288 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
Piedmont district, (Northside.)—Stafford: There is improvement in 
farm animals, to a small extent in horses and hogs. Prince William: 
Stock slowly increasing, though but little attention is given to improve- 
ment of breeds, except in a few instances. The climate is well adapted 
to stock-growing, and northern men are disposed to engage in it. There 
is only one large stock-grower in the county; he sold $14,006 worth of 
neat cattle last year. Alexandria: Not being a stock-raising region, the 
increase of farm animals is limited, confined chiefly to milch kine and 
swine, with poultry. Of cattle, the partiality is for the Alderney and 
Devon; of swine, the Chester; and of poultry, Brahma. Fairfax: Cat- 
tle and horses are improving, but not much attention is paid to breeds. 
Caroline: Farm animals areincreasing. Short-horn cattle are preferred. 
Chester hogs are rapidly increasing, and promise the most remu- 
nerative results. Cotswold sheep are held in most esteem. Horses and 
mules are in about equal number; the latter are regarded as best for 
farm work. Louisa: Formerly much attention was paid to stock, and 
improved breeds were introduced to considerable extent. Short-horns 
and Devons were looked on as the best strains for cattle, and Cotswolds 
for sheep. Traces of these yet remain; but, on the whole, farm stock 
has decreased. Loudoun: Farm animals are greatly on the increase, 
mostly horses and cattle; of the former, the heavy draught, (much used 
in the country ;) of the latter, the Short-horn. Less attention is given 
to hogs and sheep. Fauquier: This county being peculiarly adapted to 
grass, stock is usually kept in large numbers, say from 35,000 to 40,000 
head of cattle, and untold numbers of sheep and hogs. The hogs follow 
the cattle in winter when feeding on corn, the most of which, except 
breeders and pigs, are sold off in spring, when the cattle are put on 
grass. The Chester and Essex are the favorite breeds of hogs; the 
Southdown and Cotswold of sheep; and the Short-horn for cattle, partieu- 
larly the red Short-horn, of Alexander’s Kentucky breed. Farmers are 
turning their attention particularly to raising their own cattle, and in 
fact all stock. Of the 40,000 head of cattle in the county, about two- 
fifths are home-raised, and about three-fifths imported from Southwest 
Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and West Virginia. Madison: 
The farm animals were largely destroyed by the war, and, owing to the 
impoverished condition of the farmers, efforts to replace their exhausted 
stock have thus far been crippled. Attention to the improvement of 
breeds of horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs, is confined to a very few men 
of means. Greene: The number of farm animals is not more than one- 
half as large as before the war; but for the last three or four years there 
has been an increase in cattle. Very few sheep. Stock of no particular 
breeds; all of the ordinary native kinds. Culpeper: Farm animals are 
generally on the increase. Considerable attention is given to farm stock 
as a more reliable source of profit than wheat. A few improved Short- 
horn and Devon cattle are being brought into the county. As the lands 
are well adapted to the grasses, stock-raising receives more attention. 
Albemarle: Horses of different breeds, both blooded and draught, are 
increasing; also cattle, principally Short-horn, with some few Devons. 
The Chester, Surry, Berkshire, and Woburn breeds of hogs have been 
introduced. Nelson: A decided interest is manifested in the improve- 
ment of cattle by the introduction of the Devon and Short-horn stock. 
There is some increase in hogs, but little or none in horses. The Chester 
and Berkshire hogs and their cross are engaging the attention of farmers 
to a limited extent. 
The Valley.—Clarke: Farm animals of all kinds are increasing, but it 
is only their natural increase. None of the improyed breeds haye been 
