FARMS. 89 



land cannot be profitably devoted to sheep. Experiments in 

 the county of Plymouth, on Nantucket, and in other sections, 

 have shown that even the poorest sand plains are worth from 

 ten to twelve dollars an acre for the growth of wood. There 

 is no evidence that they would be worth this for the keeping 

 of sheep. Consequently, they should be devoted to such kinds 

 of trees as will grow on them to the best advantage. 



" The best of our lands arc and will be required for cultiva- 

 tion, and for the support of cattle and horses ; and the poorest 

 should go to wood. There will still remain a portion, of inter- 

 mediate quality, suitable for sheep. It might be expedient, 

 also, to turn sheep occasionally upon pastures generally 

 grazed by other animals, in order to improve the quality 

 of the herbage. 



"The obstacles to the keeping of sheep in this section, have 

 been the liability of their being destroyed by dogs, and the 

 supposed difficulty of restraining them within proper bounds, 

 — the stone walls which are so common being, in many 

 instances, easily got over. In regard to the former, it is 

 to be hoped that the present " dog law," or other legislative 

 enactments, may afford the desired security ; and as to the 

 latter, the addition of one or two narrow boards, of the cheapest 

 kind, to the top of a wall, will form an impassable barrier. A 

 single board will generally answer the purpose, if fastened to 

 stakes in such a manner as to project towards the inclosure 

 designed for sheep. 



"The inducements for keeping sheep here may be briefly 

 enumerated as follows: 1. They would afford a better income 

 from some land, than could be obtained in any other way. 

 2. They can be made to improve some land by the destruction 

 of bushes, brambles and other wild plants, which are followed 

 by grasses, white clover, &c. 3. Mutton can be produced at 

 less cost than any other meat, although when of proper quality, 

 it commands a higher price in our markets. 



" An English or Scotch farmer, on coming to this part 

 of the country, expresses his surprise that more sheep are not 

 kept, and that mutton is not more seen on our tables. We eat 

 much greater quantities of pork than the people of Britain, but 

 much less mutton. Singular as it may seem, too, good mutton 

 is dearer in our markets than that of the same quality is in 



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