No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 393 



port on tbe wool industry of the State, it is but fitting that we take 

 with it the sheep industry also, as without the sheep we cannot grow 

 the wool. We find from statistics, the State of Pennsylvania had on 

 January 1, 1905, 895,982 sheep, valued at $3,415,394, average price 

 per head of $3.81; and in the United States of America on January 

 1, 1905, 45,170,423 sheep, valued at $127,331,850, average price per 

 head of $2.82. 



The wool product of Pennsylvania for 1904, was from 850,000 head 

 of sheep, producing 5,100,000 pounds washed and unwashed wool, 

 2,448,000 pounds scoured wool, there being .52 per cent, of shrinkage; 

 average weight of fleece, 6 pounds. The wool product of the United 

 States in 1904, was from 38,342,072 head of sheep, 249,783,032 pounds 

 shorn, washed and unwashed fleece, 42,000,000 pounds pulled wool, 

 291,783,032 pounds of wool produced in United States in 1904. 



Scoured wool: Pounds, 95,795,147 fleece or shorn wool; pounds, 

 28,140,000 pulled wool; 123,935,147 pounds scoured wool. 



Per cent, of shrinkage: In fleece or shorn, 61.6 per cent.; in pulled 

 wool, 33 per cent.; average weight of fleece, 6| pounds. 



We find the number of sheep in Pennsylvania: In 1903, 850,000 

 head produced 5,100,000 pounds wool valued at $1,297,440; in 1904, 

 850,000 head produced 5,100,000 pounds wool valued at $1,419,480; 

 in 1905, 850,000 head produced 5,100,000 pounds wool valued at 

 $1,542,240. The increase in the value of the 1904 over 1903, $122,040; 

 the increase in the value of the 1905 over 1904, $122,840. 



The average value per scoured pound: October 1, 1903 was 53 

 cents; October 1, 1904 was 58 cents; October 1, 1905 was 63 cents. 



It appears the number of sheep and the average weight of fleece, 

 have changed but little in the past three years, but the value per 

 scoured pound has increased. It is evident the sheep breeders in 

 Pennsylvania are breeding for more wool and less oil or grease in 

 the fleece. In years past the sheep-breeder and wool grower, es- 

 pecially the fine wool breeder, bred for weight of fleece alone and 

 did not keep in view the size of sheep. The result of which was a 

 heavy oily fleece and delicate sheep. The fleece would loose much 

 more than 60 per cent, in scouring. 



The tendency in the sheep and wool industry in the western part 

 of the State, is to grow more wool and less oil in the fleece. And 

 as mutton is a good price, to produce a huge sheep, smooth in body, 

 and will produce a good long, medium fine fleece of wool. The sheep 

 weighing 110 to 120 pound at 2 years old in April with the wool off. 

 The average weight of fleece beiug about eight or nine pounds. 



This grade of wool in our county the past season sold at 33 cents 

 and 35 cents per pound (brook washed). 



The wool industry in my county (Washington) is fast decreasing. 

 Twenty-five years ago, the county produced more and better fine 

 wool, than any other county in Pennsylvania. Then every farm was 

 stocked with fine wooled sheep, about three sheep per acre, besides 

 some horses, a few dairy cows and hogs. Some twenty-five 

 or thirty years ago, two young men in our part of the State emigrated 

 west, going into the State of Kansas, taking with them a choice lot 

 of fine wool sheep from the western part of the State of Pennsyl- 

 vania. They kept the sheep for over a year, shearing them, then 

 they shipped the wool to Pennsylvania to be sold. It was in a wool 

 house in a town in Washington county and on examining the wool, 

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