Essay on Sheep. 141 



his own consumption, at such a price as will 

 pay his weaver, his dyer, his dresser of cloth, 

 his tailor, and perhaps as much more as to pay 

 for the keeping of his sheep: whereas, if he 

 raises common sheep, unless he keeps much 

 larger flocks than are necessary for his own use, 

 he has nothing to pay these expenses; nor in- 

 deed, in the northern States, whatever be the 

 size of his flock, can he sell any thing, since the 

 fleece hardly pays the keeping. Ten Merino 

 sheep beyond those whose fleeces he empl ys, 

 will give him thirty-five pounds of wool, which 

 will sell at seventy dollars, the present price of 

 Merino wool being two dollars the pound. 1 his 

 will not only pay for that part of the manufac- 

 ture of cloth which is done out of the family, 

 but will leave him an excess for other purposes. 

 There are few farmers that cannot spare the 

 wool of ten sheep; but if these were even very 

 good common sheep, their fleeces, at three 

 pounds, would amount to no more than fifteen 

 dollars; so that he must draw upon some other 

 fund to pay the tradesmen employed in cloth- 

 ing his family. Which stock of sheep then is 

 best adapted alike to the poor and the rich? 

 certainly that which, after furnishing the ma- 

 terial, pays for making the cloth by the high 

 price at which a small excess is sold, Mr. 



