State Agricultural Society. 53 



our wool clip was one million live hundred and ninety-one thousand 

 three hundred and forty-two pounds. The clip of eighteen hundred and 

 sixty-eight was fourteen million two hundred and thirty-two thousand 

 and fifty-seven pounds, while that of eighteen hundred and sixty-nine 

 was fifteen million four hundred and thirteen thousand nine hundred and 

 seventy pounds, showing an increase in that year of only five hundred 

 and twenty-two thousand six hundred ])ounds. This falling otf in 

 increase was attributable to scarcity of food on the ranges and conse- 

 quent poor condition of the sheep. The clip of eighteen hundred and 

 seventy shows a larger increase than on any previous year, the clip of 

 the latter year being twenty-one million eight hundred and seventy -two 

 thousand six hundred and sixty pounds. The value of the wool 

 exported in the last three years is, respectively, two million four hun- 

 dred and thirty-six thousand five hundred and ninety-four dollars, two 

 million three hundred and seventy thousand one hundred and sixty-five 

 dollars, and three millions six hundred and fifty -five thousand dollars. 

 It will be seen that the value of wool exported in eighteen hundred and 

 seventy appproximatcs to one half of the value of wheat exported in the 

 same year. It is stated by those best able to judge in the premises that 

 very fine blooded flocks deteriorate rapidly in this State, and that very 

 fine wooled sheep are consequently not so well suited to our dry climate 

 as those of medium grades. In view of these facts it is suggested that 

 an infusion of blood of long wooled sheep would be an improvement to 

 most of the flocks of the State. 



COTTON. 



Experiments in the cultivation of cotton have been successfully made 

 on a small scale in all the valley portions of our State. In eighteen 

 hundred and sixty-four several jjarties, stimulated by the premiums 

 offered by the Legislature, planted in some of the southern counties as 

 high as a hundred acres each. They all labored under the disadvan- 

 tages of want of experience and skill in the business, and want of good 

 seed of the varieties adapted to our soil and climate, besides many other 

 adverse circumstances that always attend the introduction of new indus- 

 tries into new countries on a large scale without proper previous 

 preparation. The results of these large experiments were more than 

 could have been expected under the circumstances. 



The crops from the seed of the varieties knowm as the Petit Gulf and 

 Tennessee Upland were more than an average of crops from the same 

 variety grown in the Southern States. The quality was pronounced by 

 experienced judges good. 



Owing to the difficulties of securing, preparing, and marketing the 

 cotton, and there being no longer any hope of encouragement by the 

 State, the cultivation was abandoned. Experiments have been made in 

 the Merced Valley during the past season, however, by a gentleman of 

 great experience in cotton culture in the Mississippi Valley, which prove 

 to his entire satisfaction that nearly all of our great river bottoms are 

 peculiarly adapted to the successful and profitable prosecution of this 

 industry. The average yield of cotton per acre in the Mississippi 

 River bottoms is two hundred pounds, while by the experiment referred 

 to five hundred pounds was produced per acre. The product was sent 

 for examination to the Board of Cotton Brokers of Memphis, Tennessee, 

 and was by them pronounced equal to the best "Middling Upland" of 

 the South, the staple being finer. It has been generally the received 



