134 lE!.ssay on Sheep, 



the whole of his progress he is annually adding 

 to the value of his fleeces, and selling off old 

 sheep instead of lambs, thus reimbursing him- 

 self for the expense of his ram, which is the only 

 extra expense he has sustained; and he is also 

 parting with a number of male lambs at a 

 higher price than hew^as accustomed to receive 

 for those of his old stock. The wool of a com- 

 mon flock barely pays the keeping ; their only 

 profit arises from the sale of sheep and lamb^ 

 which, supposing the flock to consist of fifty ewos 

 and fifty wethers and rams, and that thirty-five 

 are sold off* yearly, which is as many as can be 

 calculated upon with those necessary to keep up 

 the stock, the clear profit will be seventy dollars 

 upon one hundred sheep. An half-blood flock 

 will bring, in the increase of quantity and 

 value of the fleece, one dollar and more upon 

 each sheep,* even counting the sales of lambs 

 at the rate of common sheep. The second year 

 then, the purchaser of a ram will receive one 

 hundred and seventy dollars profit, instead of 

 seventy. When the flocks are three-fourths 

 breed, his wool will rise to eighty-one cents in 

 the pound. (I state the lowest rate, mine of that 

 grade sells at one dollar). This will give him a 



* Tlie (VifTcTeuci' of profit hetw ecn tlic half-brccd aiul tiie common sTicep,» 

 St my last shearing, was tvo dollars and aix ccnlTS pa* licad. 



