STOCK — HORSES — DRAINAGE. 533 



convert it nearly all into beef and pork, realizing from twenty 

 to sixty cents per bushel. My experience in grass is that the 

 older the sward the better for grazing. Blue grass and white 

 clover are my choicest varieties of grass for grazing purposes. 

 Timothy and red clover prove the best varieties for meadow. I 

 harrow in early Spring, and top dress with manure. This is 

 what meadows need in this section of Iowa. 



STOCK. 



I have found that the best breeds of cattle for beef are 

 Short-Horns. The best breed of hogs, in my judgment, is the 

 Poland China, which I grow quite extensively. I like to have 

 my pigs come in April and May, and the January following I 

 market them, when they weigh from two hundred and forty to 

 three hundred pounds. I do not Winter any but brood sows. 



HORSES. 



As to horses for all pnrpo ;es, I am in favor of the Mam- 

 brinos. I think, with reference to rearing, that most of our 

 colts in the West get too much grain. I have for the past sev- 

 eral Winters allowed my colts to run on pasture, giving 

 them but little feed. I find that they grow and develop bet- 

 ter than when they are kept on higher feed, and in the end 

 make hardier horses and have much greater endurance. I 

 approve of early breaking. By the time they are three years 

 old, I want my colts well accustomed to the harness, but do 

 not work those intended for farming and draught purposes too 

 long to a light buggy before teaching them to draw a load. 



MOLE AND TILE DRAINAGE. 



My experience in drainage, especially in underdraining, 

 is that farmers can not place too high an estimate on that kind 

 of work. I have now about three thousand rods of mole 

 drainage on my farm, and find from practical demonstration 

 that no money invested on the farm pays better. But I recom- 

 mend by all means tile drainage, it being much more durable 

 and not liable to obstruction. 



