SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



This region being essentially Northern m its characteristics no allusion 

 will be had to it in subsequent remarks. 



It will be seen from the preceding statements that in many, if not most 

 situations, throughout the whole Southern States, sheep will obtain suffi- 

 cient food throughout the year from the pastures,* or from autumn-sown 

 grains, excepting on the higher or more northern mountains. As has been 

 before remarked, as the grain subsequently yields its crop, its tillage is not 

 properly chargeable among the expenses of producing wool. The prepa- 

 ration of hay, and labor of foddering, are also dispensed with. By the 

 rule of estimation followed in relation to New-York, the items on the debit 

 side of the account would then be interest on purchase money; interest 

 on land ; expense of shearing; salt, tar, and general supervision ; and loss 

 by death. The items on the credit side would be the same with those of 

 New- York. 



Your own statements, Sir, as well as those of Mr. Simpson, show that, 

 in many situations, both in the tide-water and hilly zone, three sheep can 

 be supported on the herbage of an acre, without other fodder. His state- 

 ments show that such lands can be bought at " from 50 cents to $1 50 per 

 acre." The annual account then would stand thus : 



Making $4 32, or two hundred and eighty-eight per cent, clear profit per 

 acre, on lands worth $1 50 ! 



By the respective estimates it will be seen that the gross cost of pro- 

 ducing a pound of wool (allowing 3 Ibs. to the fleece) is, in the Southern 

 States, 8^2- cents ; in New-York 27|^ cents! or nearly three and a half 

 times ^rvater in the latter ! I have put down the expense of shearing the 

 same in both cases, and the supervision, South, twice as high as the sum 

 mer care, in the North. Shearing always costs $1 a day, per hand, in the 

 North, and the summer care devolves upon the paid laborer \vhose every 

 hour counts. The shearing would not be worth to exceed $2 a hundred 

 on a plantation where slaves are kept, and the supervision or care could 

 scarcely be considered an expense, when it could be borne mainly, if not 

 entirely, by superannuated or decrepit slaves, or even by children. The 

 real expense of growing wool on land of this quality and price would be 

 about Sj 1 ^ cents per pound ;|| and calling the fleece 4 Ibs. (which weight it 

 always ought to be made to attain) it would but little exceed 3-J cents. 

 This is above Mr. Coles's estimate of expense in southern central Vir- 

 ginia, and Mr. John S. Skinner has repeatedly expressed the opinion that 

 it could be grown in various parts of the Southern States at 3 cents per 



* This supply could be rendered far more certain and available, where desirable, by leaving a portion of 

 the fields undepastured in the latter part of summer and autumn. This "fog"' or after-grass would not only 

 tibrd much food, of itself, but it also greatly favors the sprouting of the young grass underneath it, by the 

 protection it offers from frosts and cold winas. 



t 1 have put this down the fame as at the North, because I suppose it is just as valuable at the South. 

 And quite is much needed. Few are disposed to appreciate the value of manure when it is not presented 

 to their view in bulk, as in the barn-yard ; but it is worth quite as much, dropped in the first instance 

 over the fields. I feel confident that I have not over-estimated its value either for the South or the North. 



J To obtain these results, I divided the whole annual expense, as set down in the respective estimate*, 

 with the exception of the charge of 2 per cent, for loss by death, by the amount of wool produced. For 

 reasons already given, I do not consider the wool chargeable with such loss by death, except in an eft 

 timate where the full product of wool and lambs is carried out. 



|| In this estimate I call shearing $2 per hundr^i, salt and tar $1, and supervision nothing. 



$ Estimated as in the preceding note. 



