The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-03-12
AGRICULTURAL.
WESTERN psnwrNn,


We have seen in several papers. sor,e
articles pnrporiirs TO be !. DIR. Elliou's
Letters" in feiatiun TO Western Farm
Ing. We know not where or " hen these
letters irstappetr d, neither lave We any
( other knowledge Of the writer than wha,
we galher from tie published articles al
luded 10; bn, We ih,bk our readers will
be Interested in the following synopsis If
some Of the items which We eurluse from
an exchange paper.
Winfer Posture on fhe Pr0iries -
We think that some people, who have
failered themselves with tie idea Of
making fortunes by wool. growing in de
west, expected to derive grea, advalmgc
from, grazing their sheep on the prairies
in the winter season; bn, we have seen
enough Of prairie grass to Salty us thai,
after il is ki'led by the isos, II can afford
but trifiiDg support 10 any animal. This
agrees with what Dr.. Elliot says: "'rhe
prairie practice answers the purpose uu-
ill the itosts set 10, and after tina, i, is
useless. as il drics up and has no sub.
stance IN il or unarishmem more ,han
the worst straw
Sheep ia Mi,o5, Messr, Brown &
Smith, at Island Glove, half y az be-
tween Springfield aud Jlcksonvilie, ILL.,.
are said TO conduct their farming bust
ness on an extensive scale, each having
about 400 acres under fence, and cul-
vated in grain and grasses. Each keeps
flock Of about 1900 sheep, and each
cultivate from 400 to 600 acres Of corn
annually.
"Theie sheep are paslured part of the
year on the open pramies, where they are
attended by shepherds. Thcy are led
III the winter on hay. clrn fiddler. and
corn, for the most part. Corn is found to
Z be as good food for sheep On The prairie
farms as any others. AMI corn folders
believed by these enlerprising 'irmcrs to
be better than hay. The earlier their
lambs come in the year, they consider
the better; as those lambed In Jaouary
and February they find 10 be much better
than those OF March or april. The early
lambs can be weancd much earlier than
the late ones, and srs therefore stronger
TO endure the ensuing winter. Ia short,
they consider the early lambs moro Than
25 per cent. better than the lae one as
they make much larger sheep, aud good
strong breeders for the next year"
The practice of having lambs dropped
in january and February, it should be
remembered, is "adapled to The meridian
Of southern Illinois" rather than New
York and New England.
Big Farms.--An extensive farmer of
Morgan county, ILL.,, by the name of
Srawn, is said TO have .'soven thousand
and two hundred acres Of land enclosed
and under cultivation, in grain and the
grasses. lie thinks the blue g7ass does
not suit the prairies, on account OF their
richness and other reasons" Timothy
with clover is preferred for hay; but clio
yer is chosen for pasture.
"Somc Of his fields" il is said, EEK
coed a thousand acres. lie purchases
young ca!lle in great numbers, and has
continually on hand fa cattle for the mar
ket. He also owns several farms offrom
three hundred 10 one thousand acress, in
different parts of the country, where he
grazss and feeds his cattle. Perhaps he
occupies more laul as grazier, than any
man in Europe or America"
The following very sensible conclu-
sions, particularly the closing sentence,
we would recommend 10 the attention and
consideration oil all farmers:
safer all, those huge farm, may not
be profitable, according to the investment
Mr.. Sirawn told us that three hundred
and twenty acres was enough for any
man, and Mr.. Smith informed us that six
hundred and forty was as much as any
one ought TO cultivate Yet there are
thousands of farmers with far less ground
who live happier and enjoy life better
than those that cultivate The large farms.