43 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



This branch of agriculture is comparatively a small concern in 

 Essex County. The whole number of sheep in the county, accord- 

 ing to the Statistical Returns, being 6252 ; Saxony, 10 ; Merino, 

 928 ; of other kinds, 4879. The Saxony are represented as yield- 

 ing 3 lbs. to a fleece ; the merino, 2^ to 2, 11 oz. ; the common 

 sheep, 3 and 3^ lbs. The experienced shepherd will receive the 

 returns of the yield of Saxony sheep in wool with some hesita- 

 tion, but in this case, they are not of great importance. The county 

 is not adapted to the raising of fine vvooled sheep for their wool only ; 

 and no one thinks of the Saxony for mutton. 



In several parts of the county, however, a small number of sheep 

 are kept for early lambs, and to great advantage. Where other 

 stock is kept on a considerable scale, a few sheep may be kept at 

 little or no expense, upon the orts and wastings of the other cattle. 

 A farmer, whose management is excellent for its success and frugal- 

 ity, in another county, writes to me : " Any farmer may keep a (ew 

 sheep with but little cost ; say as many sheep in number as he has of 

 cattle and horses. In fair weather they require nothing but the orts, 

 sticks, and leaves, which the other creatures leave. By giving them 

 a small quantity of corn daily, I am confident that in this way I have 

 kept ten sheep on two bushels of corn, or a pint a day, with the 

 addition of four or five hundred of hay at most, to be given in bad 

 weather and in the spring. In this way I have as good or better 

 sheep than my neighbors. Sheep will fatten in this way." 



There seem to me two ways in which the sheep husbandry may 

 be pursued in Essex County to great advantage. The first is in 

 fattening wethers for the market. It is better for the farmer to consume 

 his hay on his farm, when he can obtain for it $15 per ton, than to 

 sell it in the market for $20. I believe, in general, with ordinary 

 skill, a farmer in any part of Essex County may do this by fattening 

 wethers. In this case, his ton of hay may be expected to give 

 him nearly a cord of valuable manure ; and all the expense and 

 trouble of going to market, to say nothing of the loss of time and the 

 vexations. I will suppose him to purchase a good lot of wethers, 



