59 



The money produce, for that period, of the flock was as fol- 

 lows : — From the sales of wool, 33,381 pounds, which he sold 

 for 40 cents per pound (a price only two-fifths of the aver- 

 age or even lowest price in Great Britain and America), he 

 received in cash 13,600 dollars. From the sales of sheep he 

 realized 10,300 dollars. And his sheep on hand, valued at 

 the rate at which the others were sold, were worth 26,000 

 dollars ; making a total gain in eleven years, from 94 Merino 

 sheep, of 49,000 dollars. 



" He estimated his remaining sheep at 20 dollars per head, 

 which, for so pure a flock, is not extravagant. 



*' There is no fallacy in this statement, which I have been 

 able to detect, monstrous as the result may appear to be, that 

 from a capital of 1800 dollars in sheep, a produce of 50,000 

 dollars had been realized in eleven years." 



Mr. Lowell expresses himself satisfied of the correctness of 

 this statement. That it may not appear wholly extravagant, we 

 would refer to sales recently made in Vermont, within our own 

 knowledge. A careful and experienced breeder there has paid 

 during this autumn 100 dollars for a buck lamb, and 25 dollars 

 per head for 16 ewe lambs; and considers himself fortunate in 

 having obtained them at these rates. One breeder in Vermont 

 sells from 5000 to 8000 dollars' worth of sheep annually, and 

 keeps his flock good meanwhile. Prudent and economical 

 farmers in that State pay frequently 50 dollars per head for 

 breeding ewes; and ewe lambs are considered worth 10 dollars 

 per head, as a fair market value. These prices are of course 

 obtained for pure bred animals, of the most approved breeds in 

 the State — breeds whose quality and quantity of wool have 

 reached a high standard. Vermont, it will be remembered, is 

 a wool-growing State. And there are abundant facts to prove 

 that the Merino is of all sheep the most profitable producer of 

 wool. 



The amount of food which the Merino consumes is compar- 

 atively small ; the amount of wool which he produces is com- 

 paratively large ; and his hardy constitution and long life, he 



