The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-03
blooded Spanish Merino. He th


and most successful farmers keep their sheep
housed all winter, and the loss is not one now
where it used to be twenty five; they consumed
much less food also when kept comfortable.
He advised no ore to get more sheep than
he could take care of, say twenty-five ewes,
which would double every year, and
would soon give him a good flock. Un-
less in very hot season, sheep can be
driven from Wisconsin or any Eastern
State, and be kept thriving on the way, and
boy with horse and dog can take care of a
thousand sheep. The most common plan of
preparing wool for the market, was to put
the sheep in the water before shearing. He
had machine for putting up the feeces,
man would do up the wool for one cent
fleece.
Mr.. Nutting said some of the best farm
ers had given up sailing cattle as unneces.
sary. He had tried both plans, and could
see no difference in cattle that were sailed
and those which were not.
Mr.. Purdie, of Freeborn, had never
before heard that cattle would do we'll
without salt. No matter how high, rocky
or broken the land is, for sheep. The people
of his county had been successful in sheep
raising. The Norwegians had great sue
cess, but they took excellent care of their
sheep; gave them good shelter, fed them
with ruta bagas, &c. and they came out as
we'll in the spring as they were in the fall.
There was no danger of sheep getting dis
eased from getting into our marshes and
sloughs, for they will always keep on the
higher lands.
Mr.. Skillman, of Wabashaw, had some
experience in sheep raising in Chenango
county, New York, but he thought Mime
sofa was preferable for sheep on account of
the dryness Of the climate, particularly in
winter.
Mr.. Cleveland of Faribault county, wished
to enquire if we could successfully compete
with States nearer the market. He had
heard that the wool of Minnesota was finer
than that of warmer and damper climates
that it was five cents per pound better than
that of Ohio, and that would cover the cost
Of transportation. He spoke of the home
market which would eventually be opened
by the establishment of manufactures. He
hoped there would be seen the same progress
here in sheep raising as in California where
in 1852 they had none, and now they num-
Der 100000.
Mr.. Abraham of Hennepin said there was
no danger of overstocking the wool market
all the wool that could be raised here would
not do it. Wool could be raised cheaper
here because the land was cheaper, but we
must not wait for manufactures to be estab.
lished. Wool could be shipped to New
York and Boston at the trifiDg expense of
two cents pound. The wool crop of Wis.
consin last year was 100000 pounds at
forty two cents per pound. A good sheep
will yield 81 40 worth of wool yearly. Wool
when washed on the backs of the sheep,
brought more than when washed afterwards
dealers made four or five qualities of
wool from one sheep. He knew farmers in
Pennsylvania who had three or four hundred
sheep, and they lost more lambs who were
from one to five days old than at any other
time-said they were teething then, and in
some instances had lanced their gums as is
the custom with children. He said in
England and Scotland sheep were fed on
the root crops, of which we could always
have an abundeuce. He recommended also
that rye be sowed in corn field in July for
fall feed. The expense Of keeping sheep
was comparatively small--fifteen sheep will
live on what it takes to keep one cow.
Judge Dayton said sheep would eat about
two and half pounds of hay per day, while
cow would eat twenty-five pounds. Sheep
must have variety of food. Their manure
should also be husbanded. In Vermount it
was thought that twenty sheep could be
kept at the same expense as one COW. He
thought four and half pounds of wool to
head was good average, and that where
six and eight were produced the wool would
not be worth over twenty-five cents per
pound.
Mr.. Langworthy, of Mower, said the
Norwegians in his section, who were very
successful in raising sheep, always sheared
twice in the year, in May and November,
and contended they got great deal more
wool. They always kept their sheep well
housed and ed.
Mr.. Shultis thought our native breed
would be the hardest and most profitable
here. The best way was to get the native
first, and then afterwards cross with the
imported breeds. He thought it better to
have the lambs come in May, for the better
IuCh III IoiciuS. IOuI VI uSC pOuuuS VI
wool per sheep was first rate yield.
Mr.. Hunt said that salt would cure
disease to which sheep were subject, called
the " stretches" The sheep should be we'll
sailed and watered in the winter.
Mr.. Sawyer, of Olmsted, said the increase
of sheep was about 50 per cent-the ave.
rage price per fleece was $3.50. The ave-
rage for the whole State of New York was
three and half pounds per head-she had
three million sheep and ten million pounds
of wool. There was no danger of overpro.
ducing wool. Australia is beating the
United States exported to England
last year ffty.six million pounds, which is
above the crop of the United States. Rus
STA, also, raised more than we did. We are
not doing justice to ourselves. Sheep grow.
ing would be very profitable here. He
stated a fact that wool increased in weight
on its way to Boston almost enough to pay
the freight
MIR. Watson confirmed the above state
ment, and said that it was a fact we'll known
and understood in New Hampshire.
Remarks were made by several other
gentlemen, for which we have not room.
L. ~