98 PROFITS OF WOOL PRODUCTION. 



management, reaches about $2 a head per annum. In 

 extensive regions of the South and South-west it is mainly 

 comprised in the expense of herding, salting, and shearing, 

 and where the number of sheep kept is large, does not 

 exceed 25 cents a head. But it would be more profitable in 

 those regions to provide some kind of shelter and give a 

 little feed in the height of winter, and this would increase 

 the cost of keeping to 50 cents a head. In some of our 

 Western and North-western States, where sheep can have the 

 run of lands belonging to the Government or to non-resident 

 owners, in addition to those owned by the flock- master, the 

 cost of keeping, including winter shelter, ranges from, say, 

 75 cents to $1 a head. In intermediate situations, between 

 the densely populated and high-priced lands of the East and 

 the broad, sparsely inhabited prairies of the West and South- 

 west, (open without price to the temporary occupant,) and 

 between the warm South where vegetation flourishes almost 

 throughout the year, and the cold North where winter feeding 

 lasts from five to five and a half months, the cost of keeping 

 will occupy every intermediate place between these extremes. 

 Every experienced and sensible man acquainted with all the 

 special circumstancs, is the best judge of that cost in his 

 own locality. 



Improved Merino flocks of breeding ewes should average 

 five pounds of washed wool per head in large flocks. Medium 

 wool has sold on an average for 42 8-10 cents per pound for 

 the thirty-five years preceding the high prices of the present 

 war. This gives $2.14 to the fleece, which should pay for 

 the cost of keeping, anywhere, and leave the owner the lambs 

 and manure for his profit.* The increase of lambs will 

 average about eighty per centum on the whole number of 

 the breeding ewes.f The value of the manure would greatly 

 vary in different situations. It may interest many to know 

 how it is estimated in England. Mr. Spooner says : 



" Four hundred South Down sheep are sufficient to fold 

 twenty perches per day, or forty -five acres per year, the 



* If he keeps wethers, he has for his profit their growth and about a dollar from 

 each fleece. Wethers' fleeces should be worth about a dollar a piece more than ewes' 

 fleeces. 



1 1 gave this as the average fifteen years ago. With the improvement in sheep 

 shelters, etc., it ought now to be higher. But a few usually fail to get with lamb and 

 occasionally there comes a "dying year" for lambs when they are born feeble 

 goltred, rheumatic, or subject to some other maladies, so that they perish in extraor- 

 dinary numbers. This was quite generally the case in New York in the spring of 18(12. 

 Taking a term of years together, I doubt whether, under average management, the 

 increase by lambs yet exceeds 80 per cent. 



