West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-08-29

tory ana this considerably extend.
the sheep area eastward and north
ward.
In Washington county it car
scarcely be called red Permian. but
is nearly in character and ordinar,
color OF coal measure soils, but in
proceeding northward ITS principal
characteristics. are its rcdness. its
marly appearance and it's position
above the Waynesburg coal. Let
us examine the sheep industry in
this same Red Permian area in
West Virginia. Its area may be
roughly included in the following
counties: Ohio, Marshall. Wetzel,
Tyler, Doddridge, Peasants, Richie.
Wood, parts of Writ, jackson, Gil.
mer and Brooke, aud the western
parts of Harrison, Marion and
Monongalia. In most of the other
counties of West Virginia the sheen
industry, like that of Pennsylvania
and o.her Eastern States, has de.
cllned In the last thirty years. In
Greenbrier county, for instance,
one of the best counties in West
Virginia for general agricultural
purposes. the sheep in 1850 were
l6,O67; in 1891, $500; IN Preston
county the sheep were in 1860,
l9,OSf, IN 1891, 9,40S; in Hancock
county the sheep IN 1850 were 21, :
40@, IN 1891, 9,4l1. Now these
three counties are in widely sepa.
rated sections of the State and rep
resentative counties, but they are
all outside of the Red Permian area.
The statistics of tho sheep industry
will be found to be similar to those
IN almost every other county out
side of the Red Permian area IN
West Virginia. How is it in the
counties IN this favored area Mar
shall county, which may be regard.
ed as occupying almost the centre
OF this area, and adjoins Greene
county, Pennsylvania, had in 1860.
lO,O22 sheep, and in 1891, 35,942.
This is the largest sheep produ cling
county in West Virginia. Wetzel
county had in 1860, 6,244, and in
1891. 1899; Richie county had
IN 1850, 7,925, aud in 1891, l3.O26;
Tyler county had in 1860, S,748,
and in 1891. l2.491, and Harrison
county had in 1860, 13,2O2. and IN
1891, 20, 755. There are seven mag
isterial districts in Monongnlia
county, and two of these districts
are IN the Permian area, yet these
two districts have "A little over two
thirds Of the sheep in tho whole
county. Evidently there can be
but one meaning to these figures,
and that is that the sheep industry
must be more profitable within the
Permian area than outside of it.
The reason for this we must at
tribute to the soil. for the climate
cannot differ essentially from the
climate Of counties east and west Of
this area. Not only do the numb
indicate a peculiarly favorable re.
glon for the sheep industry in the
Upper Ohio Valley, but the quality
OF the wool has long been an even
more delicate test. The woods of
Brooke, Ohio and Marshall counties
and of Washington and Greene
counties have long been recognized
as Of the best quality grown in the
United States. 1t is also reported
on what seems to be good authority
that sheep raised in these counties,
when taken to different parts Of
the United States, after the second
shearing, produce a quality Of wool
that must be graded in a lower
grade than that grown on them
when fed on their native soil and
pasture.
On this point / have not as vet
sufficient data to verify it fully; but
it seems probable. The main CON
clusion, then, is that tho Upper
Ohio Valley is region specially
adapted to sheep and wool culture
and the evidence in the case seems
to amply justify the conclusion.