254 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Leaving a balance of receipts above expenses of $95.93, without in- 

 cluding the value of the manure, which was a fair equivalent for the 

 labor, the gentleman who made the report stating that he would gladly 

 care for 1,000 sheep for one-half the manure, if anyone would furnish 

 the hay and grain. 



Another case is where the person raised early lambs or spring lambs, 

 which were sent to market without ever being turned to grass. In 

 this case the lambs were dropped in December and carried to market 

 in March and April j the flock numbered 17 breeding ewes. The receipts 

 from these 17 ewes were as follows : 



150 pounds of wool at 23 cents $34. 00 



16 lambs a t $9.06f 145. 00 



3 lambs at $5 15. 00 



194. 50 



Estimate of expenses. 



5.1 tons of hay at $10 per ton $51. 00 



Grain for sheep 25. 50 



Grain for lambs 16. 00 



Pasturing 17 sheep 28 weeks, at 3 cents each 14. 28 



Service of ram 4. 25 



111.00 



Balance of receipts above expenses $83.47. In this case there were 

 no lambs to be pastured, and the ewes could be pastured for about one- 

 half the cost of those that have lambs, as lambs must have the best of 

 pasture. The flock was produced by crossing a Spanish Merino rain 

 upon grade Cotswold and Leicester ewes, weighing from 125 to 150 

 pounds. They dropped their lambs very early, most of them in Decem- 

 ber, were ready for market early, and brought better prices than those 

 dropped later. 



The third flock consisted of 53 ewes, 6 lambs, and 1 ram, making 60 

 in all. The expenses were : 



Grain for sheep and lambs $104. 50 



Hay, estimated at $2 per head 120. 00 



Pasturing 60 sheep 28 weeks at 3 cents 50. 40 



Services of ram. . 13. 25 



288. 15 



The receipts for lambs and wool were $629.50, or almost $10.50 per 

 head, and the receipts above expenses $341.35. 



These sheep were the Vermont Merinos, the ewes weighing 100 to 110 

 pounds each, shearing probably 8 to 10 pounds of wool each. They 

 dropped their lambs in November and December. The ram was a pure- 

 bred Southdown. 



The Americans have yet much to learn in the science of farming, and 

 England is a good object-lesson. Old English farms which have been 

 tilled for centuries show no signs of running out or of old age. They pro- 

 duce five times the amount of v/heat per acre that they did three hun- 



