ON SHEEP. 63 



mont, expend $30,000 for French sheep, even if they should 

 shear 20 pounds of wool apiece, like his ; but every one who 

 keeps a cow or two, may keep sheep enough for the stocking 

 yarn of himself and his family. For, accordmg to the idea of 

 the late lamented Asa T. Newhall, every pasture will carry as 

 many sheep as it now does cows, in addition to the cows, 

 Avithout sensible loss to them. 



The following letter, received previous to the Show, by 

 the chairman, from Mr. Page, a member of the Committee, is 

 appended to the report, and will be regarded as the most im- 

 portant part of it. DAVID CHOATE, Chairman. 



NATHAN PAGE'S LETTER. 



Danvers Port, 9tli Mo., 8th, IS52. 



Friend Choate : — Thy letter of the 31st. ult. was duly 

 received. To thy request for information on Sheep Husban- 

 dry I must reply, that I have had no experience in the business 

 in thi^ County or State. Sixteen years ago I kept sheep in 

 the state of Vermont. I will ofler some remarks on my method 

 then and there, but cannot promise that they will contain 

 much important information. 



For about fourteen years, while living in Addison Co., in 

 that state, I paid some attention to wool-growing. The 

 sweet pastures on the highlands near the mountains are excel- 

 lent for sheep, and the cold climate is admirably adapted to 

 the growth of the finest wool. 



My flocks ranged from full blood Merino to one-quarter 

 Merino and three-quarters Saxony, and vice versa. The 

 greatest number that I owned at any one time was five hun- 

 dred, not including lambs. In one lot of one hundred acres 

 (including thirty five acres of wood-land,) I pastured three 

 hundred sheep, together with fifteen head of cattle, and four 

 horses. In another pasture I kept one hundred thirty, and 

 hired the remainder kept by the year, for one dollar each. In 

 winter, I separated them into five flocks — the lambs in one, 



