Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-21
agritnEtnraI aaa Roulestir
snEEr nusBANDRY IN WESTERN
VIRGINIA.. 49,


over the Signature of 1tErpsrimeRker, !" and
being an experimenter myself, having ex<a
Perimented all my life in sheep, from the.
old fashioned. long legged, coarse wooled
wild sheep through all the grades OF inn
provemsnt. Merino,, Saxony, French Me-
RHO of late years. TO the Cotswold. which
have introduced in. this country in the
last few years. and feeling interested in
this branch of husbandry. propose Civ.
ing brief history of sheep and sheep
farming for the last q years.
First then. owing TO. The rolling or hill.
~ nature OF our country which allows all
superfiuoUs water to run offiimmediately.
making at all times dry walks, SO neces-'
cary for sheep aud being blessed with
soil OF unexsmPled fertility and adapta.
lion to grass. art;cularly to those yarie-
ties Of which sheep are SO fond. white clio.
yer and Kentucky blue grass. which are
indigenous here. and grow in every field
without sowing. we have always raised a
considerable number Of sheep for market
without any care or attention whatever,
except 20 salt them when they come UP;
| am now speaking of the old variety
Of sheep which run in the woods they
were generally large in carcass, and fat
come during the winter. The sheep a
ways came up at the commencement of
winter, and were allowed field of grass
30 run in. which was all the care ever
bestowed On them-Our winters generally
being mild and open. We had little in
ducsment then to improve our sheep or
take much care with them. as the price Of
wool rarely exceeded go cen per pound,
and the sheep were sold after sbearing at
from so 20 IS cents per head. The Gus
tom OF selling was to pen the sheep, agree
on the price per head, and the purchaser
would go in and pick the flock, taking all
the strongest and best. leaving the bal.
anoe for stock. As like produces like, in
few Yeas the sheep OF farm would
degenerate TO almost nothing. and far
!neis were impressed with the opinion
that sheep would not do we'll in this
conntry- neither would they do we'll long
on o.e tarm-they would, therefore, sell
cut entirely every few years, and in put-
chasing again, would pick another fl ock.
AID ios fOw years again could 60 Oh
With the same process. Another idea
vas quite prevalent. and is not yet quite
exploded, that sheep were an excellent
thing to kill out briars.
About the year 1858, q gentleman
from L1udon county. brought out flock
OF Merino sheep they appeared to do
quite we'll for two years. un.il he became
oversize cEed, being q man like 80 .Erperi-
F1eHser." OF no practical experience-he
did not know what amount of pasture
VAS NECESSARY for their support. and that
ignorance was fatal to his flock they
hQnnn m aINkon - L
became so discouraged and disguised.
that be sold the remnant of his fook, and
returned to bis legitimate business OF
merchandising. which had united hin,
for sheep husbandIy. Several other gen
tIemen tried Merino sheep. but soon be-
came overstocked and not being sufficient
~ cared for. they soon became diseased,
and dying in numbers, 30 discouraged
the owners that all our farmers became
entirely impressed with the opinion thai
this country is entirely unfit for sheep
husbapdry.
had tended 'ur common sheep from
my boy hood. and had Witnessed the va.
rious ri Is and failures of my neighbours
but being sali-ied Of the true cause anG
knowing that small hocks invariably paid
well, and determined TO try on a large
scale, and commenced operations in the
fall with 200 head, 50 Of which were
large WeIhers. so young ones. and 100
ewes. The large wcthers corn fed, anC
am fully satI, lied that never fed corr
20 any stock that paid so well. My sheer
"intcred finely /; lost none, and but fen
lambs. raised 100, and on calculating
:ny profits 1 found had made 100 poi
rent. Being vel! pleased with the oper
alton, and having done SO well, conclud
ed TO make it all next season, and
bought 700 head. expecting to rent pas.
ture ; but every one turned from me
almost with horror at the idea Of pasLur'
ing sheep. and | was once reduced to the
same condition Of my neighbors, who haC
tormerly tried. My sheep soon became
diseased the price of sheep went down
and could not sell, and TO add to m5
caiamities, yeaning time came-the eve.
were led on dry TODD. there being deer
snow on the ground.--they dropped thei
lambs and lett them. aud no possible care
or attention could induce them 10 care
for them the old sheep towards spring
began to die, and continued SO until the
grass began to grow. lost in ell lOC
uld sheep and 3OO lambs this season-bu
know the cause, and know it was no,
The effect of china e. The next winter 6
gentleman from Washington Co., Va.
brought 500 in our neighborhood tc
winter, and being we'll provided for. and
under an experienced shepherd, they win.
tered we'll and were oil apparently
healthy.
For the last few years l have beer
keeping the common coarse wooded
sheep. which have been crossing with
Abe Cotsw0ld, the progeny of which are
n IemaIkAhlY hAalLka nnA u.al Eor.,, o.