168 FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



one sheep to every inhabitant, and less than fifty-six 

 sheep for every square mile ; and it further appears 

 that our sheep have steadily decreased for twenty 

 years, and are still continuing to decrease. 



But this temporary decay of a great branch of hus- 

 bandry admits, I think, of reasonable explanation. 

 The history of the introduction of Saxon sheep has 

 been given, their spread over the State, and almost 

 total absorption of the Spanish sheep between 1824 

 and 1835, their ceasing to be remunerative after 183T, 

 and their banishment from our farms in 1846. The 

 great flocks of this State kept for wool-growing pur- 

 poses anterior to 1840, were mostly of this blood ; and 

 when they were abandoned no other wool-growing 

 sheep proper was left to supply their places. For % the 

 few improved American Merinos left in the country 

 in the hands of breeders, comparatively large prices 

 were asked. It was not strange that our farmers, 

 recollecting the overthrow of the Spanish Merinos in 

 1815, smarting under their recent losses with the 

 Saxon, and discouraged by legislation, which was 

 prostrating a large branch of the woolen manufactures 

 of our country, were wholly disinclined to venture on 

 any new and costly experiments in fine-wooled sheep. 

 In fact, that prejudice which should have been direct- 

 ed against visionary investments, injudicious manage- 

 ment, and vacillating legislation in respect to sheep, 

 became directed against these valuable animals them- 

 selves.* 



* The destruction caused among sheep by dogs, has also essentially 

 contributed to the prostration of sheep husbandry. It not only has 

 inflicted serious, and, in the aggregate, enormous losses on our people, 

 but it has of late years, as population and curs have increased, driven 



