The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-06-23
Address Of R. P. Harmon, E,q., of
Kirkland, at the Wool Hollow Shear.
ing Festival, June Sd, 1865.

"'' '''oU'"Hto"'- '-NOW tnd, inc clOuus q
war aud tho smoke Of terrible sanguinar
battle strife arc boing waited by the mil,
breczcs OF peace from tho confines Of ou
ever prosperous country, We resume agaiI
! The arts IF coreicd peace.
The gonius, patient endurance and labor
tnat have contributed so largely to sustain
tho Govornmont. aud su5duo tho mos
formidable rebellion known in tho histor,
OF man, are now to be diverted into all th'
varied channels of enterprise, for building
up the waste places" and developing tho cx
haust'oSs resources of this country, by find
ing now paths to prosperity and wealth
through honest labor and earnest perscyer
ahco. Among Tho numerous pursuits which
nave claimed tho attention of man. wo lean
IRON the lessons of ages that Sheep Hus
! oandry is one of the most important. w,
! 'eoru that Abel was keeper of sheep; and
as we gropo our way in tho dim light of The
past. in the funeroal silence of fallen et1-
plres and ruins of cities, we are checrcd
with tho echo of the shepherds songs, iron
tho land of India to the Hills of Rome
And tho numbercss flocks at this day, " hct
range the bills, plains and valleys iu the
Old and Now Worlds, provo the sheep 20 be
an animal OF vast importance to mankind
But tho questions of vital Importance to the
farmers Of this region are. Can sheep rails
ing DO mado more profitable than Other
branches of agriculture? And how can il
be made moro profitable?
Dear experience has taught us chat con.
tinual plowing exhausts the soil, but, on
the other hond, that pasturng improves
onlivens and enricbcs it. The farmers who
herd their cattle upon the broad prairies
and produce grain with comparatively little
labor from tho virgin soil of tho boundless
west, or those who raise their heavy Dur
hams upon tho rich blue grass pastures of
Kentucky, or who produce a sapei fluous
abundance of corn upon tho rich alluvions
OF Southern Ohio, far exceed US in grow
ing cattle. hogs, horses and grain. But the
farmer of Northern Ohio, who follows their
system Of agriculture, may toll through life,
aud, if by careful management, he holds
his own, he will only leave to bis children
small, worn-out farm, with old, shammy
bui'dlngs, rotten fonces and cruggy, moss-
covered trees /; moro abiding place for
the next generation, TO stay,.starvo and exc
out miserable cxistance For grain and
heavy stock-raising are exhausting to the
soil, from tho fact that due return of com.
post is not made without much additional
expense. and moro blowing is required,
whereas, sheep enrich the land from wear
to year, require the least manual labor for
their substance, and mako tho quickest
and largest roturns of real profit of any an
imals kept in Northern Ohio. Neat cattle
require throo or four years Of labor and
care to bring them TO maturity,in the hands
OF tho best farmers among us; aud, when
runted and stuntcd by neglect and sloven.
lv m a.
OIL, las the saying ISL pumbor of times be-
fore ,boy find a market oven at the lowest
prices for beef or dairy purposes.
Horses require perhaps loss manual labor
bnt are more liable to disease and casualties.
and need more attention in raising and fit
ting them for service. But sheep with lit
sons, have frequently boon q source of profit
10 tho shiftIess farmer. Yot this by 10
means proves that such system is to be
preferred. 1t only establishes the fact that
sheep raising may DO profitable oven uDdor
adverse circumstances Tho man who
merely keeps his flock good from year to
year, berding the old and yonng, strong and
weak, promscuously together, losing as
many BY neglect as ho gains 5y the natural
increase, without any sales os sheep. or in
largo por cent. Of the clear and legitimate
profits Of borough system of wool grow
ing. . - ...-
During moro than twenty years observa,
ton, l bavo never heard of farmer in
Northern Ohio complaining that he had
lost money by the keeping OF sheep. though
at extravagant prices. In some cases, ow
ing to irregular feeding or want Of food,
muddy, uncomfortable quarters, and expo
sure in inclement weather, have seen
thom plod in heaps around miery yards. or
upon The bleak and dcsoate fields
attended By funeral train of cawipg crows
At this the slouching farmer hangs his gull
ty head, and says that he has had bad luck;
as though the keeping of fsheop were game
of chance, when all the sad consequences
tO'his flock were the result of his own mis-.
or natural causes, which it
was his duty and interest as good shep-
herd to search out and apply the timely
remedies.
Some farmers abandon sboep- raising on
account OF diseases among their focks, as
signing as reason that tho pastures where
they have roamed for years have become
poisonous. Sheep have been reared upon
tho same localities, on mountains. hills table
lands, and in valleys, of Europe, for centu-
rios. Diseases are incident to all kinds of
domestic animals, as to man. For the same
reason, the people of this country would
abandon their homes because death ensuos
from old age, and diseases contracted by
bad habits. Level pastures become rich by
the continued pasturiDg of sheep. The
grass grows rank,is sour, and less palatable,
and they require pIowng and ro-seeding,
when they will produce wholesome pastur-
age in far greater abundance. Hliy aud
undulating fields are less liable to this OBJ.
lection, because they are thoroughly washed
and dried by rain and sun.
In the catalogue of diseases among the
sheep in this country, the hoof rot is the
most formidabie; vet l think il has beeu