56 MAINE STATE COLLEGE. 



which some producers are able to obtain. The best that can be 

 done is to assume as nearly as can be determined, the average 

 market rates according to past experience. In the present instance 

 the case is like this : Two lots of lambs have been grown, one lot 

 being large enough and fat enough to put upon an early market, 

 the other lot being too small and too lean, thus requiring that they 

 should be sent to pasture and sold on a late market. This condi- 

 tion of things corresponds to what may be observed in much of 

 the practice of the State. 



Lambs that are dropped in March and which are intended for 

 the market may, by a system of high feeding, be sold at a price 

 which is equal to at least ten cents per pound, live weight. If, 

 however, the kind of feeding is such as still prevails to a very 

 great extent, the lambs will of necessity go to pasture with their 

 mothers and will be sold at a price not exceeding six cents per 

 pound, live weight. Let us, then, apply these prices of ten cents 

 and six cents to the lambs grown in this experiment.* 



Financial Results. 



545 lbs. lamb @ 10 cts $54 50 



364" " @ 6cts 2184 



Difference in value of lambs » $32 66 



Value of 52 lbs. sheep @ 5 cts 2 60 



Increased value from liberal feeding $35 26 



Value of 984 lbs. extra grain @ $26 12 79 



Net gain from liberal feeding $22 47 



Return per ton for extra grain fed $71 60 



It appears from the above figures that the lot of sheep and 

 lambs which were liberally fed were worth at the end of three 

 months $35.26 more than the other lot. After deducting from 

 this sum the cost of the 984 pounds of grain which were fed over 

 and above that given to Lot 2, we have $22.47 as the net gain 

 which should be credited to liberal feeding. 



It seems, therefore, that the extra grain was sold to the sheep 

 at the rate of $71.60 per ton. 



* After the above was written the following note was received lroin Chas. 

 York, Esq., a dealer in groceries and provisions, Bangor: " I find by referring 

 to our books for the past five years that the average price of lambs durin<? May 

 has been 19 cts. per pound, for June 16 cts., and tor Aug. and Sept. S to 10 cts." 

 This illustrates the condition of the local market merely. 



