856 Transactions of the American Institute. 



out of the way, and the cows changed to another barn, and yet thej 

 have just liad to give up a cow with a calf three weeks old. What 

 seems as strange as anything about it is the fact that a few years ago 

 the farm used to keep one and two pairs of oxen and two cows, all of 

 which appeared healthy, and were generally the fattest cattle about 

 liere, • 



Mr. S. E. Todd. — The difficulties are attributable to some local 

 cause, or several causes combined. The long hoofs alluded to arise 

 from frozen feet. Many sheep that are not properly protected 

 during the cold weather have their feet frozen several times during 

 the winter. The same is true of neat cattle. During the succeding 

 summer the hoofs on those feet that have been frozen will frequently 

 push out four to six inches beyond their usual length, and turn up like 

 sleigh runners. I saw a large bull in the cattle market whose feet 

 had been frozen so often that the animal could scarcely walk, as every 

 hoof had pushed out to such an enormous length as to compel the 

 animal to tread on the heels and fetlocks of every foot. 



The other difficulties are plainly attributable to the continued 

 influence of bad water, want of protection, and proper feed. Let the 

 local difficulties be removed, and there will be no trouble in keeping 

 any kind of animals in a thrifty condition. A great many people 

 water their stock from well water that has been colored with poisonous 

 drippings of the stable and barn yard. This cause alone would be 

 sufficient to kill all the stock. A farmer in New Jersey lost most of 

 his horses by giving them poisoned water from a well in their stable. 



Putting all the Manuke on the Grass. 

 Mr. Nathaniel Piatt Herrick, Bradford county, Penn. — The 

 remarks by the Hon, George Geddes, are good, and speak well for 

 his knowledge of practical farming ; yet, when to plow up the grass 

 and where to apply the manure, does not appear so pi^ain to that gen- 

 tleman's %wating. His conviction that grass is the foundation of all 

 our farming is my conviction. That rotation of crops which will 

 make a farm and its owner rich the soonest with the least labor, is 

 precisely what I would like to discuss with Mr. Geddes, if I could 

 talk with him. My land, like his, is adapted to all kinds of grain 

 and to timothy grass and red clover. My practice is, when T sow a 

 piece to grass, not to plow it again in less than eight years ; and I 

 frequently let it lay a much longer time. I have a meadow now 

 which has been mowed for sixteen successive years, and it was never 



