[179] 



the supply of wool for several years past could not have 

 been less than 2,000,000 pounds annually. This has had 

 to seek, in a majority of cases, a market beyond the county 

 where it is raised. With so many fine water powers in the 

 State, home capital would find a rich reward in working up 

 our supply of wool into such fabrics as are demanded to 

 clothe our population. Other replies to this question are 

 more to be deplored. I refer to those which indicate that 

 wool enough is not grown in the county to supply local de- 

 mand. There is not a county in the State in which the 

 farmers cannot raise wool enough to clothe the inhabitants 

 at a less cost than so many pounds of cotton would be. 

 Take the average annual cost of keeping sheep, which for 

 the State is not far from 80 cents per head, and credit each 

 with 3J pounds of wool, the average of all breeds, and at 

 present prices there will be an actual profit of 95 cents on 

 each sheep kept, disregarding entirely the value of lambs, 

 which would add nearly double as much, assuming the 

 greater part of the flock to be ewes. A neglect by the 

 farmers of our State to see and appreciate these facts is not 

 encouraging, especially when persons from every part of the 

 United States are now seeking for locations in the State for 

 the purpose of engaging in sheep husbandry. Never was 

 the time more propitious for seizing upon this industry and 

 pushing it, which can be made more remunerative in pro- 

 portion to the capital employed than any other occupation 

 in the State. 



Continuing the analyses of the answers given to the sched- 

 ule, I find a discouraging item in the large number of sheep 

 that have fallen a prey to the ruthless curs that prowl and 

 growl and howl through the State. A very cursory glance 

 at the replies to the question as to the number of sheep an- 

 nually destroyed by dogs will serve to show that not less 

 than 7,000 are annually immolated upon the altar of caninal 

 affection. These 7,000 sheep would clothe comfortably 

 7,000 persons, and feed 2,000 more, and yet the 182,000 



