16 KANE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



cooked. During the early and middle stages of a hog's life, I 

 think corn alone is too strong and heating for his growth or 

 health. 



CLEANLINESS. 



I attribute much of the hog disease to the general prac- 

 tice of feeding nothing but corn, and much more to the lack 

 of attention to the shelter and com fort of the animal. The 

 hog is a filthy animal if you force him to be such. He is also 

 clean if you make him so. Good food, clean, warm quarters, 

 and pure water for drink, are essential to his health, growth 

 and early maturity. 



SHEEP. 



My present flock consists of the fine wools well graded 

 up with Leicester blood, giving me the best grade of wool and 

 mutton for market. In tlie Fall I select all the wethers above 

 three, and all the ewes above four years old, for feeding. I 

 feed them oats for about three months, then corn, until the 

 middle of May, or perhaps later. I then take off the fleece 

 and sell the sheep for mutton. This keeps my flock young, 

 vigorous, and in the best wool producing time of life, as the 

 quality and quantity of wool begin to deteriorate after about 

 the fourth year of a sheep's age. Sheep require dry land, 

 warm and dry quarters, and good protection from the storms 

 at all seasons of the year. Clover hay with a little grain, or 

 oat straw, cut early, well cured and not threshed, makes excel- 

 lent Winter feed for them. My sheep fold is the stone base- 

 ment of my barn. 



STOCK. 



In regard to stock, there are as many different opinions as 

 to qualities, as there are different breeds of cattle. Were 

 I selecting for butter alone, I would prefer the Jerseys ; for 

 beef, the Durhams; while I regard with much favor the 

 Devons, the Holsteins, and the Herefords. My present herd 

 of cattle is common stock well graded up with the Short-Horns. 

 They make fair milkers and very good feeders, perhaps not the 



