812 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



and less than 5,000 are Anoka, Becker, Big Stone, Brown, Carver, 

 Chippewa, Ckisago, Freeborn, Grant, Heimepin, Houston, Isanti, Kitt- 

 son, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, McLeod, Marshall, Meeker. Morrison, 

 Mcollet, Norman, Pipestone, Pope, Eock, Scott, Sibley, Stevens, Swift, 

 Todd, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, and Winona; 

 those having 500 and less than 1,000 are Benton, Bamsey, St. Louis, and 

 Sherburne; and those having less than 100 are Aitkin, Carlton, and 

 Lake. The only county which paid no taxes on sheep was Itasca. The 

 average assessed value for the State was $1.32, ranging far less than $1 

 in some counties to more than $2 in others. 



The annual report of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce for 1892 

 gives the total number of live stock in Minnesota for 1891 as follows: 

 Sheep, 337,078; hogs, 357,078; cattle, 1,065,229; and horses, 461,453. 



They also report the wool clips for 1890 as 677,120 pounds, and for 

 1891 as 1,361,725 pounds. 



According to the ninth annual report of Minneapolis Chamber of Com- 

 merce the total shipments of wool received during 1891 were 5,442,202 

 pounds. Total wool shipments from Minneapolis were 5,436,825 pounds. 



There are three stockyard companies in the vicinity of St. Paul and 

 Minneapolis, which are designated as follows: The Union, Twin City, 

 and the Minnesota Transfer. Officials of these stockyards give the 

 amount of sheep handled in each yard for the year 1891 as follows : 

 Union, 89,423; Twin City, 60,550; Minnesota Transfer, 26,895. 



While these live-stock markets are yet in their infancy their growth 

 has been vigorous and substantial. With the rapid yet substantial 

 development of the live-stock^interests of the Northwest the " twin 

 cities" seem likely to have one of the leading live-stock markets of this 

 country. The establishment of large packing houses indicates what 

 may be expected. The farmers of Minnesota are peculiarly fortunate 

 in having a home market of such magnitude both for wool and mutton, 

 as well as all classes of live stock. Dealers as well as manufacturers 

 handle considerable wool at Minneapolis, and there are located here 

 branch wool houses from Eastern markets. 



The number of sheep in Minnesota at the present time, not including 

 the lamb crop of 1892, is not less than 400,000 head; value, $1,250,000. 

 The wool clip for 1892 will exceed 2,000,000 pounds. From the present 

 condition of the sheep industry there is every reason to believe that 

 sheep will from this time become more and more the favorite class of 

 stock for the enterprising and general farmer of the State. 



GENERAL FACTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY. 



Sheep-raising in Minnesota can not be regarded as a leading pursuit 

 of the farmers and stockmen. In value sheep rank below all other 

 classes of live stock and in number are exceeded by every other class, 

 except horses. In fact, there are more dogs than sheep in the State. 



