Vol. XVI., Second Series. 



ROCHESTER, N. Y., JANUARY, 1865. 



THE GENESEE FARMER, 



A ilO.VTULT JOURNAL OP 



A.GRICULTUR K & HOR TICULTURE. 

 Volume XVL, Second Series, 1855. 



D.VN1EI< I,EE AND W. D. ALMS, EDITORS. 



JOSEPH FROST, HORTICULTURAL EDITOR. 



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THE SCIENCE OF WINTERING LIVE STOCK. 



Four and a half years ago, when the la.st census 

 was taken, the Live Stock of the nation wa,s estimated 

 at $.143,822,711. Since that time domestic animals 

 have srreatly increased in value, from an augmented 

 demand for all their products. In a few localities. 

 the injury sustained by the almost unprecedented 

 drouth of the past summer and autumn, operated to 

 depress the price of cattle, sheep and swine tempora- 

 rily, from the scarcity of forage and other stock food. 

 These exceptional cases do not, however, materially 

 iffect the general truth of the statement, that live 

 stock is now worth about twenty-five per cent, more, 

 Dn a fair average, per head, than it was five years ago. 

 In m-.uiy places good horses and mules have advanced 

 'ull fifty per cent, in price; while good cows for milk, 

 ind superior breeding animals, have risen still higher 

 n the best markets. Estimating the advance at 

 .wenty-five per cent., and the present value of our 

 ive stock, allowing for no increase of numbers, is 

 S679.478,38D. The inhabitants of the United States 

 -ncrea«e from two and a half to three per cent, per 

 innum, and their domestic animals in a somewhat 

 larger ratio. At threp per cent, a year, the aggre- 



gate increase in numbers is nearly fifteen per cent.,' 

 but call it only twelve and a half per cent, and the 

 live stock now in the country is worth the very large 

 sura of $764,413,187. 



No other interest of half the importance has been 

 so little studied in all its aspects; and in no other 

 kind of property does the daily consumption of food 

 pre.scnt so many points for tfee exercise of wise econ- 

 omy, or for serious losses in consequence of bad man- 

 agement. A moment's reflection will satisfy every 

 reader that inasmuch as domestic animals are large 

 consumers as well as liberal producers, under favora- 

 ble circumstances, they naturally exaggerate and ex- 

 tend both losses and profits, according to the skill or 

 want of it with which they are propagated, reared 

 and kept Most kinds of property may be wintered 

 and summered with little or no expense; not so, how- 

 ever, is the fact in reference to live stock. Hence, 

 the Science of Wintering Domestic Animals involves 

 questions of vast pecuniary importance; and it is a 

 department of knowledge that peculiarly commends 

 itself to the best attention of eveiy farmer. He 

 .should carefully investigate the return which he is to 

 realize for all the food consumed by each animal du- 

 ring the six most expensive months of the year, in 

 which it is fed mainly by the hand of man. Will the 

 compensation in labor, in flesh, wool, or in milk equal 

 the ouTlay? Is the gain in any of these, or in all, 

 what it ought to be to render this Wnd of husbandry 

 really profitable? In what way should animals be 

 fed and housed to yield the best possible return to 

 the stock-grower? It is easy to answer this question 

 by saying that they should be well fed and tvell 

 housed to attain this end. But such remarks fail en- 

 tirely to point out what is good feeding and good 

 shelter, in the proper acceptation of those terms 

 among stock-breeders and keepers. Some believe 

 that it will not pay to provide warm stables, or even 



