The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-04
THE SAME OLD STORY.
How Live Stock In Different Parts Of the
Country Came Through the Winter.

ana farm animals are Delng JuTueu
into the pastures. We are now re-
ceiving reports from the various state
boards and from the national depart
| ment of agriculture in regard to the
present condition of farm animals and
the losses sustained by the owners
| during the winter. The reports read
like reprints of those of former years.
They show that farm animals are in
the best condition, and that the losses
by death have been the smallest in
those states where the climate is most
severe, and where food suitable for
them is obtained with the greatest
difficulty. The animals are in the
poorest condition, and the losses are
the heaviest in state and territories
where the winters are mild, and where
green forage can be depended on dur
ing most of the year. In all the New
England states the losses of cattle
amounted to less than 2 per cent, but
in Louisiana per cent. of all the cat
tie died. In the southern seaboard
states the loss of cattle during the
winter was from to per cent.
Texas suffered loss of 345, 566 head
of cattle, which amounted to z per
cent. of the whole number. Massachu-
sets has the best record, the losses
amounting to only u per cent. The
losses were quite small in the north
western states.
From several counties in Georgia
very heavy losses are reported. The
following are the worst cases: Charl-
ton county, 33B per cent; Wilcox, 25
to IS per cent; Worth, 20 per cent;
Brown, 18 per cent; Emanuel, 20
per cent; Dodge, Is per cent; Col
quit, 20 per cent, of range cattle. In
many counties the losses range from
10 to 15 per cent, but in a large num-
ber they are under the lower of these
rates, while in many there have been
none. In Florida the losses rate is
high, rising in Baker county to 80 per
cent. In Alabama and Mississippi
they appear to be much lower than in
Georgia, but this may be due in part
to the greater care on the part of
correspondents to discriminate be-
tween deaths from exposure and deaths
from starvation, and to report only
the former. In Saint Tammany par
| ish, Louisiana, a loss Of so per cent. is
reported, and a loss of 20 per cent. in
Bienville parish, in the same state. A
correspondent in St. Mary's parish re-
ports considerable loss among cattle
ranging in sea marshes. In Texas the
! losses among range cattle have in
many cases been very severe, ranging
from 20 to 40 per cent. In Virginia
the losses rise as high as 10 per cent.
in number of counties, and in some
| they are reported as very heavy, but
without attempting to express them
definitely in figures. In this state,
however, the losses from exposure are
complicated with those arising from in
sufficient food, and the same remark
applies to all the other southern states.
Several correspondents in Virginia eX-
press an apprehension of further loss,
or loss where none had occurred up
to the date of their report, as result
of increasing scarcity of feed, due to
the backwardness of the spring. In
the Carolinas the loss reaches 10 per
cent. in few counties. The secretary
of the Kansas board of agriculture in
his last quarterly report says: "There
have been during the fall and winter
heavy losses among cattle. There is
hardly county in the state that does
not report serious loss from turning
cattle into stalk-felds, where an in
sufficient amount of water and salt
was provided. In the western coun-
ties grange cattle" suffered heavy
loss from exposure and lack of feed,
probably the largest for several years,
owing to the unusual severity of the
winter. Cattle were particularly free
from disease during the past winter,
the only loss being from bad manage
ment, as above stated. They are in
fair condition, although unusually thin
in flesh, resulting from the severity of
the winter and the lack of sufficient
food and shelter"
In the states where cattle went
through the winter in good condition,
and where there were few losses, sheep
are reported as in fine order. In Massa-
chusetts there was loss of but per
cent, against IA per cent. in Mississip-
pi. Texas is credited with loss of
1888, 769 sheep out of 1888, ,461. The
statistician of the department of agri-
culture says: ''Losses have been heavy
in those states where sheep are pro-
vided with no shelter, but permitted
! to run at large all winter, subject to
the varying climatic changes. The
winter just closed has been especially
severe, and the lack of good pasturag9
! in the fall i'll prepared the fiocks for
such vicissitndes. AS a consequence,
and exposure, united with short food,
have caused considerable loss in num-
bers and more of condition, especially
noted in Virginia, Georgia, West Vir-
! ginia, and Kentucky. In New England,
the middle, and western states, where
sheep are housed, there has been but
! little loss from cold. ''The losses
among hogs have been heaviest In the
states where the largest number of
cattle and sheep have died, and the
same cause is assigned for their death.
The losses of holse and mules that
are attributed to exposure, want of
care, and lack of sufficient food are
comparatively small in any of the
states. AS these animals are more
valuable than cattle. sheep and swine,
and as they are constantly required
for work or pleasure, they are furnish
ed with shelter, and supplied with suit
able food. while they receive good, or
at least fair, attention. Shelter is
generally provided for horse that
draws plow or wagon, though the
COW that supplies milk for the family