Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-07-31
Expenses and Profits of Sheep-raising in
California.

In estimating the expenses and profits
arising from flock of sheep, if we take
the present price of grass, we must also
take the present price of wool. In the fol-
lowing table, I shall continue SO worth of
land sufficient to feed one sheep the whole
year. This, as has been stated. is the value
that some of the most experienced sheep
raisers in the State placed on land capable
of carrying sheep to the acre. The in
terest on this would amount to 81 81 so
yearly, but this is a price scarcely ever
PAID for the grazing of 4 sheep. Perhaps
one-third of it would be nearer to the
mark. shall then suppose that the sheep
raiser, as is the case with many of them.
owns his land, and on this basis estimate
the expenses and receipts arising from
nock of two thousand wethers.
Two thousand acres of land, purchased
at SO per acre, come to $4,000, and two
thousand wethers, at So each, Sc, 900 I;
making total OF $4,000 for sheep and
rand. Now for the yearly expenses and
receipts:
Wages and board to shepherd, yearly $3.50 90
taxes, 0c on each sheep.............. 100 90
Dressing, to prevent scab, &c cach........ 100 90
Loss, say per cent....................... 300 90
3hearlhg, &c each tlme-l9c yearly. 360 90
Transporting wool to San Francisco, at
Sc per AZ 90
Commission to broker for selling y
per ................ 100 90
Yearly taxes on iand...................... 200 90
Total yearly ezpen;e. ,672 90
Yearly, receipts, l4,oOO lbs. wool, 2Slc
Net receipts, S2Sl8 co. or about 81 per cent. on
the $4,000 originally invested.
The $500 tax on the land is thus estima-
ted The Assessors valuation is usually
about 40 per cent. of the real value Of
the land; and the tax is about % per cent.
on the Assessors valuation. This would
give tax Of $500 yearly on 500, 900 worth
OF land. The quantity of wool is estimated
at seven pounds to each sheep, which is
about fair average for good flock of
wethers. Ewes would not give so much
wool; they would be more expensive i'm
the way of herding; but as they would
nave lambs, they would bring their owners
much more profit than wethers. The net
receipts shown above are perhaps too high,
as there would be other expenses that can
not be calculated with any degree of eX-
actness. The wool-grower may, if he has
many hooks, have to employ an Overseer
ana his taxes, as well as the wages of his
shepherd. will have to be paid before lie
receives the price of his wool so that he
has TO pay interest on more than the S26,-
900 first laid out A poor man, who looks
after his own flock and buys grass or feeds
sheep on Government land, will do con-
siderably better. The wages he would
have Ia pay to a shepherd, and the yearly
taxes he would have to pay on the land Ii
he owned it, would buy grass enough for
his flock so that lac would make as much
yearly out Of his SC. 900 as the rich man
would out of S26 coo. Many, of course. |
viii think that business that brings only |
8 per cent. on the money invested should |
not be undertaken in california. But there |
are other sources from which the man that |
buys land on which 20 pasture his sheep