Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-06-07
Sheep Husbandry.


One of the most delightful and profitable
branches Of husbandry is the care of sheep.
Owing to the mixed husbandry which the
circumstances of the country force upon most
of our farmers, it is rarely speciality
With the exception of Texas, and some other
parts Of the Southwest, where pasture lands
are very cheap, it occupies subordinate
place. In many of the older States, the
flocks Of sheep have been on the decline for
the last thirty years, and many farmers do
not keep them at all. In the age of home
spun, sheep were necessity, and had place
upon almost every farm. Farmers and their
families for the larger part Of the year, were
clad in cloth made from their wool, manu-
featured at home. 1t was very important
part of domestic industry, and the females of
the household spent several months each sea-
son in carding, spinning, and weaving the
wool Of the focks. With the introduction of
wooden manufactures, and the cheapening Of
wooden fabrics, all this has passed away, and
the spinning wheels and looms, whose music
enlivened all the Winter months, have been
banished as useless lumber to the garrett
We have been in sort of transition state
for the last thirty years, from the age of
homrspun to the age of manufactures. The
want of adequate protection on wooden fab
RIGS has rather discouraged our own manu-
facturers, and led to large importations.-
Farmers having no longer use for their
wool at homo aawlarsa,uasa for it at
bandry.
Latterly, however, new interest has been
awakened in sheep, and there are clear indi-
cations of revival of wool-growing in the
older States. Our manufacturers are begin
ming to compete with the imported articles,
and there is larger demand for our feeces.
As the cities and villages increase in popula-
tion, there is an increased demand also for
mutton, and many make this a leading object
in their selection of stock. The South Downs
and their crosses are kept exclusively in some
sections, and the butcher comes for fat lambs
and wethers to the farmers door, almost ev-
cry month in the year. On farms well
adapted to sheep grazing, and in the vicinity
of good markets. they are found highly prof
liable. The increased interest taken in sheep
calls for new discussion of this department
of husbandry.
SHEEP WASHING.
Beginning with the business which is APP.
propriate to the season, we offer few hints
upon this topic. The object of the washing
is to remove the filth which accumulates in
the fleece during the Winter and Spring, and
the gummy material or yolk which exudes
from the skin, and is retained in the WOOL
The ceansed fleece, properly folded, presents
more inviting appearance to the purchaser,
and commands better price for being in q
good condition
In this latitude and farther North, the wa
ter is not usually warm enough for washing
until the month of june A certain degree
of warmth is not only demanded for TIE
comfort of the washer, who stands in the wa.
ter, but for the proper cleansing Of the wool.
The yolk dissolves much more readily in
warm water. The best time for washing is
just after copious rain, to which the sheep
have been exposed. The more common
method is to select q clear, swift-running
stream, three or TOUR feet in depth, so that
the sheep can not touch bottom and hinder
the washer. If there is fall enough in the
stream, it will expedite the washing to have
two dams, the lower one furnishing stand
ing place for the washers, and the upper one
furnishing "a stream of water, and running
from trough with fall of two or three
feet. If the sheep be held directly under
this jet of water, it will cleanse the wool
very rapidly.
Prepare pen at the edge of the stream
so that escape shall be impossible, and SO
large that it will accommodate all the hockf
without giving them much room to run
around when they arc wanted for washing
1t is matter of a good deal Of Importance
that they should not bo heated when they 60
into the water. Let them be driven slowly to
the stream, and kept as quiet as possible ii
the pen.' Many Of the colds which sheep