EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 3()3 



to go into this hm-d, viz, the disposing of surplus stock at from *1() 

 to *i'0 a head. And, if that expectation had not been entertained at 

 first, he apprehended these sheep would have made very little progress 

 in the country. The only ad vantage the Merino then possessed over 

 the common sheep of the country was the higher price of the wool 

 which its superior fineness always insured it. 



Upon reviewing the facts which had transpired connected with his 

 Merino flocks up to 1818, and which had been carefully observed, he 

 became satisfied that after washing the wool well on their backs, remov- 

 ing everything like dirt from the fleeces and sending it perfectly dry to 

 market, all of which precautions were found necessary to secure respect- 

 able purchasers, the average weight of the fleece did not exceed 2 

 pounds of wool, which, sold at 70 cents (a high average price), would 

 make the wool of each sheep amount to $1.75 a head per annum. A 

 well-regulated flock of sheep increases so fast that it is necessary to 

 keep it down, by thinning off annually to that number which the farm 

 has the steady ability to keep in good order > which is usually done by 

 selling on foot in the fall, or by butchering and sending the carcass to 

 market. The last resource is an indifferent one for a large farmer. 

 The Merino being a small animal, not exceeding, in 1818, 8 pounds 

 to the quarter, when grass-fed in November did not look well along- 

 side of other mutton ; besides, there was a great prejudice against it, 

 and nothing could be more troublesome than disposing of a large 

 quantity of these sheep, in this mode, at a time of year when days are 

 short and bad weather common. The other method was the most 

 prompt and least disadvantageous. It being to the farmer's interest to 

 keep young stock on hand, that which was matured was disposed of. 

 A sheep which had given six fleeces was a proper subject to turn off, 

 and it was considered that a flock of store Merino sheep at that age 

 were well sold at $1.50 per head. Beyond that age the productiveness 

 of these sheep when kept in quantities was past, for they failed very 

 rapidly and their fleeces declined greatly in value. It was assumed 

 then that the productive part of the life of the Merino was compre- 

 hended within the first six years and six months, and if then sold, 

 according to the foregoing statement, six fleeces, at $1.75 each, and the 

 sale of the animal at $1.50, would give $12 for the intrinsic value dur- 

 ing its whole life. 



From this sum must be deducted the charge of maintaining the ani- 

 mal during that period of more than six years. The winters in New 

 York average about one hundred and thirty-five days of foddering, and 

 actual experiment showed that seven healthy sheep during that time 

 would eat a ton of hay, then valued at $7, leaving each sheep charged 

 with $1 ahead for wintering, independent of all the incidental expenses 

 of attendance, fencing, expense of seeding down the land and other 

 known incidentals, which would always bring an additional charge of 

 50 cents a head against them. Deduct then these two charges of $1.50 



