The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-16

As a large proportion OF our readers are
peculiarly Interested in the raising of sheep
and the improvement Of their heeces, we give
the remarks upon sheep and wool at length
ShceB--Tbere was between 1910 and 1850
an increase OF 2 500 IUS in the number of sheep
in the United States 1t viii be useful 20 OBJ
serve with some clOseness the progress Of sheep
breeding in different parts of the country We
perceive that in New England there has oc-
CURED remarkable decrease in their number
There were in that division of the Union, in
IS40 3Sll 1907 in 1850, the number had de-
clned to 2I64352, being decrease of
!, $40 S55, or a. per cent,
In the live Atlantic Middle States-Ncw
\ ork, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and
| MarylGnd-therew was a decrease from ,402S5l
to 5,6ll 1871, equal to l,76l, 400, or about 22lo
per cent In Pennsylvania there was a gain
however, during this period Of 1855, COS sheep
We see that while there has been a positive
dlmnuuon Of I0S 900 in the States above
named, there has been an augmentation of
5 7l7,60S in those south Of Maryland and
west Of New York. Ohio has gained most
largely, having been returned as pasturing, in
1910, 2,02S,lOl and IN 1850, 3942, 929, an in
crease of l,9l452s, or nearly 100 per cent
In each of the States south and west OF the
lines Indicated, there has been very large
proportional increase in this kind of stock and
there is reasonable ground for the opinion that
tla billy lands of Virginia. North and South
Carolina, TaDnessee, and the praires of Illinois
Iowa, and Texas, VII! prove highly favorable
for the rearing Of sheep Tor ,..eir wool and
pelts.
New Mexico has the extraordinary number
of 3II al sheep more than six to each in
habtant, proving the soil and climate OF that
Territory to be well adaptel to this description
OF stock, and giving promise of iGsg3 add.
don from that quarter to the supply Of wool
The importance of fostering this great branch
of national produetl1r is shown by the fact, AZ
assumed by an ntelligenI writer on the sub
ject, that our population annually consumes
al amount of wool equal to pounds for each
person.
If this estimate 10 even an approximation 10
correctness, We are yet very ,ay short OF pro-
ducing u quantity adequate to the wants of the
country aud it is equally clear that we possess
an amount OF unemployed land adapted to
grazing sufficient 10 support Hocks numerous
enough to clothe the people of the world
WOoi-Analagous TO the use for which it
serves to cotton, wool is product of only less
Importance to the prosperity of the country
lhaD that leading staple Of our agriculture and
commerce
1t is very gratifying fact that though the
number of sheep has increased in ten years
but twelve per cent, the aggregate weight of
tLoir ileeces has augmented lorty.six per cent
In 1910 there wes l9,3ll,37 sheep, yield
ing 35 500, 1, pounds Of wool, equal to / sl-l0O
pounds per head
10 1850 the average weight Of each fleece
was 2 42-l00 pounds, from which it would APP
pear that such ap improvement had taken
place in the various breeds Gf the American
sheep as TO increase their average product
about thrty-two per cent throughout the
United States. And critical analysis Of the