284 McLean county, Illinois. 



in the early part of the Summer. But if I conclude to give 

 them Fall feeding I let them run on the grass until the first of 

 October. I then commence Fall feeding on grass, allowing 

 them to graze on a full feed of corn till frost cuts the grass. 

 In November I place them in small lots and feed them until 

 they are shipped to market. It takes on an average twenty- 

 eight pounds of corn together with the fodder, and plenty of 

 salt and water, to make two pounds of gain per day, or sixty 

 pounds per month. 



I keep the Merino sheep. They are hardy and consume 

 less food than the large, coarse, woolly breeds, and are better 

 adapted for large herds. 



I like the Poland China hog, as it can be fattened early. 

 It is an excellent hog to follow cattle. 



High bred meat-producing animals make much larger 

 returns for the food consumed than poor blooded ones. 

 They readily convert all the grass, hay and corn grown on the 

 farm into beef, pork, mutton and wool. 



My plan for seeding meadows and pastures is to sow eight 

 quarts of well cleansed timothy seed and four quarts red clover 

 seed per acre. I sow the timothy in February on a snow, on 

 growing rye, and the clover the first of April ; or if sown after 

 oats that were sown in April, sow immediately after harrowing 

 the last time. Do not even let the dew fall on the laud before 

 sowing, as the dew or rain closes the pores of the earth and 

 forms a crust that prevents the seed from sinking into the soft 

 earth and it is thus scorched to death with the heat of the sun. 



I mow for three or four years, permitting the cattle to 

 graze from the blue grass pastures after the grass is mown. 

 In a few years the meadows are thus transformed into a sod of 

 blue grass, without sowing a seed. Nearly all the pastures 

 on my farm have been made in this way, and have been used 

 for twenty-five years. They grow better as they grow older, 

 and are less liable to be over-grown with ragweed. I consider 

 blue grass the best for a permanent pasture. A portion of my 

 farm is thoroughly underdrained, an investment which has 

 brought me the fullest returns. 



