24 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



The area of the States named is derived from the Reports 

 of the Land Office. 



Thus there are in these States not far from one sheep to 

 every 100 acres. Ohio, with an area of 25,766,960 acres, has 

 3,783,000 sheep, or a sheep to about every seven acres. 



One county in Pennsylvania, Washington, has over 400,000 

 sheep, producing as good merino wool as there is in the world, 

 while the whole of Georgia has not that number. 



The U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture, with a due appre- 

 ciation of the importance of sheep husbandry to the South, 

 has recently sent circulars, with minute inquiries as to the 

 present condition and possibilities of this industry, with blank 

 returns, to his assistants in each county of the Southern States. 

 The original returns to these circulars received in January, we 

 have been kindly permitted to examine, and have carefully 

 read every one received. The general impression made upon 

 our mind by these returns, as to the actual condition of sheep 

 husbandry, in most of the States, was far from agreeable. 

 The returns did not show a single case of a well-bred and 

 carefully kept flock, such as we found in the North; although 

 it is known that there are exceptional cases of such flocks. 

 As a rule, the variety kept is the native breed, producing 

 about two pounds of wool, selling from 25 to 30 cents. Very 

 few flocks, as would be seen, reach a hundred in number. 

 Frequently the animals obtain their entire subsistence from 

 the swamps and range. Those which have somewhat better 

 care during the winter months, receive a little cotton seed and 

 a few turnips, and straw from the threshing-floor. But no 

 provision seems to be made of hay or other forage. All the 

 returns agree in declaring that the great obstacle to sheep- 

 raising is the destruction by dogs ; popular opinion having 

 hitherto prevented the enactment of suitable dog-laws. One 

 return says : " There are but two successful wool-growers in 

 this county, and their ranges are in constant supervision, a 

 stock-minder in each constantly patrolling." 



There is now and then a hopeful gleam in the returns. A 

 farmer in Georgia says, " his ' herd ' of 104 sheep produced 

 $132.50." It cost only $10 to feed them on cotton seed. 



