The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-06-30
REPoRToN SHEEP.

REPORT ON SHEEP.
MADE BY TIE COMMITTEE TO THE
UNION 6. o. AoRIcuL1rnAt SOCIETY.
The committee'to whom was referred!
the subject Of Sheep Husbantlry, beg leave
TO Offer :he following report.
Itis a matter OF history. that the wool
growing interest Of the United States, has
become ono the most timporlan,branche
ofsAgriculture. The best varieties ofsbeep
are annual y,imporied from The old world,
and greatly sought after by the wool grow
ers of.he new. Immense flocks Of sheep
are raised upon the prairies Of The north
west, in New England and the Middle
States, yielding large profits to wool grow
ers, for the labor and care bestowed.
1t is evident 10 every one Tint some
change nust be made in our industrial pur.
SUITS We cannpt longer grow cotton up.
on our exhausted lands, in competition with
the western planters. We must begin to
live within ourselves. 10 divert our cnpItal
from, old channels, and seek new invest
ments.
Al all events, we should supply our own
markets with domestic nation and wool.
We ehould manufacture our own negro
inseys, blankets, rugs, &c. This can be
done with gren, saving 10 the latter, if
attended 10. Thousands Of acres Of land
are now thrown out in every section Of the
back country, upon whic. sheep would
subsst we'll in the summer months. In
the winter they may be kept at lrifiiug
cost.
II The outset, we may say, Cha: there is
nothing SO important TO sheep husbandry
as the MASTERS EYE. An ounce Of pre-
yention with !hem is always worth more
than u pound OF cure. They thrive best
upon high dry lands. and shnrl paslurage.
Rich ieoll is always dangerous to sheep,
and tho grass which grows upon low
:sgtnnnd s, and swampy places. is cpl to pro-
0une The scours atdtile rnr, Inc test nse-
:cn'ive Of which. in5our knowledge, is
frequent sailing. G:-::::..s ;,,e winter sea-
son the wethe,s and rams should be sepa.
rated from the ewes. and particular attcn-
tion paid TO the young lambs. ll,he eve,
after yeaning, he turned upon clover or
rye lot, aud fed on turnips, peas, or cotton
seed, for fortnight. i, will make an as
tonishing improvement in the lamb. All
lamb should be marked and casirated, when
a few days old, they will never cease grow.
ing. and viii be fat enough for mutton, any
.ime during the fall.
We know no better or cheaper win!er
food for sheep, than cotton seed; they
thrive well upon IL and arc fond o! 1t. Tur.
|nips are excellent, bulwe have heard some
experienced farmers agree that they viii
make the ewes love their limbs. Ii rye
pastures cannot be sown for them, they
will live very we'll npou the cotton fields
during the winter, with the addition of q
little fodder now and then, and cotton seed
Sailing should never he neglected, il.
should be ,'cne once or twice week. We
would suggest, us = cheap and simnle plan
TO fla.tenn log, bore large anger holes an,
inchpr inch and q half deep. six inches 4
pass rub lnr around the holes aud then put
in your sa!.:. they will get the tar around
the nose and ea,,2cme oft from necessity,
which act as remedy IL: 'he snufilcs. und
often prevent the fly from deposi.ing his
egg-dnring the summer season.
VIC have nitcn experienced benefit from
adding little hickory ashes AMI sulphur
10 The salt. Sheep should always be al
ic~ed access to pine bushes, The pine leaf
Is certainly aprcventive Of many diseases
amongstthem.
ana now word Or two. in regard to The
varieties best adapted to our soil and eli.
mate.
The stock ofshcep gcncra;!y TO be found
throughout The country, is miserahly poor
averaging no. more than two poun,is oil
wool, and the carcass not exceeding fifty ,
pounds, net
The best variety We should think, for The
bae~ country, wonld be The South Downs.
'fIey are a,.--hv race. not too large in.
carcass, TO snbsist "c' upon our short pas. |
ture, and yield good ilee.r
Frequent crossing. we bcle'o to be
highly important. and great care sh. ~
DC taken always to exclude from the fold, |
as breeders, all sheep, that have hair inter.
mixed with their wool.
Old ewes should always be excluded,
they bring disease into the ilock certainly.
By strict attention 10 such rules as ones |
good cannon sense will suggest, a flock
ofsheep may be every year greatly i'm.
proved, both the interest and gratilica.
lion Of tl,e,breeder.
/ MI of which IS most respectfully sub.
n'tted, &. 5. Sims, Chairman.