AWARDS OF PEEMIUMS. 33 



rity and worth ; men with whom we are proud to associate, and 

 who have conferred a lasting benefit on our State, and deserve 

 the thanks of every enterprising farmer. Your committee will 

 not pretend to decide the mooted question among wool growers 

 as to which is the most profitable breed of sheep for wool grow- 

 ing purposes ; but we would recommend that a liberal premium 

 be offered for the best conducted experiment in the feeding and 

 management of the several families of Merinoes, and their grades, 

 in order to test the question, if possible, which will produce the 

 greatest amount of wool, and of the most value, from a given 

 amount of fodder. Such an experiment, if properly conducted, 

 would be valuable as a guide, not only to new beginners, but 

 also to others engaged in this department of agriculture. 



Sheep husbandry is yet in its inflmcy in the West, but a mde 

 field is open for its development. That our climate and soil are 

 adapted to its purposes, experience has already demonstrated. 

 It is destined to become a permanent substantial branch of agri- 

 culture, as wool and mutton are among the necessaries of life, 

 and the demand must increase with the increase of population. 

 It is a law of nature that all soils require a rotation of crops in 

 in order to secure success in agricultural pursuits. May we not 

 adopt wool growing as a rotation and fertilizer with two-fold 

 advantage? Variety- in the productions of all countries is bet- 

 ter as a system than any one staple, hence we would say to our 

 brother fiirmers, grow both wool and wheat. We need have 

 no fear of over production; for while we are annually exporting 

 a vast amount of wheat and other grain, we actually import 

 several million pounds of wool. 



This is an age of Railroads, and ere long our State will be so 

 intersected with these thoroughfares that a market will be literal- 

 ly brought to every man's door ; and if we are unwise enough 

 for the sake of present profit, to continue to draw off from our 

 soil its most precious constituents of human food, without any 

 adequate return, the day is not far distant when our fields will 

 be too sterile for profitable cultivation. 



Feeling a deep and abiding interest in the prosperity of our 



beloved State, we would recommend the growing of wool not 



only as a rotation and fertilizer, but as a safe and profitable 

 c 



