St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-10-25

MORE SHEEP FOR IOWA.

and interesting article in the Common.
wealth, extracts from which may be
more profitable to farmers than any,
thing from IL pen at this time. How
to get out of debt is the problem that
many of our farmers are trying to
solve just now. BY the way, it is a
question that we wish would more
frequently trouble the brains of some
of those easy chaps who ihIlablt cities.
MFR. Wilson recommends to such to
introduce a few more sheep on their
farms, and gives the following Illus
tration \ gentleman, a resident Of
the principal sheep region i'll PennsyI
vania, was a few years ago largely
interested in wild lands in Illinois,
much of which was sold on credit and
long time at good prices to parties
who would settle upon and cultivate
the lands purchased provided they
would take one sheep for every acre
of land purchased, which were also
sold on credit, and devote the pro-
cecds thereof to the payment Of the
debt incurred. In every instance
where sales were made on these Condl-
tons, the parties met their contracts,
and some of these finding sheep paid
better than any thing else, by exert
ing all their means and energies tc
their growth, became wealthy men.
What are the best breeds of sheer
for our State? is a question that is
frequently asked. Of the long-wools,
Mr.. w. says, the New Leiccsters and
the Cotswold, of Great Britain, are
preferable. The former are not so
hardy as other large breeds and re-
quire more shelter, therefore the lat.
ter would be Preferable, being hardy
and active and can be fattcncd to al
average weight of one hundred pounds
in fifteen months. The meat when
young is succulcnt and we'll favored
The wool is long, mellow to the touch
and averages eve to eight pounds
each. This would appear to be a
profitable breed for our farmers, who
desire quantity of wool and quality
of mutton at al early age.
The middle-wools embrace the South
down, Norfolk, Dorset, Ryland, Che
volt and others. The Southdown is
the only one of these that are brct
to any extent in this country. They
hold a prominent place in the front o
good mutton sheep, and by skillfu
breeding have been brought well nigl
to perfection as regards shape. The,
keep up their condition on modcrat,
pastures and readily adapt thcmselve.
to different districts and systems o
farming. From the demand for Hi
nois it is supposed they are wei
adapted to the prairics Of Iowa. Then
meat is of fine quality and flavor al
any age, and the ewes are very pro.
life. The fleece, which closely GOV
ers the body, produces the most val
liable woods.
The short-wools are represented by
but two or three pure breeds i'll the
West. The French and Spanish Me
rino arc the principal ones. Both DO
we'll in this State, and generally take
first premiums at our State and CUun.
~ Fairs, when exhibited. The French
is a larger animal than the Spanish,
and by many preferred. They have
strong, vigorous constitutions, are
good feeders, come TO maturity at all
early age and shear heavy ~tlccccs Of
fine quality. When wool and mutton
arc taken into account they prove to
be a profitable breed for the farmer.
The Spanish Merino are kept more
expressly for wool growing. They
are well adapted to Il northern lat!-
tudc and can be easily kept.
From the above, our farmers who
may read it, a form a pretty good
as to the breed Of sheep best
adapted to their location and circum-
stances. Those who have the com,
breed would do we'll to procure
a pure Spanish or Southdown buck to
cross with +; and those who wish to
unite superior wool and mutton would
do we'll to get a flock Of pure Span
ish ewes and a pure Southdown buck.
\ correspondent in the Michigan Far
says Z" | am well satisfied where
mutton is SO much of an object as it
is here, either the full blood South
downs, or a cross between them and
the Spanish Merino, are the most
profitable sheep we can raise" If
mutton Of good quality could be pro-
cured at all times as readily as beef
Or pork, more than one half of the
consumption of meat in this State,
during the spring and summer months
would be the production of sheep, es-
pecially when it can he procured at
half the cost of beef.