672 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



flourisli; even the loftiest hills are set in blue grass, and countless flocks fleck the 

 landscape on every side. The highest evidence that can be adduced as to the vai\i»B 

 of this basin for sheep-raising lies in the fact that sheep are growii O2>on neatjr 

 every farm, and up to a certain number are universally held to be profitable. Shetp 

 require no feeding in this division during winter, when upon good grass, barley, 

 ■wheat, or rye fields, except when there is a fall of snow. Then some oats, fodder, or 

 corn is fed. They are very healthy ; and, indeed, when attended to, prove a most 

 profitable investment up to a certain number — say one sheep for every 5 acres of 

 open land, or two sheep on every acre of permanent pasture, presuming that the 

 farmer will have other stock in proportion -to the size of his farm. 



The cost of keeping sheep per annum is about $1.25. The wool of one sheep of high 

 grade will about pay for the keeping of two. Lambs are a cJear profit, and the esti- 

 mated cost of wool is below 10 cents a pound. The average yield of wool for improved 

 lands in this basin is between 7 and 8 pounds. Nearly all the natives have disap- 

 peared from this locality, and high grades have taken their place. Mutton sheep, 

 near Nashville, good grades, bring in the markets cents per pound gross; lambs, 

 grade, $3.50 to $4.50. A large trade in lambs has been built up within a few years 

 past. Hundreds of car loads are shipped every spring from this basin to points 

 north, and good prices realized. Good sheep farms can be bought in the basin for 

 $20 to $40 per acre, varying according to the situation and soil. 



The natives of this region were the same as those of the mountains 

 of east Tennessee, and the first improvement was made by the Span- 

 ish Merino. 



The first Merino sheep taken into Tennessee were of the Humphreys 

 flock, through the agency of Seth Adams, most of them, if not all, 

 being half-bloods. The first known full-bloods were 7 purchased by 

 Mr. Mark E. OockriU, ia New York, and driven by him on foot the 

 entire distance to his home near Nashville, about 1813. In March, 1814, 

 Mr. Oockrili advertised in the Nashville Whig that he would have, in 

 the fall, full-blooded Merino rams to let, and he api^ealed to the farmers 

 in the vicinity to kill their common rams and improve their flocks and 

 thus " contribute towards the establishment of independence, which is 

 the raising of sufficient wool for home consumption." From Mr. Ooclc- 

 rdl's flock many others were formed in middle Tennessee. In 1824 his 

 flock numbered 800 head. They were very healthy and prospered well. 

 The climate agreed with them, and there was no deterioration in the 

 wool when properly cared for. His ewes weighed from 90 to 115 pounds. 

 His wool was sent to the mills at New Harmony, Ind., and Steubeu- 

 ville, Ohio, and exchanged for cloth. His fleece then averaged 5 pounds 

 to the sheep, equal iu quality to the best Ohio wool. 



Mr. Gockrill was an intelligent and progressive breeder, and when 

 the Saxony sheep were imported and the rage for finer wool set in he 

 bought some of the best Electoral Saxonies and crossed his Merino 

 flock with them, and for many years possessed one of the best Saxony 

 flocks in the United States, said by him in 1840 to be hardy and longer 

 lived than the common sheep of the country, the rams of first quality 

 producing 5 pounds of unwashed wool. Two ewes weighed 98 and 102 

 pounds, and 2 ewe lambs, 5 months old, weighed 50 and 62 pounds. 



There was no deterioratiou in the sheep in any respect, and, iu 1849, 



