1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 113 



and Cyprus, the Rocky Mountain sheep, found on the lofty 

 mountain ranges of this continent, and some others. If this 

 Avere the origin of our domestic sheep it is certain that it must 

 have been subjected to man and its natural habits very mate- 

 rially changed, at a very early period ; and the contrary suppo- 

 sition, that the wild species originated either from an animal 

 very like the domestic sheep in its general characteristics, less 

 wild and active than the present wild species, and less docile 

 perhaps than the domestic sheep, is equally probable. However 

 this may be we know that the early descendants of Adam had 

 their flocks, and that the pastoral or shepherd's life was that 

 most generally followed by the early patriarchs, while among 

 the later nations, the Greeks, the Romans and others,' the 

 raising and keeping of sheep for the supply of food and clothing, 

 was always esteemed of the highest importance. 



Of the innumerable varieties of the domestic sheep but few 

 are known among us. The interest in this branch of husbandry 

 has greatly decreased even within the last few years, the 

 farmer's attention having been turned into other channels from 

 a conviction that we could not compete with others in the 

 raising of wool. The extent to which the keeping of sheep has 

 fallen off, is apparent enough from the following official statis- 

 tics. In 1845 there were 33,875 Saxony sheep in this State, 

 yielding 93,218 pounds of wool, fine, of course, the Saxon 

 having been improved by the cross with the Merino. In 1855 

 this number had decreased to 6,806 Saxon sheep, yielding 

 14,549 pounds of wool. In 1845 there were 165,428 Merino 

 sheep in this State, yielding 487,050 pounds of wool. In 1855 

 the number of Merino sheep had decreased to 65,584, yielding 

 only 188,504 pounds of wool. In 1845 there were of all other 

 sheep in the State, besides the Saxon and Merinos, 155,640, 

 yielding 435,962 pounds of wool, and these numbers had 

 decreased in 1855 to 72,825 sheep of all kinds other than 

 Saxons and Merinos, yielding 213,103 pounds of wool, while 

 the aggregate value of all sheep in the State in 1845 was 

 $568J284, and in 1855 but $309,843. The aggregate value of 

 all the wool raised in the State had decreased in the same time 

 from $365,136 to $155,046, showing a very large falling off in 

 every respect in the course of only ten years. Had the fine- 

 woolled sheep alone decreased in numbers, this great falling off 



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