408 



F A ii M E R S ' iJ E G I S T E R , 



in lower Virginia. We did not suspect ihe pre- 

 sence of magnesia in the Carolinian marls, and 

 therefore did not test its presence separately from 

 the lime; but we suspect now, Irom Dr. John- 

 son's report, that part of the earthy carbonate in 

 these specimens, which we considered and esti- 

 mated as lime, was in fact magnesia. 



We have no reason for distruslmg tlie accuracy 

 of Dr. Johnson's process lor separating magne- 

 sia from lime, not having tried it. But we can 

 refer him, for comparison, to two other modes, 

 used by different operators in analyzing the mag- 

 nesian marl of Virginia above referred to, and 

 which may be both supposed correct, from the 

 close agreement of results. These are at pages 

 425 and 462, vol. i. of Farmers' Register, which 

 articles we shall send to him, to aid his investigation 

 of a subject so important to his country. 



In answer to the request contained in the last 

 sentence of the loregoing article, we repeat that 

 we never send any publications to booksellers lor 

 sale, but will furnish through the mail any tliat 

 may be desired lobe purchased. We shall now 

 send a dozen copies of the ' Essay' to Dr. Johnson, 

 as presents lor himself and any of his friends to 

 whom the work may in his opinion be beneficial. 

 —Ed. F. R. 



PROFITS OF SHEEP AND OTHER GOOD NO- 

 TIONS. 



From the Franklin Farmer. 



fVashingion, j^ug. 21, 1827. 



You ask me how I have succeeded with my 

 sheep? I have never despaired that sheep would, 

 sooner or later, l)ecome an object of miporiance. 

 But the market for wool has been too fluctuaiing 

 and uncertain to justify going largely into the rais- 

 ing of sheep. 1 have, hereiolbre, endeavored by 

 seilmg, killing off, &c., to keip my flock within 

 moderate bounds. I sheared last spring, two hun- 

 dred and ihiny-six, of all grades from Ihree-lburths 

 to full-blooded — only three or lour of ihe latter — 

 the wool of which, washed on the sheep's back, 

 averaged me thirty-six cents per pound. I have 

 bred fur a number of years irom common ewes 

 (at the beginning) and full-blooded rams. JN'ly 

 sheep lasi spring averaged 3 pounds and tweniy- 

 six hundredths of a pound net wool, per fleece — 

 about half ewes and half weathers— and produced 

 one dollar and seventeen cents per head. Even 

 at this price, sheep are much more profiiable than 

 cattle; as, upon ihe same quantity of land and 

 with less labor, you can raise twelve times as 

 many sheep as you can ol cattle. Steers at five 

 years olil,even stall led and finely kept, will not 

 average more than twenty dollars, perhaps not so 

 much ; but 12 sheep, in^ue years, (if as fine as 

 my flock) will produce scveniy dollars and twenty 

 cents, without counting any thing lor ihe increase 

 of (he flock, or the value of the mutton, tallow, 

 skins, &c. of those killed off. This estimate is 



founded upon my actual sales last spring. If the 

 increase of the twelve sheep (say six weihers 

 ^ud six ewes) including the value of those killed 

 nifii-e years, should be worth twenty-nine dollars 

 and eighty cents (about two dollars and fifty cents 

 annually) the whole proceeds would be one hun- 

 dred dollars and 20 annually. Now what stock of 

 cattle would be required to produce annually the 

 same amount, if kept solely for the purpose of 

 beei"? Say one cow and calfj one yearling, one 

 two year oM, one three year old, one four year 

 old, and one five year old, the cattle to be sold off 

 in the lall after five years old. Thus to be enabled 

 to sell annually one steer or spayed heifer, you 

 must constantly keep on hand six head of cattle, 

 and this upon the supposition that the cow produces 

 a ca f annually, and that no casualties happen. 

 To keep up the slock, however, and to allow lor 

 casualties, you cannot calculate upon selling more 

 than one lor every seven, especially as you would 

 have to encounter the risk of spaying the fe- 

 males. To be enabled to sell ten beeves an- 

 nually at twenty dollars each, amounting to two 

 hundred dollars, you must keep up a stock of 

 at least seventy head ol cattle. But sixty ewes 

 and sixty wethers (allowing lor the increase as 

 above) will produce you ihe same sum; or one 

 hundred and seventy-one sheep will produce that 

 amount, without allowing any thing lor the in- 

 crease. But if you could only keep ten times as 

 many sheep as you can catile, upon the same 

 quantity of land, and with the same labor, then 

 you could as easily keep seven hundred sheep as 

 seventy cattle. Seven hundred sheep (supposing 

 them as fine as mine,) would produce annually eight 

 iiundred and nineteen dollars, without allowing any 

 thing !br the increase ; and allowing the increase, 

 upwards of one thousand dollars, whilst the se- 

 venty head of cattle would [iroduce you annually 

 only two hundred dollars. In myjudgment, then, 

 sheep area much better stock than cattle. Indeed, 

 1 am clearly of opinion ihal (except a few lor but- 

 ler and milk, and to leed the rough provender that 

 every liirm produces) beef cattle are the most un- 

 profitable stock that can be raised. Indeed, I 

 have Ibund, even to this extent, the raising of cat- 

 tle is so poor a business, at the present prices of 

 beef, that it is better to let my straw lay and rot, 

 lor manure, than to raise cattle to feed it away, 

 because ot the quantity of pasture they consume, 

 which might be more profitably fiid to other slock. 

 Enterlainitig these views, you will readily sup- 

 pose I do not hold cattle raising in much eslima- 

 tion. 



IVool will bear transportation (o a distant mar- 

 ket much belter ihan any agricultural production 

 of our state. It is well adapted to all the states 

 that do not grow cotton. VVere we to manulac- 

 ture all our cloihs, blankets and other woollens, 

 and to exclude loreign wool by a gradual prohi- 

 bitory duty; there would, in a lew years, be an 

 increased demand, and consequently an increased 

 production of wool to the amount of at least 

 live millions of dollars armually, and the labor 

 besiowed in manuliicturing this wool would bo 

 a creation of vvealih to the amount annually of 

 seven or eiijht millions more, besides ihe im- 

 mense advantages that would result to llie va- 

 rious mechanics in putting up and repairing build- 

 ings, making and repairing machinery, &c. &c., 

 and to the larmers by the home market^ fiirnished 



