NORFOLK SOCIETY. 401 



A farmer in Wrentbam, for a great number of years, kept 

 about sixty sheep, eight or nine cows, (or other stock equal,) 

 one pair of oxen, and one horse. After keeping the sheep for 

 a number of years, he told the chairman of this committee he 

 could then keep as large a stock on his farm with the sixty 

 sheep, as he could keep without them before ; showing that 

 they had improved the farm to furnish their own support. To 

 stock a farm entirely with sheep, would not be so profitable as 

 to keep a limited number ; yet, if a farm were stocked entirely 

 with sheep, it might pay, perhaps, about as well as other stock. 

 We suppose it would be fair to calculate that eight sheep 

 would consume as much food as one large cow, and that the 

 net annual proceeds of small flocks kept in Norfolk county, 

 would not vary much from three dollars per head ; this would 

 be about as large a profit as other stock would yield, taking 

 into account the extra cost of labor that it requires, such as the 

 dairy, etc. In a neighborhood where there is a regular market 

 for milk, cows will undoubtedly pay the greatest profit, as all 

 the reports show. 



A farmer in R.hode Island, a year or two since, had thirty 

 sheep, which cost, at |1 67 per head, ^50 10. He sold the 

 same, with their lambs and wool, within one year from the 

 time of his purchase, for $210, or something more than $5 net 

 profit per head. This, however, we consider much above an 

 average proiit, but shows that small flocks pay the largest 

 profit. 



The committee cannot but hope that the farmers of Norfolk 

 county will look carefully at the value of sheep as a profitable 

 stock, and that not many years will have passed, before the 

 exhibition of sheep at our annual fair will equal that of any 

 other stock. 



Truman Clark, Oiairman. 



Cows. 

 The committee report that there were a large number of 

 cows on exhibition, only seven of which were oflered for pre- 

 mium in the class of milch cows. 

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