454 BLACKIIAWK COUNTY, IOWA. 



sage of the law restraining stock from running at large, I have 

 seeded down more than half of my farm, and pasture my own 

 stock, as it pays better than to cultivaie the land, or send the 

 cattle to the herd, a distance of fifty miles. 



What it costs to raise a steer three and a 



half years - - - - - -fSl 00 



And to feed it thereafter five months, fifty- 

 five bushels of corn at twenty-five cents 



172 00 $72 00 



I let* five pigs run after two steers, thus paying for all 

 labor. J pasture my steeTs until November fifteenth, feeding 

 them shocked corn from October fifteenth. Then I feed in my 

 yard for a month ; next I tie them up in stalls and feed husked 

 and shelled and then ground corn, with sheaf oats occasionally. 

 I water them twice a day. I feed them three times, and give 

 them salt twice a week, with earth occasionally to lick, which 

 creates an appetite. I furnish them all the corn and hay they 

 will eat, in order to make the most pounds in the shortest time. 

 My cattle are usually very healthy. I had five sick once with 

 dry murrain, caused by feeding them mostly corn and stalks in 

 February that were shocked the Fall before. Those cattle 

 died, as do hundreds of cattle annually from running in corn 

 stalk fields. The trouble is that they eat a large amount of 

 corn, dry husks and stalks, and do not have salt enough to 

 make them drink sufficient water. The feed becomes impact in 

 the stomach, and after a time will not digest. It soon irri- 

 tates the stomach, produces inflammation of the receptacle, and 

 causes them great agony until they die. Give cattle plenty 



