SECRETARY'S REPORT. 93 



The subject of sheep husbandry, always one of the greatest 

 importance to tlie whole farming community, has received such 

 additional interest and attention at this time, from various 

 causes, that in the opinion of the members of the Board of 

 Agriculture, a somewhat extended space should be devoted to 

 its consideration. In attempting this, not easy task, the mem- 

 bers of the Committee to whom the examination of this matter 

 was referred, although all sheep-owners themselves and directly 

 engaged and interested in it, feel most sensibly their inability 

 to discharge this duty as it should be done ; they cannot expect 

 in a community of farms like ours, percolated as it is 

 through every family by agricultural papers and books, rij)e 

 with the experience of hundreds of others besides themselves, 

 to offer any thing original or interesting, to any except those 

 directly CDncerned. If by a judicious selection and collation 

 of the opinions of men of large experience in sheep-growing, 

 whether from replies to their circulars, and othai' communica- 

 tions, books, or personal experience and information, they can 

 more directly than has been previously done, bring this subject 

 to the notice of the farmers of this Commonwealth, and excite 

 any permanent interest in the breeding, keeping and feeding of 

 this most useful animal, by encouraging those already engaged 

 in it, or by stimulating and inducing others to undertake it, 

 they will feel that their labors are not unavailing. 



STATISTICS. 



The census statistics and the returns we have received show 

 some remarkable facts in the sheep husbandry of Massachu- 

 setts, especially in the rapid decline of wool-growing. 



In 1840, the number of sheep was 378,226 ; in 1845, 354,943 ; 

 in 1850, 188,051 ; in 1855, 145,215 ; in 1860, 113,111— show- 

 ing the astonishing decrease in twenty years of 265,115 sheep. 



In 1845, the number of pounds of wool grown was 1,016,230 ; 

 in 1855, 416,156 — a loss of over 600,000 pounds. 



In 1845, the total value of all the sheep and wool was 8923,420 • 

 while, in 1855, only ten years later, it was $464,889 — showing 

 a depreciation of that stock in ten years of nearly half a million 

 of dollars. 



In 1850, the wool produced in the Commonwealth was 

 585,000 pounds ; the amount consumed, outside of domestic man- 



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