The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-03-12

piece is intrinsically worth for wheat
producing purposes three times the val1s
Of the other.
oftwo cows the same principle holds
true. The mi may yield three or Eve
times as much nett profits, after keeping
and labor is deducted, as the other, and
consequently is as well worth $50 as
the other is SI2l
OF two Aocks of sheep, the same prin-
ciple should govern in estimating their
real and relative value for wool growing
purposes. One flock may yield an aver
age of 3 lbs. per head, worth so cents
per ID. or 81 so per fleece. The other
may yield 5 lbs. per head, or $3.50 per
fleece. The comparative value of these
two focks is seen, when the cost of keep
ing the sheep q year, is deducted from
the money received for its fleece. Where
lands are worth from S35 to $40 per
acre, it will cost at least Sl,40 to
keep an ordinary sized sheep a year.
Deduct SI,4o from the value of the
fleece $3.50, and ten cents remains as
the nett gain from the light feeced sheep.
Deduct Sl,40 from $3.50, and 81, 10 re.
mains as the nett profits from the heavy
feeced sheep. Now the proportion is as
one to eleven. Hence we arrive at this
important truth, that one sheep yielding
a fleece worth $3.50, is worth eleven
sheep whose feeccs are worth zach only
one dollar aud a half. For he who has
the eleven and he who has the one, have
each the same sun left an pocket, aoheu
the COST Of keeping as deducted from The
gross sum received for their Geeces!
For wool growing purposes, then, it in
evitably follows, that 100 head of sheep
yielding S lbs. of wool per head, are in
trinsically worth as much as 100 sheep,
yielding only three pounds per head!
That it is quite as practicable to grow
5 lbs. of wool on a sheep as 8, no man
will deny who is at all acquainted with
the true and correct principles of breed
ing. By always observing one general
rule, you can most certainly obtain the
object in view-viz. Improvement That
rule is nothing more nor less than this
always reject the comparatively worth
less, and aim to select the most perfect
of their kind, both in male and female,
and pair them together, and the result
is you rule out defects and propagate
excellencies. To this course, let good
keeping be added, and you will outstrip
the sluggard and s%loven, who wa,lows in
the purlieus of inactivity and l~aziness;
and while he is bitterly cursing his
stars, and muttering imprecations as to
his bad luck, you are on the Highway
to distinction and wealth; and all be
cause you were governed by a few plain
but fixed laws, which the other over
looks and rejects. Without an obser-
vance Of these two plain points, it is in
vain to expect to improve any race Of
domestic animals. You might as we'll
expect to reap wheat by sowing salt-to
make butter by churnipg the wind-or
grow oranges, %citrons and flowers around
the North pole, amid boar frost, ice
bergs, and eternal winter.
Domestic animals arc as plastic in the
hands of a skillful breeder, as clay in
those of the potter.
THE icow-the eheep-is what it is,
But can be what man wills"
One fact only, will We introduce, to show
domestic animals can be greatly
improved in size and value. "One hun
bred and fifty years ago, the average
of cattle at the Smithfeld mar
kct was not oYer $40 lbs, and that of
sheep % lbs Now the average weight
Of the former is over 500 lbs, and of the
80 lbs.-showing cattle to have
more than doubled, and sheep to have
thribbled!
improvement, Improvement is our
IT'S a noble work. pleasing
we cheerily say, let the good
work spread and prevail until
The jewellers in the wales and on the rocks,
Shout to each other, and the mountain tops,
From distant mountains, catch the flying joy /; |
Till nation after nation, taught the strain,
Earth rolls the blest Improvements round"
S. B.
ASHLAND, Ohio, March, 1856.
o.. Iuu,.u pauu, IT, &C.,