GRAZING INDUSTEY OF THE BLUEGEASS EEGION. 11 



It will be seen from the data in Table I that the returns varied 

 from S2.10 per acre for the lowest to S 14.08 for the highest. The 

 average net returns, after allowing a good price for the roughage 

 on the farm, are S8.60 per acre of pasture. This S8.60 must pay 

 the taxes, insurance, fencing, and labor of caring for the pastures 

 and stock. The labor bill is small, and so are the other items; but 

 after these are paid there is not much left as interest on the invest- 

 ment. At the present prevaiUng prices of land the average blue- 

 grass farmer does not make over 3 or 4 per cent on his investment. 

 The average rental price per acre for pasture land in this region is 

 S3 an acre for fairly good land to $5 an acre for the best. It is a 

 safe, attractive business to men with considerable capital. 



Fig. 10.— One of the best producing pastures in the bluegrass region. 

 VALUE OF A PASTURE WHEN GRAZED WITH SHEEP. 



Sheep grazing is next in importance to cattle grazing over most 

 of the bluegrass region. While the total value of the horses and mules 

 is greatly in excess of that of sheep, most of the former are kept 

 for work purposes. 



The income from the sheep is derived principally from the wool 

 and lambs. Ewes that are too old for breeding purposes are also 

 sold for mutton. The lambs are sold at about 5 months of age, 

 when they should weigh about 80 pounds each. 



The chief drawbacks to the sheep industry of the bluegrass region 

 are dogs, internal parasites such as stomach worms, nodular dis- 

 ease, etc. Sheep raised in the higher mountain regions of West 

 Virginia and Kentucky are less infested with stomach worms than 

 those in the lower altitudes. On this account there is a considerable 

 demand for breeding ewes that were raised at these higher places. 



