No. 6. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



483 



total weight of fleece. Wyoming ranks first with 36,000,000, and 

 Montana second with oo, 600,000 pounds. Of the states east of the 

 Mississippi, Pennsylvania ranks third as a sheep state, led by Ohio 

 and Michigan. 



SHEEP AND WOOL PRODUCTION IN PENNSYLVANIA, 1840-1910. 



1840, 



1950, 

 1860, 

 1.S70, 

 1880, 

 18S>0, 

 1000, 

 191.^ 



1.767,620 



l,822,3.->7 

 1,631,540 

 1,794,301 

 1,776,598 

 945,002 

 776,677 

 1,030,000 



lb. 



3,048,564 

 4,481,570 

 4,752,522 

 6,561,722 

 8,470,273 

 4,800,610 

 4,666,062 

 6,300,000 



If). 

 1.75 



2.43 

 2.91 

 3.65 

 4.77 

 5. OS 

 6.00 

 C.OO 



Wool production has been associated with Pennsylvania from its 

 very existence. In 1683, a letter by Wm. Penn states that wool 

 production was one of the agricultural features in which the Quakers 

 were interested. Its production gradually increased as an industry 

 until 1840, when the number of sheep in the State reached a climax, 

 at which point the number of sheep raised remained practically con- 

 stant for more than fortj' years. However, improvement was going 

 on, the production of wool increased. During this period and pre- 

 vious, the production of wool within the State was not constant. The 

 fine-wool sheep gradually went westward from eastern counties 

 around Philadelphia to Washington, Greene, Fayette, Mercer, Erie, 

 etc., in the western part of the State. In 1880, the counties of 

 Washington, Greene and Fayette were recognized as the breeding 

 center of fine wool breeds of sheep in the United States. 



Due to the cheaper production of wool in the West, we find that 

 the production had decreased 2,091,449 pounds in 1890, and by 134,- 

 548 pounds more in 1900. In 1910 we have an increase over 1900, 

 showing that the West must now compete with the East in cheapness 

 of production of wool and mutton. 



The average price of wool on the Philadelphia market in 1910 

 was 32c per pound. According to the recent investigation by the 

 Tariff Commission, the duty on wool will be lowered. Expert inves- 

 tigators have concluded that the raising of sheep for wool alone will 

 not be profitable with the lowering of the tariff. Therefore, the 

 demand for wool will have to be satisfied as it has to some extent in 

 the past, by the raising of sheep for w^ool and mutton. Smooth- 

 bodied, mutton-typed, fine-M'ooled sheep and such medium wooled 

 breeds as are efficient in both wool and mutton will be raised. 



32 



