The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-06-06
MISCELLANY.
From the Ohio Cultivator.
SHEEP FARMING.

In wheat regions, no stock will pay the
farmer so we'll as sheep. And ON almost
every farm, sheep are valuable. The story
of the golden fleece is no longer fable, for
every year produces millions.
1t appears to me that the subject has not
been, and is not now properly understood in
all parts of the Union.
The farmer has some object in view,
when he enters into business. He raises
sheep for their wool or for their carcass. If
near town, it may pay to raise sheep for
mutton, but in the interior he must make
wool the primary, and mutton the secondary
object.
1t is not with us as with the English far
mer. Wool with him is of little consequence,
in comparison to body for it is important to
get the quickest possible return for his capi-
tai, hence he grows those sheep that will
mutton early, and give heavy carcass
Mutton is the cheapest meat in the English
market, and sheep are grown with reference
to that fact. They grow, therefore, only
coarse wooled sheep-of which they have
two kinds, the long wooled, like the cots
void or bakewells, and short wooled like
the south downs.
The great mass of American farmers have
no inducement to grow any but fine wooled
sheep. 1t is of no Importance how slow the
sheep muttons. 1t is better that it does not
come to maturity till the fifth year, because
until then their wool does not begin to de-
terorate. 1t costs no more to raise fine
wooled sheep than coarse one, willie the
fine fleece is worth nearly double that of the
coarse.
Besides, there is not so great difference
as many imagine in the respective weights
when fully grown. If we ever export wool
it must be fine wool, and the very finest will
of course pay best.
There are but two kinds of flne wooled
sheep in this country, the merino and saxo
ny, though we have them in all grades
There is great variety of opinion as to which
is the most profitable. Each kind has its ad
vocstes without reference to locality or per
sons. In the south and southwestern States
the Saxony would be most profitable; in the
eastern, northern and western, the merint
should be preferred, unless men choose t.
bestow great care and pains, and even then
should prefer the merino. The Saxon il
not hardy sheep, and will not stand ou
climate well, while the merino seems wei
calculated for our cold, bad winters.
If coarse wooled sheep are bred, let then
be of the long woolen kind, like the cats
void, because then the fleece would b'
valuable. But the>least valuable of all ou
: imported sheep, are the south down. The.
/ have been a curse to almost every flock int
which they bave been introduced, for the
bring nothing but carcass, and that is
little consequence here. The wool is coars
and short, and neither good for cloth lik'
our fine wool, or for worsted, like the lon!
wool. And at five years old, they will b
no better mutton than merino or a saxon
They are humbug, so far as our own coun
try is concerned. People talk of crossin
e them with our fine wooled sheep, in orde
e TO improve the constitution Of the latter.
we took pains only to retain the best an
j strongest sheep, we would have no occaslo
. to ruin our focks to improve their constitu
7 tion. r. G.. PETERS.