SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 77 



duction, and we have a State without parallel in the extent 

 of its natural resources. Such a State should not be grudged 

 the trivial sum required to establish peace upon its borders. 



We are compelled to omit much, in this paper, which is 

 demanded to give a full description of the sheep husbandry 

 of the South. But neither, our object nor our space would 

 permit us to make this paper a gazetteer of the South in its 

 sheep resources and production. We have made no reference 

 to Western Virginia, with its splendid sheep husbandry, 

 including the Panhandle, where the best fine wool in the 

 United States is grown ; because this country, from its con- 

 tiguity, really belongs to the Ohio and Western Pennsylvania 

 wool-producing region. Neither have we made reference to 

 the mutton and combing-wool production of Virginia, Mary- 

 land, and Delaware, although it is a very important feature 

 of the husbandry of these States ; because there is nothing 

 characteristic and peculiar to distinguish it from the industry 

 of New Jersey. Missouri, as a wool-producing State, belongs " 

 rather to the West than the South. We ought not, however, 

 to omit an enumeration of the sheep in the States south of 

 Mason and Dixon's line. On the first of January, their num- 

 bers were as follows, according to the Department of Agri- 

 culture : 



NUMBER OF SHEEP IN SOUTHERN STATES, JANUARY, 1878. 



STATES. Number of sheep. 



Delaware 35,000 



Maryland 151,200 



Virginia 422,000 



North Carolina 490,000 



South Carolina 175,000 



Georgia 382,300 



Florida 56,500 



Alabama 270,000 



Mississippi 250,000 



Louisiana 125,000 



Texas 3,674,700 



Arkansas 285,000 



Tennessee 850,000 



West Virginia 649,900 



Kentucky 900,000 



Missouri 1,271,000 



Total 9,887,600 



