THE ADAPTATION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MAINE, 

 TO SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



An Address delivered at Columbia, February 23d, 1863, before the West Washington 

 Agricultural Society, by George F. Talbot. 



In passing over our poorly cultivated and sparsely occupied 

 county, to which I am strongly attached as my birth-place, and 

 that of my father, I have tried to think of some form of industry, 

 by which our barren hills may be made productive of wealth, and 

 our scantily peopled towns may become the homes of a more 

 numerous and thrifty and not less intelligent population. The only 

 enterprise lying within the limits of our moderate means, that bids 

 fair to accomplish these wishes, which I know you all share with 

 me, is the keeping of sheep, and making that branch of husbandry 

 our leading business and the dependence of many families for an 

 income adequate to their reasonable wants. Suppose that every 

 householder in this town, who is farmer enough to produce his own 

 butter and pork, should keep a flock of fifty sheep, you can readily 

 see how large a sum it would add to your valuation. There is not 

 only the income derivable from the wool produced, but these thous- 

 ands of sheep bring with them many hundred acres of fenced pas- 

 ture, more and larger barns, a greater breadth of tilled land, for 

 which they yield manure, and from which they demand winter 

 fodder, all of which are permanent improvements ; besides spread- 

 ing the tables of many families with a palatable and wholesome 

 meat. 



To devise some better modes or new branches of husbandry is 

 the great end of our society, and if we can encourage by our united 

 counsels the establishment of a business that shall add twenty per 

 cent, to the scanty incomes of our farmers, the benefit we have 

 conferred is almost incalculable. 



Wool growing is not an experiment. It is as old as the human 



