The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-01-27
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT

business, but as q general rule pork and
wool would pay the best He said the
prospect for the agricultural growth of the
State was glorious, and that we had soil
better than Wisconsin. In conclusion he
thought the cattle should be sheltered from
the cold and snow, and thought for that
purpose, and for cleanliness and ventilation,
that sheds were better than barns.
Mr.. Shrewsbury, of Hennepin, thought
Minnesota could not be profitable stock
raising country on account of the long
winters. He pitched into the enthusi-
astic friends of Minnesota in fine style, but
we rather thought it was only to stir them
up little, than to express his earnest con-
victions.
Mr.. Wilkins, of Sibley differed from Mr..
Shrewsbury about the profit of stock raising
here; be believed that it would be profit,
able occupation, that it had been so to him,
although carried on not on large scale.
He had purchased four cows and four heifer
calves, for which he paid $l56-that his
first aim always was to get his money back
and as the increase was good he had sold in
one year enough to amount to 1857, and
has now on hand enough to bring 1927 at
any day; and besides this, he had sold
enough butter the first two months to pay
for the best COW he had, and in one year
got the money back for his original purchase,
and ST. more. He did not believe in sheds,
but kept his stock in good stables-fed his
cattle from racks in the yard, and from
stalls in the stables, and let them eat as
much as they pleased, and was careful that
they had water regularly. Last September
he bought six sheep, one ram, and five ewes,
for SIS /; the increase was seven lambs, and
carrying out his plan of getting his original
investment back, he sold six for SIS sold
twenty pounds wool for $10-gaining
profit of nearly two hundred per cent He
fed them we'll, and made practice of giving
them salt once a week, and was so much
convinced of the profit of sheep raising, that
he intended to buy fifty as soon as be had
the opportunity. He thought that settlers
in wooded country could raise hogs to
great advantage, as there would be no
necessity of feeding them during large
part of the year.
Mr.. Shultis said that he brought into the
State fifty COWS and thirty calves-that he
cut a sufficient quantity of hay to keep
them, and he fed out on the snow, they
having no shelter during the cold winter of
1856, and that they all come out we'll in the
spring, and since then they have done we'll.
He thought the great difficulty here was
that people did not feed their cattle half
enough. He had never fed any grain, but
the cattle always looked well-the general
health of cattle here was remarkably good,
and he had never lost an animal-the coun-
try was healthy for every development of
animal life-he laid much stress on the
necessity of regularly sailing cattle, and
recommended that it be done every Sunday!
He thought sheep would be more profitable
than anything else, but had found all kinds
of stock raising extremely profitable In
Minnesota.
Mr.. Hunt, of Dodge county, spoke of the
dangers to which sheep would be exposed
for several years from wolves and dogs-he
said that wolves sometimes came distance
of fifty miles to get at the sheep, and that
they would have to be herded at night.
Sheep will do without water in the summer,
but in the winter they must have it-hay
for sheep should always be cut early. He
stated that in his opinion there would, in
few years, be very great demand for
horses and that those who raised them would
find it profitable business. He stated that
Wisconsin at one time imported hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth of horses,
that she might have raised herself-we must
be prepared to supply the vast country to
the North and West of US. He stated that
his breeding mares could be kept at as little
expense as three year old steers. He could
not agree that wheat raising would not be
profitable here-he thought it would, for
the reason that the land was more product
i've than in Wisconsin. He would prefer
the Mississippi river, than that distance
from Lake Michigan. He spoke of the ben
eft of manure on tame grass, and said that
timothy would hold out much longer where
it was applied. He considered cheese max
ing more profitable than butter.
Mr.. Shrewsbury spoke again of the ex-
ceeding healthfulness of this climate for all
kinds of stock. He said that cattle came
out in the spring in better condition than
they did in places six degrees south-tha
cattle never lost their horns or hoofs from
the cold--but, at the same time, he believed
in housing them we'll. Hogs were particu-
larry healthy-he had never slaughtered one
here that had biles on its liver, while in
Indiana scarcely one could be found without
them.
Further remarks were made by Messrs.
Whit omb, Williams, Austin of Hennepin,
and others, upon the subject of sheep rails
ing--all agreeing that the country and cli>
mate was peculiarly favorable to its success
full prosecution. This subject will be re-
sumed at the next meeting.