14 INTRODUCTION'. 



thousand millions of dollars in 28,145,240 head of neat cattle 

 of all descriptions. 



That the value of this stock is not over-estimated, we may 

 state that the price of good dairy cows now ranges in the 

 Northern States at $50 to $100 each, and working oxen at $150 

 to $250 a pair, according to age and quality. "Other cattle," 

 which range from the last spring calves to heifers of three years, 

 and steers of four years of age, the youngest of which are worth 

 $5, and the oldest $50, in their pastures, are not over-valued. 

 In our estimates of value, are not counted the thousands of 

 " improved " blood cattle, of the different breeds, now becoming 

 widely diffused over extensive portions of the country, and 

 would, if properly accredited, add some millions to the aggregate 

 value of our cattle herds. It may be said that our currency is 

 inflated to thirty per cent, above gold prices, and a great depre- 

 ciation will follow when we come to a specie basis. No matter. 

 We take things as they are. "We may safely estimate our 

 working capital in neat stock, for the next five years, at a 

 THOUSAND MILLION of dollars, and consider whether that 

 amount invested by a nation containing near forty millions of 

 people in the aggregate, is not worth improving and caring for 

 so much so, at least, as to study, and find out ways for their 

 improvement in breeding, rearing, and feeding to raise them to 

 the perfection of which they are capable, by more care than we 

 have been accustomed to bestow upon them, without much 

 increased cost in their food. This we believe to be both possible 

 and practicable, and if these pages shall only in an imperfect 

 degree, accomplish the object, our purposes will be answered. 



Our Agriculture, in all its branches, is but in the gristle of 

 improvement. The scarcity and high price of labor has com- 

 pelled us to invent and use labor-saving implements and 

 machinery in many departments. We drain, and ditch, and 

 bring our waste lands under cultivation, and cultivate those we 



