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CHAPTER XIII. 



STATE STATISTICS AND PRESENT CONDITION OF SHEEP 

 HUSBANDRY. 



During the fall of 1878 I sent circulars to the most prom- 

 inent sheep raisers of every county in the State, asking for 

 certain specific information in relation to sheep husbandry. 

 Although no replies were returned from many of the coun- 

 ties, yet questions enough were answered to give a very 

 correct idea of the present condition of sheep husbandry in 

 this State. As to the number of sheep in each county, 

 there were no means by which this could be determined, as 

 our assessment laws do not require assessors to return the 

 number of domestic animals. This much, however, is made 

 apparent in the answers : that an earnest effort is making 

 to improve the character of the flocks, both as to mutton 

 and wool. Nearly every county reports the existence of 

 high graded flocks. The Southdowns preponderate, the 

 Cotswolds coming next, and the Merinos third. A few 

 Leicester flocks are named, and some few good breeders in 

 the State give them the preference over all others. An- 

 other prominent fact is brought out, and that is the very 

 small annual cost of keeping sheep. Ouly two report the 

 annual cost as high as $2.00 per head ; thirteen above $1.00 

 to $1.50; twelve the cost to be $1.00; and twenty-three 

 that the cost of keeping is below $1.00, in some instances 

 reaching as low a figure as 33J cents. Taking the aver- 

 age of each of the three divisions of the Scate, I find that 

 the annual cost of keeping sheep in East Tennessee is $1.12; 

 in Middle Tennessee 90 cents, and in West Tennessee 67 

 cents. This arises from the fact that the climate is more 

 rigorous in the elevated regions of East Tennessee than in 

 the lower ones of Middle and West Tennessee. The aver- 

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