No. 149.1 345 



Statement of Viyicent J. Willio.ms^ Drover^ from Ohio. 



Mr. Williams resides at Soutk Bloomfield, Pickaway county, 

 Ohio, about 17 miles south of Columbus ; is a farmer by occupa- 

 tion, follows driving cattle occasionally ; lias been in the busi- 

 ness of a drover more or less about 14 years past. He has taken 

 droves of cattle to Baltimore, to Philadelphia, but principally to 

 the JYeio York market ; indeed New York is the principal market 

 for tlie western country in tlie cattle trade. 



In the cattle trade there are no less than five classes of persons 

 who do business. 



1st. The raiser or breeder of stock to sell to purchasers. 



2d. The collectors and purchasers of young cattle from six 

 months to one year and a half old to be kept after for one year. 



3d. The collectors and purchasers of cattle from one year to 

 two and three years old. These are to be kept for grazing and 

 fed on hay. 



4th. The fourth class are those who purchase to feed and to 

 drive for market; and fifth, the butchers. 



The last cattle are usually purchased and then fed from four 

 to six months. The method of feeding is as follows : we general- 

 ly commence feeding from the 15th of October to the 1st of 

 Nevember, and continue from four to six months following ; we 

 begin moderately with corn stalks and ears cut up from the hill. 



The cattle are usually put into an adjacent pasture near the 

 corn field, which often contains from 1 50 to 500 acres of standing 

 corn planted and grown the same season. 



Our corn is the white gourd seed variety ; this is preferred be- 

 cause it is softer and more easily digested. Our seed is chiefly 

 obtained from the State of Kentucky. 



"When we get our seed from Tennessee, and farther south, the 

 crop will not ripen the first year. 



