[38] 



breeder must be careful to build shelters for protecting his 

 flocks from the middle of November until the middle of 

 March. The climate is very rigorous in winter, and the 

 keen northern and northwestern blasts will speedily impair 

 the health of the improved and tender breeds. The native 

 sheep are very healthy, and rarely suffer from any disease, 

 though they are not profitable, the wool being coarse and 

 short, and the carcass light and lean. This arises, however, 

 more from neglect than from any local cause. It should 

 never be forgotten that thrifty flocks may be raised where- 

 ever industrious men and good breeders live, and that the 

 best flocks will degenerate where inattention and neglect are 

 practiced. 



The advantages offered by this mountain region for the 

 economical rearing of sheep are : 



1. The cheapness of the lands. Lands may be bought 

 at almost a nominal price on the Cumberland mountains. 

 Though high and healthy, the soil in comparison with that 

 of the valleys is poor and unproductive. The price for 

 wild, highway-pasture land varies from fifty cents to three 

 dollars per acre, depending mainly upon nearness to rail- 

 roads and markets. Care should be taken, though, to in- 

 vestigate the titles thoroughly, for one of the most unwise 

 acts of our past legislation was the opening of a land office^ 

 and allowing every one to make his own surveys, and re- 

 ceive a grant for lands based upon such surveys. Often- 

 times it happened that the same land had been entered in 

 whole or in part by others. The possession of a land grant 

 does not carry with it in this State a title, but the title rests 

 with the oldest grant, assuming it to have been regularly 

 entered at first, Let strangers beware of purchasing moun- 

 tain lands without a rigid investigation of title. I am led 

 to make these remarks because complaints have reached this 

 office that persons have been swindled in purchasing land 

 grants. There is no difficulty about securing good titles to 

 valley lands, but there is danger that a person may buy 



