summer. In Hertford County the exceedingly bad condition is 

 accounted for by the fact that the young reeds upon which the cattle 

 depend for winter food were killed by the cold. 



Greenville and Fairfield Counties alone, in South 'Carolina, return 

 favorably; scarcity or entire exhaustion of provender being generally 

 complained of, and superlatively bad reports being the rule, based upon 

 the lack of food, and the rigors of an exceptionally cold winter and late 

 spring, which unfavorable conditions were aggravated by a general 

 absence of suitable shelter from the inclemency of the season. 



In Georgia the winter was one of great severity, the cold weather and 

 excessive rains telling fearfully upon cattle. Troup County alone, out 

 of sixty-three reporting, returns condition as "excellent," and but nine 

 others report at all favorably 5 while in the remainder the expressions 

 "deplorable," "worse than for many years," &c., are so frequent as to 

 become almost monotonous. In some parts of the State an unusual 

 amount of snow fell, and from all quarters the scarcity of provender is 

 complained of, resulting in many losses from starvation. 



From Florida come the same accounts of tlie unusual inclemency of 

 the season, with consequent suffering and many losses, although the 

 condition was improving on the 1st of April, and in Levy County the 

 increase of calves was reported at 100 per cent, greater than usual. 

 But two counties heard from (Jefferson and Volusia) make favorable 

 returns. 



Lack of food and shelter, together vith severity of winter and late- 

 ness of spring, are the causes assigned by correspondents in Alabama 

 for the low condition of cattle geiierall;^-; few counties breaking the uni- 

 formity of the report, Lowndes, Lautku-dale, and Morgan alone forming 

 ])roniinent exceptions; in the lirst " better care," and in the last "the 

 dry winter," furnishing explanations of the favorable aspect of affairs. 



From Mississippi the returns are hardly more cheering, containing 

 reiterations of the same depressing statements. The season throughout 

 the South has been extremely trying to stock unprovided with shelter, 



