256 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



For the past two years, and particularly the last year, with all kinds of bus- 

 iness depressed, grain, beef, and pork very low, wool and mutton have brought 

 remunerative prices. What the actual cost is of producing a pound of wool or 

 mutton, very few farmers know. Circumstances have much to do with the 

 cost of production. If from one farm, two tons of hay can be cut per acre, and 

 upon another only one can be secured, with grain and grass in like proportion, 

 the cost of a pound of wool or a pound of mutton will be twice as much upon 

 one farm as the other, other things being equal. If A has a flock of sheep 

 that shears si.K pounds of wool per head, and B has a flock that shears four 

 pounds per head, it does not cost A but two-tliirds as much as it does B to 

 produce the same amount. 



Good grade ewes that can bo bought for twenty shillings or three dollars per 

 head, well kept, will shear si.x; pounds of washed wool per head, and with ordi- 

 nary luck raise a lamb. With wool at thirty cents per pound, and good sheep 

 bringing the price they do, it requires no very great skill to discover that siieep 

 and wool rai.sing pay. If tlien it be admitted that raising sheep for wool and 

 mutton pays, it is of the highest importance what kind or breeds of sheep the 

 farmers should raise. In this matter the intelligent breeder will study the 

 ])eculiarities of iiis soil, location to market, and the number he can keep, 

 whether he will be obliged to keep many together, or njore separately, whether 

 his feed is abundant and nutritious, or not so plenty and less rich. He must 

 study well his surroundings and then choose accordingly. From wdiat knowl- 

 edge I have of this county, and I have repeatedly been over all of it, I am 

 satisfied that for wool and mutton combined, taking into account the soil, cli- 

 mate, and conveniences for keeping, that the grade merino is by far the best 

 sheep. 



All sheep, like other kinds of farm stock, are more or less profitable as they 

 are well bred and well kept or poorly bred and i)oorly kept, and very much of 

 the good results in breeding and getting large clips of wool, strong carcasses 

 for mutton is due to liberal feeding and judicious care and protection'frora the 

 rigors of our sometimes severe winters. 



In tiiese days of disaster and ruin, in many kinds of business it is necessary 

 that the farmer should study economy in his farm account, and he can do so 



