Washtenaw's Sheep And Other Live Stock

Accordmg to Census Bulletin No. 4, just iasaed by the scci-teary of state's office, Washtenaw county is by all odds the largest sheep growing and wool raising country in Michigan. In 1894, according to these census returns, this was the only country in the state to shear over a milliou pounds of wool, the aruouutsheared tliat year in Washtenaw reaohing up to 1,344,2(52 pounds from 185,097 fleeces. This is nearly doublé the second largest wool raising county, Oakland, which had 102,394 fleeces' and sheared 690,297 pounds of wool. Livingston comes third with 99,957 fleeces and 673,557 pounds, and Lenawee fourth with 90,930 fleece.s and 572,221 pounds of wool. On June 1, 1894, there were in Washtenaw county 129,976 sheep, one year old and over, and 51,910 tinder one year old, including spring lainbs. Washtenaw raised abont one-tenth of all the wool raised in the state. Some other live stock figures may prove interesting. On Jnne 1, 1894, there was in Washtenaw county, 15,578 horses three years old and over, 1,049 two year olds, 832 one year olds and 584 tinder one year old, besides 108 moles. There were but five counties in the state which had more horses three years old and over. The most mulish county was Kent, which had 215. There were in this county 13,438 iniich oows, the county ranking tenth in the number of cows. There were only 7 oxen, and every county in the state, with the exception of Alger and the lately abolishcd county of Manitou, possessed more oxen, proving that Washtenaw is a little two swift for the slow moving oien. Of reoorded pure bred cattle, Washtenaw had 1 Devon, 12 Galloways, 4 Q-uemsey, 109 Holstein, 133 Jersey, 1 Bed Polled and 235 Shorthorn. These figures show Washtenaw to bc the third county in the state in possession of registered Shorthorns, the third in registered Holsteins, and the seventh in registered Jerseys. In the , whole state there were 4,059 registered Shorthorns, 3,852 registered Jerseys, 1,744 registered Holsteins, 444 Herfords, 553 G-alloways and 83 Guemseys. Of cattle exclusive oí' milch cows and werking oxen, Washtenaw had 6,053 ande) one year old, 4,490 yearlings, 2,318 two year olds and 949 three years old and over. Washtenaw contaüied 5,308 fourlegged hogs one year old and over and 24,145 under one year old, inolnding spring pigs, and is not recorded as possessing a single two-legged hog. Ten counties exceed us in hogs and eight in pigs. These figures prove that Washtenaw farmers stand way np with the farmers of our sister counties in the possession of live stock. When the full figures are sent out, we shall be happy to compare the different sections of the county. It may require a little digging aniong a mass of figures, but then The Argus is bound that its readers shall get all the points of interest out of the census returns.