Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-20

! But very lew years Rave CID P3ee S",S
mos! sanguine anlicipa,ions were indnigea 10, o}
large hunters Of our Northern ana EASTER
ilockmas,cls in relation 10 The superior capaoili
ties and advantages OF the prairies over Las'err
/ lands for shoep-walks and large nccRs were
driven hundreds OF miles lands purchased, anl
establishments created. to realize these supposed
advantages It's not TOO much 10 say, that ihest
an,icipaions-s far al least, as Keeping Sneep OF
the natural heritage OF the prairies IS concerned
were briefly and summariy blasted. MANY o
The lucks driven there, actually perisheo ID INT
midst of seeming plenty. On the whole, inc ex
pertinent is generally conceded 10 nave resuited II
failure. Let us see whether Ibis was occas'onec
by MISUNDERSTANDING and removable
c5usss-or whether We mus, look for those causes
in natura and Interchangeable circumstances.
a portion of The wild prairie grasses are relish
ed by sheep, and they thrive on them; but these
grasses, as we'll as all The other varieties growing
there flourish during but 40 unusually lImliee
norton of The season. They begin 10 dry up anc
| lose their nulrilire qualities in midsummer, ant
long before the foddeliEg season has commenced
on The b!cakesi highlands OF New England, they
are as unfit for the subsistence Ut sheep, as dry
brush! Where line natural grasses are alone de-
pended upon, the ioddering season on The prai-
ries, norh OF latitude 40 degrees, will range lrcm
six to seven monlhs-rarely, perhaps, iall sbou OF
H.,
tured, provided the sheep are maintained in good
condition. >,
And there is another material difficulty WIN
the prairie grasses which sheep feed on. Ihey
soon-many OF them even in single seasos-
become extrpa,cd il kept fed down while grow
ing. This is so singular fact in vesetaoe Phy-
soosy, thai choose 10 state in The words OF an
intelligent resident Of the prairie re3Ion-whose
local pride and paTialilies would naturally prompt
him 10 give as favorable q cUioring to the asfl-
cultural advantages Of his chosen home, as re-
oa,d for ruth would admi, Of. From commu-
nication of ]. Ambrose Wight, Esq editor Of the
Piaire Farmer, 10 l.. A. Morrei+-repleie with
useful information, and characterized by an ed
mi,ablc candor-l make The following extracts;
ssShcep or olher stock, but more particularly The
former, put upon given piece oil wiz piai'le,
ard confined 10 it, unless The range be very large,
would moi continue 10 keep fat one season alter
anolhel though they would al firsi; but II allow
ed new range each season, they would always
keep fat. The reason is this Sheep IN such cases
will 60 over their range and select such iood as
they preei ard will Keep al il until il is gone
Hepce the wild bean and pea vine, and few
other kinds OF plants, will obtain their constant
attentions, and will be kept so short that they
will on a given piece oil land, die out The fist
year Therefore, il turned out on The same
grounds another season, the best lcod will be gore
and The poorer, with which they must then lake
~, and which itself gets continually poorer, 1i
no. sustain them in their first condition. A small
nock Of sheep will thus Iua over large extent
OF ground.
'silence the after h9iowncss Of a sur2os!t'on
which appears 10 be- common al The Easi, mat
laige Rmks of sheep can be sustained Oh Inc TsM
g,assOffAe p aires alone. There are many places
i is true, where a farmer might keep large
n Anr he ntnlrn r.
months with profit, provided he had not TOO many
nciehbois in The same business. But sucn f1ocks
would continually lessen their own range, al the
same lime that Il is cssening b. immigration,
settlement AID extended culture. have been in
The country bout nine years; having gone al The
first, into an entirely unsettled region, ami have
paid much attention 10 The mater and IL IS my
5eiiet that the wild prairies are desirable Tor
wuul-g iowins 10 very limited degree; bu! that
the cultivated prairies are desira Bile Tor this pur-
pose 10 an almost limiIess extent"
The following fully sustains my preceding
statements in relation 10 The Time OF ioddellng
In answer 10 Mr.. Morrel's question: "what length
of time is foddering necessary in Northern lIli-
uos7" Mr.. Wight says:
"The seasons have been extremely variable
since my residence hefc-now nearly nine years.
The winter oil 1912 and 43 was the severest one
since The settlement Of tho States and The iodder-
ing season lasted from the middle OF October TO
The middle oil April. The winter of lS43 and Al,
and lhe present us4f5) would require tnddcripg
for less lilie, by lull Two months. 1a,s IS on
Tie suppos,tior ioicsuey, tia. gocd arhtetat paste
rage IS pyor1dcd II The wild praires are relied on
alone for pasiurage and hay, fall Two months
must be added TO the foddering season; and STOCK
would barely get through al that and think that
heep, in mul,itudes OF instances would perish.
In hia latitude with Timothy, Red.lop and Glover
pastures the average lime would be from 4a 10
!, months Ii good bluegrass pasture were
provided, in such winters as The last and present,
i, nigh, be reduced 10 TWO months. and am told
that some so provided iur, one hundred ntaes souta
Of here, have, the present winter scarcely iodoer-
ed al all. lapprchend, however tha! our winters
here will always be variable, and that II VIII be
far more difficult 10 predic, their length and IN
lensily than in New England"
In another place MIR. Wight says:
"lf, however, The question is asked, Does not
tie pasture CT the praries fail ea!ly in autumn,
SO as 10 compel he removal Of shceplo other pas
ture before il is time 10 go into winter QuaTlersF
answer, yes-lons before. In many sections the
praiiies ford no adequate pasture for dairy pur-
poses after the first Of September. Inc wild
grasses are extremely vigorous while they last,
bat are all without an exception, short lived"
The great elimination OF the foddering season,
where The domestic or cultivated grasses are al
ready made use OF, which Mr.. w. anticipates
r1au result from The introduction OF blue grass,
will be found utterly unat'ainable. Bluegrass
(kpown as June or spear gIass) IS one OF ,he
commonest varieties in New York and New
England. Peoria, in Illinois, Is in about the
same latitude with the city Of New York, and
consequently that portion OF Illinois north OF Pc
oria, corresponds with a considerable portion Of
New York, and all Of Conneclicu, and Rhode
Island. And the climate OF the iormer IS not less
rigorous, and far more variable, Than in The lat
Ter named States, as shall presently show. Now
in no portion OF New York or New England will
the bluegrass reduce The ioddeTing season 10 Two
months, or ny Thing like il. |, is true that small
facks will pici; mp subsistence on Ibis and 9TH
er crosses in the winter, when the ground is not
covered with snow, aud il The pastures are mol
fed down ir he fall. To suppose, however, that
this or any ,lher heritage will continue 10 S7oao
when The earth is Irozsn almost 10 The consislen-
cy ol solid rock, far bslow its lowest roots, is
an obvious error. In New York, the ground re-
mains so frozen usually during the entire winter,
and in Northern Illinois The cold is equally IN
tense an! there is less snow 10 protect The earth
from lis effects The ground, therefore, is frozen
quite as soxY and considerably deeper than IN
Inc former. Grass LETT standing for winner con-
sumptcn, in either Stale, becomes by freezing
and hawns tough and innn!rilious. In sew
York, The larger apck masters have Ions since
ceased 10 lnase aIy provision Of This kind, Tor
winter feeding prei:rrirgoo keep their sheep IN
yards, and entirely i!um sass.
As Ar Wish, hiu>sif vtry accurately re-
marks IN anohcr ra;, Of his communication.
III is fcund 10 h. decidedly bette! 10 keep sheep
mp 10 small docks, with very lille ground
10 run oveI While kept on hay, Than 70 lei them
run out part %! The time and get such grass
as they can pick, while there is not enough
10 sustain trern." But The reason for this given
by Mr.. w. that "ihey eat much dirt, are liable
10 be poisoned and ,se their appetite Tor hay"
is very lar from being Tic coirecl one. Green
grass always, in great measure deprives sheep
OF their arpeine Tor dry hay 1hvsIass thus elt
standing loses its nuuiiive qualities, SO lhal II
will 5ul iinrcrtecy sustain animals and when
the snow tails and covers il. sheep not only can
no, obtain it, but hey are LETT withoa, appetite
for other food. Open winters, 6, winters with
out snow, are ALWAYS particularly fatal IL sheep