80 



human as in brute animals, tend to produce disease in the 

 lower extremities. 



This subject of fatting neat cattle for the Brighton market 

 deeply concerns many of the farmers in Franklin Co. ; and 

 especially those in the river-towns. Estimating hay and corn 

 at the prices current, they are ahiiost always losers by the 

 operation. These articles, however, are high because farmers 

 are not willing to sell ; or rather they have not the articles to 

 sell because they require them for the purpose of fatting their 

 cattle. If the farmers should choose, instead of fattening cat- 

 tle, to sell their hay and corn, the supply would greatly reduce 

 the price ; and, therefore, in the estimation of the cost of fat- 

 tening cattle, these articles should be charged at the prices 

 which they would bear if cattle were not fatted. The accounts 

 then would present a different aspect ; yet not then perhaps in 

 many cases favorable to the fattener of beef by stall-feeding. 



There is another consideration in the case certainly of great 

 'weight, and deemed by most farmers of indispensable import- 

 ance. The consumption of the produce of the farm upon the 

 farm, is thought the only means of keeping up the condition 

 of the farm and of continuing the crops. This is a very ma- 

 terial consideration, if no other means of effecting this object 

 are equally accessible and equally cheap. This inquiry will 

 come presently ; and I am now ready to admit, certainly with re- 

 spect to all long feed, that it is always better to consume the prod- 

 uce on the place, even at a nominal loss of twenty-five per cent, 

 than to carry it off any distance to market ; that is, it is better 

 for a farmer to use his hay on his farm, though it will produce 

 him, when thus fed to fatting cattle, but six dollars per ton, 

 than to carry it even a short distance to market and obtain eight 

 dollars for it. There are in the latter case the loss of the ma- 

 nure, which the hay used would furnish, the waste in remov- 

 ing the hay, and the wear-and-tear and toil of carrying it to 

 market. These circumstances seem to require that a lower 

 estimate should be put upon the value of these articles con- 

 sumed in the fatting of neat cattle than the current prices in 

 the market. 



