No. 4.] SHEEP RAISING. 153 



into keeping that breed of sheep best adapted to our soil 

 and climate. We cannot copy England or France or Spain 

 or even the more distant parts of our own nation, but sve 

 must receive suggestions from each of those localities, and 

 adapt them to the peculiar requirements of our own section. 



It is at least an interesting coincidence that a diminution 

 of population in the rural districts of New England and a 

 deterioration of character has followed the decrease in num- 

 bers of sheep. The average population per square mile of 

 all northern New England, — that is to say, of Maine, 

 New Hampshire and Vermont, — including their cities, 

 towns and villages, is less than the average population per 

 square mile of 24 other States in the Union. Among the 

 States having a greater density of population than Maine, 

 New Hampshire and Vermont, are Virginia, West Virginia, 

 North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, 

 INlichigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Who would have thought 

 that rural New Eno-land had so fallen behind other rural 

 States, and that similar figures would be shown for rural 

 Massachusetts w^ere it not for the great population of our 

 cities, which enlarges the average for the whole State. 



The American Sunday School Union, through Rev. Dr. 

 Addison P. Foster, district secretary for New England, has 

 lately printed some startling literature upon this subject, 

 notinjr three influences that are working asjainst the character 

 of the rural districts of New England : first, the migration 

 of New England people to the west, the full force of which 

 movement has now passed ; second, the movement of the 

 population from the country into the city ; third, the change 

 that is going on in the population from native to foreign 

 born, with the result that the rural communities of New 

 Eno-land are losino; their old-time Puritan conditions and 

 coming more and more under the sway of foreign elements 

 and ideas. Doctor Foster says : " The results of these three 

 unfavorable influences are patent in the growing religious 

 destitution, ignorance and immorality of outlying rural dis- 

 tricts in New England." But the authority whom I have 

 just quoted also sees light in the movement which is now 

 growing toward the return of people of the old New England 

 character toward the rural districts ; and I wish I had the 



