76 MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



cellent condition without any grain whatever. I give them a 

 free run outdoors, all weather except stormy, when they have 

 sheds to stand under, or stables sufficiently close to break the 

 wind. My barn, 30x60 feet, has stabling for 20 head ranged 

 in two rows, with a six foot feed-way down the center, and a 

 "lean-to" stabling ten more. No disease except the distemper 

 has ever been prevalent among my horses, and they scarcely ever 

 need further treatment than good care from rough, stormy 

 weather. 



GRADE ALDERNEY CATTLE. 



I keep on this farm from 15 to 25 head two-yeiw-olds and 

 under. My cows are kept longer. The rule is, when maturity 

 is arrived at, or near, " to sell," and raise up younger ones 

 to supply their places. I have been making milk and br.tter 

 quite an object for several years, and to this end I have pro- 

 cured an Alderney bull of good strain and crossed him with 

 the best native milkers I could get. The result is very satis- 

 factory. I have thus obtained some of the best milk and but- 

 ter cows I ever saw. I am now using the second bull, and 

 have made some very satisfactory sales of graded heifers and 

 co^s, as I had them to spare. 



HOGS. 



I have been in the hog business, and I have been out too. 

 For a few j^ears I have kept quite a number of graded Berk- 

 shires, ranging from 30 to 40 head, and sold them as stockers. 

 I butchered 44 head last season and made them into bacon, 

 and think I did much better than selling at 2Jc. per lb. gross 

 (all I could get then). I am now convinced that unless a sur- 

 plus of corn is raised, to sell as stockers is best, selling as soon 

 as 100 lbs is reached, or in about two months after weaning. 

 This is the plan I am now pursuing, keeping about 10 

 graded sows to breed to the best boai- I can get. The result 

 is about 100 shoats, more or less, per year to sell, which have 

 consumed but little corn. Last year I lost a number of young 

 hogs by cholera. I have no cure to oifea*, but an awful big pre- 

 ventative : separate all affected pigs and change pasture with 

 the balance at once. If they drink or eat together they will 



