The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-09-08
From the N. Y. Tribune.
Sheen la Texas.

From the N. 4. Tribune.
Sheep i'm Texas.
New CASTLE, Westminster Co, N. Y. 1859.
have lately visited that portion of the
State of Texas between 80 and 81 d, IS, and
the Colorado AMI Trinity Rivers, e. the ex-
press purpose of comparing its advantages
for wool and stock growing with Missouri
and other Western States, all of which 7
visited last June. l reached Washington
County, Texas, on the Goth of February.
Found the prairies green, and the farmers
planting corn. Stock of all kinds aopeare
in good con iition. Lands in this CO rnty are
higher than in any county north, aad are
highly improved around the town as Wash
ington, the farms resembling the god ones
of New York and Pennsylvania. At this
town we hired horses, and started in pursuit
Of the real live wool anl stock gr',vcrs that
we had heard lived i'm Burleso1 Milan Falls,
McLennan, and Robertson Colltics, and
were making seventy-five per cent annually
in capital invested, whether large or small.
The first practical wool grower we visited
was Mr.. Overton, who lives near Cameron,
Burleson County. Hevery kindly mounted
his horse Everybody rides on horseback in
Texas, } and led the way across the prairies
to see his sheep.
A ride of n ,ar three miles, over as beautl-
fully rolling prairies as any Iowa can boast
of, brought us in sight of his flock, which
contained near seven hundred. The follow
ing ques lions were put and answered while
sitting upon our horses
''Mr. Overton, are you troubled with foot
rot or scab 9'' A. "Neyer have been" Q.
"Or grub in the hc,i?" A. "No." @. EDO
wolves sometimes destroy your sheep?" A.
"Thev do, but strychnine is sure remedy.
Q. "What is the expense of hcarding!'' A..
"Judge for yourself There is my son, aged
sixteen, who has the entire charge of this
flock" ...... ........ ..r ....
"My son" was seated on pretty pony
with two shepherd dogs near by, all looking
as though they had anything but hard
task. Q. Chow do you dispose of this flock
at night ?" A. 'During the afternoon we
keep their heads turned toward home, and
at sun down tley will be at home ready to
yard" @. "[s there no need of any provis-
ion in the way of fodder ?'' A. "No-except
that we sometimes SOW few acres of rye
to brace up very old ewes, by which they
live year or two longer and bring lamb or
two more than they otherwise would" @.
Show do you get these sheep sheared in
this country, where labor is so scarce ?" A.
"No trouble. We have it done by contract,
ten cents per head, and the wool tied up 1t
costs me about double the amount could
get it done for, but this man, an Englishman,
does it to suit me-" Q. "Where do you find
market for your wool?' A. Fright where
we are; merchant in Cameron takes it here
and sacks it at his own expense, and pays
me fifteen cents per pound, unwashed, for
my next three crops" @. "What will yorr
feeces average each?" A. 'They will av-
erage 81 lbs EACH" ..
Mr.. Overton's wool was but two or three
grades finer than the coarse Mexican, except
a few, one fine merino buck, lately obtain
ed from G.. w. Kendalrs flock, whose ranch
is west of the Colorado, Comal County.
Ewes of good age and raised in the State,
are ready sale at S. per head. Those brought
from the States or from Mexico, die at the
rate of one out of every five, supposed to be
caused by driving or acclimation.
AT present there are leagues of unoccupied
lands in all the counties have named, and
may be pastured without interfering with
anybody else. ..
We spent two weeks in this State, and
talked with number of wool growers who
had been in tine business six years, many o.
them stating the annual increase from 1O(
ewes to be more than 80 per cent Ken.
dalrs statement that ewes would bear two
lambs year, | think will not prove tru,
with large focks. In Robinson Count,
some of the focks number 1000.
FARMER.