FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 16T 



increase and decrease, it would unquestionably ap- 

 proach about as near to the average number of the 

 year (though a little over it) as is arrived at by any 

 other method.* 



Mr. Kennedy also prepared for me the following 

 table, illustrative of the increase and decrease of cer- 

 tain leading branches of husbandry in the State of 

 New York, for a period of twenty years : 



1830. 1840. 1850. 1860. 



Horses No returns. t474,543 447,014 303,725 



Milch cows do. ) 931,324 1,123,634 



Working oxen do. V 1,911,244 178,909 121,702 



Other cattle do. \ 767,406 727,837 



Sheep do. 5,118,777 8,453,241 2,617,855 



Wool, pounds of do. 9,845,295 10,071,301 9.454,473 



Butter do. ) No returns of 79,766,094 103,095,679 



Cheese do. j these separate. 49,741,413 48,548,288 



Had the United States census of 1830 contained 

 returns of sheep in the State, I have no doubt that a 

 considerably greater decrease would have been indi- 

 cated between that year and 1840 than between 1840 

 and 1850. 



While the vastly higher priced lands of England 

 carry nearly two sheep for every inhabitant, and with- 

 in a fraction of 590 sheep for every square mile of 

 territory, it appears that New York has now less than 



* After the amount of public money that is expended on the Federal 

 and State censuses, it is vexatious to find their want of uniformity and 

 glaring want of accuracy. Discrepancies are visible at every step. 

 In looking at the returns of sheep from a single county, in the State 

 census of 1855 (received from Mr. Johnson) ; I find that in some towns 

 the whole number must have been returned, in others, the sheep which 

 have been, sheared ; and, in others still, the number of fleeces given 

 considerably exceeds the aggregate number of sheep of all ages ! It 

 is certainly very unfortunate if the proper officials cannot hit upon 

 suitable instructions for the marshals, express them in terms which 

 men of common intelligence can understand, and find men of common 

 intelligence to execute them. 



\ This includes horses and mules. 



