Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-02-19
Sheep Husbandry In Georgia

Dogs are the curse OF sneep. Nearly
thirty-three per cent of dogs.a nuisance,
in lieu of profitable sheep raising. Tax
owner and kill dogs.
A late "Manual of sheep-husbandry
in Georgia" issued by the State Com
missioner of agriculture, gives The fol
lowing points of information derived
from inquiries addressed to correspcn-
dents in the different counties. Ofthose
who have tested cross breeds, 9s per
cent consider the cross between merino
and native the most profitable. The
following averages are deduced from
vast number of individual facts: An
nual profit on capital invested in sheep,
63 per cent. Annual cost of keeping
per head, 81 cents. Cost of raising
wool, 6 cents per pound, the market
price for unwashed being 33 l-S cents
per pound gross, and 81 l3 cents net.
Each 100 ewes produce IA lambs. Yield
of unwasbed wool, 3.44 pounds per
head, yielding, at 27 l-3 cents, "a cents
per fleece. Price of lambs sold to
butchers, sl.s7 per head +; price of
stock-sbeep, $2.5s per head price OF
mutton-speep, *2.75 per head.
The census of 1860 reported 5l2,6lS
sheep in Georgia the census OF 1870,
4l9, ,465 the latest returns OF the tax
receivers show but 3l9323; decrease
from 1860 to 1870, 93, from 1870
to 1875. IOO,l42 total loss III fifteen
years, 193,295, or 3S per cent, whereas
there should have been an increase OF
100 per cent. Ninety per cent, of the
reports show that dogs arc the princ'-
pal obstacle to sheep-husbandry-ln
most of them the only one. Several
state that sheep-husbandry has been en-
tirely abandoned in consequence OF the
rayages of ours. That is, capital
which, in favored localities, in spite of
these pests, yield an annual return OF
63 per cent, is crippled and depressed
by the presence of SO, ,415 dogs, which
killed, 1882 sheep during the year.
The losses by dogs amount to l5 per
cent, of the whole, while the losses
from all other causes are but per cent
There are 81 dogs to each hundred
sheep. The commissioner estimates
that the abatement OF this nuisance
would greatly enlarge the capital inves-
ted in sheep, and raise the annual rate
of profit from 63 to Y per cent. In a
few years the number would be more
than the per diem and mileage of the
house of representatives of the State.
Correspondents estimate that 100
! sheep, regularly folded, would tertilize
eight acres so as to double its next SUBJ
sequent yield. At this rate the number
of sheep now in Georgia would annual
ly fertilize 25,544 acres. Supposing
that nnfertilzed would bring half a bale
of cotton per acre, the increased yield,
of this area would be l2,772 bales,
worth, at $50 net per bale, $63S, 600.
If the number Of sheep were raised to
100000, which might easily be done,
if the dogs ravages were arrested, their
manure would add $4,000,000 annually
to the production of the State. Thous-
ands of farmers are ready to engage in
this business as soon as the law affords
adequate and just protection to this in
terest. Millions Of acres, now unoccu-
pied, will be opened as sheep-walks and
| immigration enlarged. The large sheep
proprietors have capital enough invested
to warrant keeping shepherds for the
protection of their focks. Small farm
ers caunot incur this expense, and con-
sequently will not be able to engage in
the business. Nonfhiy Report Of Agri.
culture for Nousmber, 1878.