132 WHITESIDE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



where there is nothing to eat. Cattle, when fed properly, aro 

 never troubled witli it. 



SHEEP. 



In the September of 18G3, 1 bought 500 breeding ewes, of 

 what is or was called common breed. The next Spring I 

 loaded my clip on a hay rack, took it to town, sold it for $1 

 per pound, amounting to $2,700. 



I had 1,400 head when the business went down ; had paid 

 higli for bucks ; held on so long (sold the last of the flock in 

 1877) that I made no profits. 



THE FOOT-r.OT. 



In the fifth year of my husbandry, I solved this question 

 by selecting a sound slieep and applying the virus thoroughly 

 to the animal day after da}-, but making no impression. I then 

 turned my attention to the yards, and kept them clean as pos- 

 sible, and for nine years had not one case of foot-rot. Old 

 prejudices are very lasting, but let him who doubts, take the 

 same process to convince himself, which he will do, and I will 

 liave one more on my side. Further, I have led a horse through 

 a muddy j^ard after a prolonged rain, and the horse would rub 

 and stamp his feet as if they were on fire. I have herded slieep 

 on wet pasture to kill out wi'.d grass, which was poor pasture 

 for sheep, but it did not produce foot-rot. 



I have written on this subject for the purpose of giving relief 

 to farmers that are troubled with regard to this disease. 



DAIRYING. 



I have and milk sixty cows, what are called high grade 

 Short Horn Durhams. I think they are the best class of dairy 

 cows for this section of country where corn is cheap. I change 

 twenty per cent, of my herd annually, and it pays. A cow 

 weighing from tv.-clvc to fouitccn bundled, nearly direct from 

 the milk pail, by three or four weeks', good feeding, when sold 

 to the butcher, will bring a good fresh cow to the dairy and 

 five to ten dollars to her owner. While the little Alder- 

 ncy may make two-thirds or three-fourths more butter — 



