The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1860-09-06
Fine wooded Sheep.
Editor american Stock Journal.


+ whet was intended to have been a por.
: ton Of the frst-but seems to have
l been omitted in mailing, VIA few
! items with regard to the general his
tory and character of fine wooded
i sheep. ta
All sheep having what is usually
! termed fine vol, are, so far as we
t know, of the breed called Merina.
When we obtained the first defnate
knowledge OF them as distinct breed,
they were located in Spain, hence the
appellation Spanish Merino. 1t is con.
! sidered rather improbable, however,
!, that Spain is their native country, as
the term Merino itself, or in the Span
ISL Mari,ao, is said to mean over the
sea, or from over the sea. Whether
1 they were originally found in Spain, or
whether they were brought from Italy
by the Romans while Spain was Ro-
man province, or from Africa by the
Moors as has been suggested by some,
may never be certainly known; but be
this as it may, Spain had monopoly
ofthem for many centnries-held them
as Crown property. and prohibiting
theta expectation under severe penal>
ties, made them source. of large rev.
enue to the government.-Thi monop-
oily could not however always contin-
lie, and 1854 the elector of Saxony OBJ
tanned from the Spanish government
100 ewes and and a like number of
rams These were mostly taken from
the EscuriaI flock, which was then con-
sidered the finest in Spain. Soon af-
ter this, some of the other German
States and France and Great Britain
secured animals of this valuable breed;
and through the efforts Of Consul Jar
uis and some others they were intredu-
ced into this country soon after the
commencement of the present centu-
airy.
While the focks in Spain have been
generally allowed to deteriorate in the
last thirty years many flock masters in
this country have improved npon the
original animals 50 that now we have
better sheep here chan can be found in
Spain. A like result has also been
reached in other countries. In 1911 a
a gentleman Of wealth in Prussian Sell
esia selected from the infantado Neg
retti flock in Spain 100 ewes and four
rams, and took them to his estates in
Selesia; where he appears to have nsed
them with most persistent care and |
consumate skill. The writer has had
the pleasure of seeing, within the last
six months, animals from this flock and |
some selected from the focks of one
Of the mobiles in Spain side by side, and
the difference in favor of the former in
fineness, evenness and density Of fleece
and quality of wool, in proportion to
carcass was very striking.
We now return to our flock Of young
ewes.-.-By the 10th Of June in the Mid
die States the pasture should be exam
ined and thoroughly cleared Of all burs,
thi ties, &C., land should there besa wet
piss, - the range, say if there is any
skunk cabbage in it, and destroy it, as
domesticated sheep will sometimes
take mouthful Of it and it is almost
certain death.
In usual health the flock will need no
further attention, further than that al
ready indicated, till frosts begin to come
in autumn. Every man that has sheep
should be provided with ample shelter
for all he keeps. The story in sheep
house should not be less than eight, |
and it is better ten feet high. The
doors ndlwindows should be so arrang-
ed, that it can be made quite open and
airy in warm weather, and yet when
closed be comfortably warm during
the coolest storms OF winter. The
house should stand on warm location,
but dry one. Water should be con-
sidered indispensable either in the house
or in an adjacant yard, well protected
from the storms. If running water can
not be had a.Wel or cistren with a |
pump will answer. In this case the
water should be pumped in troughs of
sufficient length Tor from thirty to fifty
to drink at once. If but few can drink |
at a time, some will nearly always re-
turn into the shelter without water.
As soon as the grass begins to be weak
ened by the trosts, our flock should be
brought into shelter at night and Its
tie new hay given them in the racks,
and remain in till the frost melts in the
morning. The grass does them but
little good, and they do it much injury
by running over it while frozen. In
this way they may be brought qnite
into the winter without losing flesh, |
and their systems do not have to en-
counter sudden change from green to
dry food and the rigor of winter both
together.
From the time they are first brought
into the house, so long as they are kept
IN it, it should be abundantly Uttered
with straw, both on account of the
health of the sheep, and for the manure
which pays manifold for the expense
and trouble. AS the pasture fails and
the inclemency of the weather lncreas-
es, we will confne them more closely
to winter quarters. If hay is to be the
principal food, it should be fed to them
morning, noon and night. except that
every other or at tarthest every third
day the racks should be filled with
straw at noon; and after the sheep have
picked over it till evening the residue
used as litter. The writer knows of no
better long food for sheep, than well
cured corn fodder. They will do
well if confind to it as a staple, but 1t
is especially excellent to use as a var
ietys with nay, and as the stalks do
not decay readily and SO would be in
the way in the manure, it may be fed
pleasant days on a clean sod field or on
the snow. ar
.
Murder ia Utica.
The body OF Lucinda Maginnis, a
young girl of fifteen, was found in the
Canal at Utica, on Saturday last, by
some boys who were engaged in fish