Nebraska advertiser., 1860-08-02
AGRICULTURAL.
Facts abOuf Sheen.

Simon Brown, Editor Of the New En-
land Farmer, stated the following inter
esting facts at a meeting Of the Concord
, farmers Club:
s'He remarked that he was familiar viii
the care Of sheep in his youth. He bad
been obliged To sit up night after night
in cold weather, to .ake care Of lambs
because they were dropped too early.
The first broadcloth he ever wore, was
made from the wool Of sheep which be
had assisted to raise. Sheep raising was
formerly profitable, but il had been dis
continued among US chiefly on account Of
the losses occasioned by dogs! He had
been Informed that in the adjoining coun-
ty of Essex, there were only 500 sneep,
but there were $500 dogs! A. good
many persons are now. entering upon The
business. A new spirit has been awak-
ened upon the subject. Sheep have been
improved in size and productiveness, as
much as, and perhaps more, than cattle.
Fifty years ago, qaarter Of mutton in
England, that weighed Is or 90 pounds
was thought large. Now a quarter of
mutton Is frequently seen weighing so or
go pounds. One weighing so pounds
was recently exhibited in Boston market.
IF there is demand for mutton, sheep
raising must be made profitable. He had
10 doubt that there would be demand
for all the good mutton that might be
raised. He spoke of the effect of keep.
inc sheep in reclaiming pastures. He
knew Of tract of land in Plymouth CO.,
thai was formerly so covered with briars
and rose bushes. that it was almost iInpos-
sible 10 walk through it. He saw it last
fall, and it wasa beauutul green pasture.
with smooth surface, AMI not bush or
briar upon it. It had then been reclaim,
ed blythe use of sheep alone"
The following additional statements
we're made by James b. Elliott of Kesne,
New-H Hampshire. Our readers who arS
accustomed TO the rich lands Of the west
will bear in mind that when he speaks of
one acre being required TO keep one
sheep, that he ailodes to the thinner soil
and The rocky hill-sides of New Hamp- /
shire:
He is engaged in sheep husbandry, |
and has been for five years. His sheep
had become breachy. When this is the |
case, the best way is to change the en- |
tire flock. He had recently been looking |
among the sheep IN Vermont, and had |
purchased hundred, atthe average price |
Of five dollars. He expects they will !
Weld from FIVE 10 six pounds Of wo0l each |
He has been TO Albany, and seen the
long-wooled sheep. They do best, as he
is informed, in small Aocks. He wishes
to keep a pretty large flock has one pas
,ure that will carry 800. aud another that
will carry 500, and another that will |
carry from $50 to 900. Sheep.fequiFe |
about one acre each. If the land is very
rocky, they require more. Large sheep |
reuuire more. He has concluded TO keep
fne-wooled sheep. Many Of The farm
ers on the Connecticut are now feeding
all the corn they can raise TO their sheep. |
They buy ðers. and put them up
about the Ist Of December, and give |
them tob-fneal and oats, all they will eat.
Ia March they shear them, and send TO
market III cars, alive. They will weigh |
from l5O 10 I70 pounds, hve weight, aud
bring from five and a half TO seven cents
per pound. In Walpole, New Hamp-
Shire, they are feeding 1000 this WIN
ter. The farmer may fatten two sets IN
the fall aud wihIer The manure from
sheep is better than that from cows. From
81 sheep, he made ten loads Of the best
manure he ever saw. Leaves, or some
pfoper absorbent, should be placed on the |
bottom of the yard. and litter also used
as required. This manure is excellent TO
mix with muck, II costs about forty cents
IN New Hampshire, TO pasture sheep
from the 10Th of April to the 20lh Of No
vember, or till they are showed up,
aud about 81, 10 in the Winter. A sheep
requires about two pounds of hay daily. |
He feeds with hay twice day, and once
with roots. Sheep require plenty fresh
air, and running water. Some keep them
without water, butit is not so well. Sheep
will destroy almost every kind of bushes,
except pines and alders. Some sheep
are easily kept within ordinary fences;
others will learn TO jump over almost ev-
ery fence. He related an anecdote OF q |
man who had kepta flock Of sheep %
years, and never knew but one to get out
Of the pasture. Mr.. E. thought small
mutton quite as goud as large, but that, as
most farmers in this section would keep
only small focks, the long-wOoled sheep |
might be the most profitable here The
CoIswolds and Soulhdowns would yield
fIom FIVE TO six pounds Of wool. This
wool, is in demand for certain kinds of
manufacture. He said that man of his
acquaintance in Vermont realizes 81 900
per year from 200 sheep"