46 

 SHEEP. 



The brancli of agriculture, which has been referred to tliis 

 Committee, is one which has, within the last few months, in- 

 creased very materially in importance, and has attracted unus- 

 ual attention. The production of wool has become a matter 

 of vital interest to our community. The suddenly increased 

 demand for woolen goods, and the difficulties of various kinds 

 Avhich lie in the way of their importation, have enhanced the 

 value of sheep of every description. And while we are still 

 discussing the question of what kin(f of sheep — the smaller, 

 fine-woolled breeds, or the heavy, coarse-wooUed mutton sheep 

 — is the most desirable, one point is clearly established ; that the 

 sheep is a most profitable animal, and that sheep husbandry is* 

 a veiy important part of the business of farming. 



The decline of sheep husbandry in Massachusetts is remarka- 

 ble, and, to some extent, unaccountable. By some it has been 

 attributed to the introduction of fine-woolled blood, imported into 

 the State in 1809-10 and 11. But it can hardly be supposed 

 that what has been found so advantageous in other States, 

 should have been so disastrous here. It is more proba- 

 ble, that as agriculture was superseded in Massachusetts, and 

 farms began to be neglected, sheep were the first animals to 

 feel the effects of the neglect. It is well known that the value 

 of the animal, both for wool and mutton, was very much re- 

 duced, even before the number was diminished. The weight 

 of the carcass was small, and the clip of wool was brought to 

 a very low average. In twenty years, from 1840 to 1860, the 

 decrease in the number of sheep was more than 250,000 — and 

 in the latter year the whole number was but little more than 

 100,000 in our whole Commonwealth ; and in 1850 of the 

 22,000,000 pounds of wool consumed here, less than 600,000 

 pounds was raised in the State. Meanwhile New York contained 

 5,118,777 sheep, and Virginia, 1,293,772; and England had 

 increased her number to over 50,000,000. 



There is no reason that Massachusetts and some other parts 



