3G0 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



scnted by Jacob Farnum, of the same place. These ewes pos- 

 sessed no extraordinary merit; but Mr. Farnum had begun to 

 show a disposition to improve in the selection of his buck. 

 He was half South Down. We can tell Mr. Farnum that he 

 would do a great deal better should he procure a full-blood 

 South Down buck. Then probably most or all of his lambs 

 would be as good as the buck he now has, while the get of 

 his half-blood will be very uncertain in character. For this 

 slight disposition to improve, and because your committee be- 

 lieve that the raising and keeping of sheep should be encour- 

 aged in this county, they recommend that the first premium of 

 six dollars be awarded to Mr. Farnum. 



Upon the subject of sheep husbandry, so far as our county 

 is concerned, the committee feel bound to say a word. The 

 first question to be answered is, whether the raising of sheep 

 is profitable or not. If we theorize only upon the matter, we 

 shall answer the question in the affirmative. Sheep demand 

 less care than any of the domestic animals; and therefore less 

 labor, in comparison, is needed for them than for any other 

 stock. They are less dainty than any other animals — feeding, 

 as experiments show, upon one hundred and more species of 

 plants which cattle and horses refuse. They must, therefore, 

 improve pastures by clearing away many foul and useless 

 weeds and plants which cattle avoid. The tastes of men have 

 changed somewhat; and the meat of sheep, whether lamb or 

 mutton, is in much more demand than formerly. Their carcasses, 

 therefore, must meet a ready sale at remunerating prices. 



But why speculate upon a matter which is capable of proof? 

 — and that, too, by the best evidence possible — the testimony 

 of experience. This testimony is all one way, so far as the 

 information of your committee extends ; and that is, that sheep 

 arc very profitable animals in Essex County to the general 

 farmer. Not only has this been the case since the demand for 

 lamb and mutton has increased and the prices of wool have 

 sometimes ranged high, but, taking all things into the account, 

 it has always been true. A member of our Board of Trustees, 

 lately deceased, whose opinions always received, as they de- 

 served, great consideration, and were seldom found to be 

 wrong, used to say that a pasture which would carry twenty 



