SECRETARY'S REPORT. 85 



the sheep, too, sufifers no waste, being in a highly concentrated 

 form ; and at the same time, it is minutely divided and evenly 

 distributed over the surface of the ground. 



" So good and economical distributors of manure are sheep, 

 that experienced farmers in England are feeding tliem, when 

 in the pasture, with oil-cake, for the additional benefit from the 

 manure." 



For the purpose of seeing if our pastures would show by 

 figures, as profitable as we suppose them to be, we have made 

 some calculations as nearly as any reported facts will give. 



The whole number of acres of pasture-land in the Common- 

 wealth is 1,326,239, the average value of which according to 

 the last valuation would be |1G per acre, making the pasture 

 lands worth $21,219,824, the interest of which would be 

 $1,273,189. The returns which our pastures yield us, we have 

 tried to ascertain in two different ways, one, to call the pastur- 

 ing at the usual paying price for all the stock in the Common- 

 wealth, which we can get with any correctness ; the sheep, 

 steers and heifers, and milch cows ; oxen must be left out of 

 the calculation, as there are no data by which to separate the 

 working oxen, which are not much grazed, from those being 

 turned out for beef; this also does not include any of the horse 

 kind, of which many are pastured a part or the whole of the 

 season. 



Pasturing 92,288 steers & heifers 25 weeks, at 25c, 1345,980 00 

 " 113,110 sheep 30 weeks, at 2^0., . . 84,832 50 

 " 160,982 cows 20 weeks, at 33"'c., . . 1,062,481 20 



Total rents of pastures, (not including oxen and 



horses,) $1,493,293 70 



We have attempted in another imperfect manner to calculate 

 the profits from pasturing. 



Gain on 92,288 steers and heifers in pastures 



annually, $6 each, $533,728 00 



One-half value wool grown, .... 62,210 00 



One-half of the value (not quantity) of milk sold, 404,722 00 



