ESSEX SOCIETY. 79 



phere of the sheds or pens. Bat the strong ones will rob the 

 weak ; and at yeaning time, the most serious consequences 

 would follow the promiscuous herding of a large flock. 



Number of Sheep in Essex County, compared with those in the 

 State, and elsewhere. 



The whole number of sheep in Massachusetts, as returned 

 by the marshals, in 1845, (see statistics, p. 377,) is three hun- 

 dred and fifty-four thousand nine hundred and forty-three. If 

 the five millions two hundred and sixty-seven thousand acres in 

 Massachusetts be supposed to be fed by sheep, there would be 

 fifteen acres for each sheep. In Maryland, there are twenty- 

 seven acres to every sheep, and in Vermont, but three. But 

 in Essex county, there are two hundred and fifty-six thousand 

 acres. This will give fifty-two acres to each sheep in the 

 county. 



And yet, of the five hundred and fourteen sets of woolen 

 machinery in Massachusetts, in 1845, one hundred and three of 

 them are in this county. Here, then, with facilities for manu- 

 facturing, out of all proportion to other parts of the State, we 

 grow less of the material to be manufactured, than the average 

 of the State ! And in another point of view, it would seem 

 that the shrewd farmers of old Essex have adopted a policy 

 which requires more severe manual labor, than would be neces- 

 sary, were more of our land pastured with sheep. It is this — 

 that Essex cultivates and produces as much Indian corn as 

 Berkshire, although there are three hundred and fifty-three 

 thousand acres more in the latter county, than in ours ; show- 

 ing, that although a hoed crop is the most expensive that can 

 be raised, yet for some reason, (I think a mistaken one,) it is 

 preferred to the easy mode of husbandry in old Berkshire. 



Land improves by being- Stocked with Sheep. 



Even the winter manure of sheep, is richer than that of any 

 animal, hogs and poultry excepted ; and in summer it becomes 

 much more so, in effect, by reason of the manner in which it 

 is deposited. The excrements of the cow and horse, lose most 

 of their fertilizing properties in the pasture, by their exposure 

 to the sun and wind. The manure of sheep is deposited in 

 rounded pellets, which are concealed from the sun by the grass 



