Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-11
Maine Board Of Agriculture.
IRE eds ssd Management OF sheep.
MT rAsSrs Jrvxrr,

The Board. In giving out subjects last
year allotted me one Of as great and perhaps
greater Importance than any other. ieel
that I cannot do justice to it.
Sheep husbapdry -iIl h profitable. or not.
In proportion to the 'till With which selee.
ton. are made. and the judieiOu. care be-
slowed. Ia. well known ,ba, large share
Of the land in Maine !. better adapted 20
sheep. and large proportion OF the fodder
obtsiped pay. better returns when fed to
sheep than to other stock. Even q, the low
price which wool ha. borne for some years
p.st IL could BE- grown a, profit. and more
profit would b realized IL better breeds Were
obtained.
I do no, prcpose to e. into statistics. as
these have often been alluded TO Se!cre the
Board. bu, rather to pre-en, fact. and OBJ
.crva,ions ~ have come under my no'ic,.
Flrt q. to the mc., profitable bred. Wool
and mutton shoald both he considered. -
neither alone will give satisfactory returns.
Ny experiences leads me TO prefer cross Of
the Improved South Down. Procure spnrs
becd buck Of this bred. and cross him With
large. w,ll.Iormed ewes. Grades Of the
Copwold aud Leicester are we'll adapted for
this pOrpose. These are Of large siIs. heavy
aeece. rather coarse. long ~ool. have good
Gov OF milk. rear their lamb. we'll, and en-
dare the cold better than mes, other kinds
a. large.
wish to give no oseoce, but ! mu't be
allowed To say that Proper food and care are
Away. necessary. II natsrS 10 expected To
do all. AM the man lie IN the shade IN sun
mer. AMI .it by the trr in winter. and let
BIZ animal. .uf,r from neglect. you may a'
well Srgin with scrub. after all With such
neglect.
I have pure bred South Down buck
from Thorn. sock. Nss York Mr.. Thorn
ohta,ns>i hi. stock Of Jonas Webb, England
lie snisrc- our climate better than any 9th.
or hsve ever had. The half bred lamb. on,
Of large eve. are superior. both tor wool
and mutton. They are ,hict through the
shoulders and thish', broad across the hack.
aud completely ~oOlsd on the belly and legs
no sar-e WOOL about them. They yield .
large feece. and the msi, !. ~ very .cpe-
rinr aavOr. .ses, and ja,sy. we'll mixed With
f.,. and the very bc-i kiGi Of mutton. Far
m-rs who will star, doek in this way will
- well paid. even Il the en.i .. large ai hr.,.
The return will te thrrc told in wool and
lamb. and quality Of meat. together With a
.avin: OF expense in keeping. 10 no, this
worth looking AFTER
MANAGEMENT. This is viewed very dit
ferenlly by dGer-nt persons. Some contend
iha, sheep should not Be housed At all. nor
~a,ercd. and the exposure TO cold and storms
make. them hearty and rugged. Such men
labor under a great mistake. Ny eIps-
risnce !. tha, they will DO better with .hel'
ter. They should have good warm shed
or barn where they can 90 both 10 vet and
in very cold weather. Sheep will not drink
much water 1T tine. but the, will drink
oftensr than any other stock II they eau have
easy Aeee.. ,o It. and they look better and
are better in all respects than ,bo.s which
&c, 10 water.
Good and suitable racks should be pro-
videI. I an perfcetly sa,i'hei'ths, sheep
will thrive faster on the same amount OF
food iron q rack IlAn II I, be thrown uuder
their feet. Thsy will DO we'll on almost any
kind Of fodder which j. well eurvd aud
properly led out. without grain. and the
neI, summer uIey thrive better than those
tha, have been highly grained through the
winter. They should not be confined IN
small pastures ~i,hou, frequent change. a'
their manure .oon enriches the land and
they will not grars we'll where the grass be
come, rank.
/ Il ha. been said tha, much depends on 10.
cation, but there 10 not . ioOt Of land in
Maine too good Tor sheep; yet they will
thrive On poor land. Sheep. lambs and
WOOL can be. and are .old in all locations
therefore hold tha, the kind which gives
the NOS, and be-, WOOL. and the best lambs
for the butcher. is the kind Of sheep Tor
Maine farmer.
Those who keep MerinOs will acknosledee
this II they will make the change. Wool
from the pure Improved South Down Is but
q shade eoarser than the M.rino. and Tor
Lamb. and mutton. the superior quality Is
- marked that all are convinced tha, have
u.ed both.
DO no, contend that prost can not,
and 10 no, derived from oil kinds Of sheep
but . larger one may be rea!ired by 'hi'
cross. recommend, and II any scep,ic viii
give 10 . mir trial, and ., rot satisfrd. come
To me and will try 10 give him satisiae'
ton.
-
LEATHER chip. are slow in their action,
but gradually dec impose and aGJrd q valu