102 
EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 
SHEEP-RAISING IN IOWA AND TEXAS. 
Van Buren county, Iowa.—Under the present system of revenue, labor pays 
heavy tribute to capital. Query: Cannot the poor in this climate avoid this 
burden in a measure? To thisend I bought eight sheep of very low merino 
grade, with the following results : 
To cost of sheep, eight head ....-. ..---- ------+-- 20.2 eee eee eee $20 00 
To cost of hand spinner.... .--.-..---- +--+ 2-22-22 cece eee eeeee 10 00 
Ma cost of carding wool. /.\.\.\.- 52 22--0---5) = bigemeen eee ere 1 25 
To cost of cotton yarn......--------- 2 eee eee eee erento eee 6 00 
To cost of weaving .---.- ------- 2+ eee eee eee ence ee eee eee eens 6 50 
* 44 26 
By thirty yards of flannel, at $1 20....-.---------------- $36 00 
By ten yards of jean, at $1 50...---..--------- pe A ond = 15 00 
By three pounds of stocking yarn, at 31 50.....-..------- 4 50 
—— 55 50 
Profit first year... ..-..- 22-0. cece eee ence ee cee eee ees 10 25 
The flannel and jeans are better than can be purchased in the stores at the 
figures given; and the above shows that when the wool is manufactured at home, 
sheep will not only pay for themselves in one year, but allow a profit for labor 
food and care. A great desideratum is a good, cheap hand loom. This year I 
have doubled my flock and shall continue the experiment. 
Selma, Bexar county, Texas—lI have resided in western Texas for thirty- 
one years, and have no hesitation in stating that in my opinion no country is 
better adapted to raising sheep profitably than western and northern Texas., 
Our winters are mild, and the sheep require no feed except the grass which they 
get in abundance on our rich prairies, and the only expense attending the raising 
of sheep is giving them the proper care and attention and the necessary labor 
of shearing the sheep. In area Texas is larger than the whole of New England 
and New York combined, and can raise enough wovl to supply the whole 
United States and still have a surplus to export. All that is needed is capital 
and enterprise. The land is already here; the finest pasture that man ever 
trod upon, and good both summer and winter. Good land is selling from one 
dollar to one dollar and fifty cents per acre, choice locations; and I will 
guarantee to any man a well watered and timbered farm for $1 50 per acre, 
suitable for raising horses and sheep or for farming purposes. 
DAIRY PRODUCTS IN KANSAS AND COLORADO. 
Centralia, Kansas—From my experience in dairying here, a good native 
cow will produce 400 pounds of cheese in the season, the average price of 
which is 15 cents per pound, making $60, and no expense to keep up grass for 
grazing. Butter and cheese of a superior quality can be made from pasturage 
on prairie grass, and finds a ready market in the western mining districts, at 
the average price here of 20 cents; cheese, 15 cents. ‘This region is unsur- 
passed for stock raising and dairying, and Kansas will yet figure largely in her 
reports of the production of stock, wool, horses, and mules. 
Glen Grove Ranch, Colorado—I am but a small farmer and stock-grower, 
yet am fond of experimenting. In 1865 I milked six cows and made 923 
pounds of butter, bringing in our market 84 cents .per pound—$775 32; profit 
