Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-11-03
Sheep.

Extract from "a Preliminary Re
port Of the Texas Geological Sur
ycy," by S. b, Buckley,
The number of sheep in 1850 n,
being in Texas was 7s3,GlS. Obi,
had the most sheep in lsGO-3,OG3,
SS7, which is however less than the
amount she had in 1850, The to-
tai number Of sheep in the United
States rs reported in 1860, was %,
i3l ,i2S, Some cattle keepers arc
mfriendly to sheep, thinking they
eat the grass so close rs to kill it,
This may be so when the land is
overstocked with them, not other,
wise, according to the testimony OF
wool growers, which also agrees
with our observations in those sec
tions where sheep are kept. Mr.,
Kendall, who is one of the largest
and most successful wool growers in
the state, has one hundred or more
acres in fence from which he cuts
some hay, after which the grass on
the mown land attains good growth
for winter pasturage. Within this
enclosure shelters are also provided,
This is the sheep hospital where
the lame, poor, weakly sheep are
placed as soon rs they show signs
of want of vigor. The result is
that he rarely loses a sheep out of
many thousands. He told us in
the winter of 1860 that the preced,
ing year he had lost less than ten
out of more than five thousand
Sheep need little extra care, even
in Texas, during cold storms and
northers. A thick growth oftimbcr,
especially cedar, affords q good
shelter from the cold winds.
Beginners should take especial
pains to obtain hardy, healthy sheep,
and select locality on which there
is either u never-failing spring or
stream of water, in grassy plains
bordcred by woodland. They should
also look along the borders of streams
and in the valleys for the burweeds
(Xanthium) and other weeds, whose
burs, when in the tleeccs, iniure its
sale. AS the Texas wool grower is
not subjected to the expense Of
building costly shelters, or the pro-
viding of hay and feed for his focks
during six or more months Of the
year, he can well afford to eradicate
from his lands those weeds which
injuro his wool. Let all such be
cut down or pulled up when in
bloom, much Of which can be done
by the shepherd while he is with
the flock. 1t will not pay to send
dirt ard burs in wool to Now York.
Better pay less freight on less
quantity Of clean wool and obtain a
higher price. In the New York
market June 9th, 1866, Texas wool
Is quoted at nom 10 TO 70 cents
currency per pound, while the
Northern coarse woods are selling at
from 45 to so cents, and choice lots
from full blood merinoes at from 60
to 65 cents, and choice lots from
Ohio and Pennsylvania from 20 to
72 cents. Why is there this great
difference between the price of Tex
rs wool and Northern wool? 1t is
simply in the condition ofthe fleece,
and it is for the interest of all our
wool growers to apply the proper
remedies as soon as possible. We
are glad to see that many Of our
large wool growers are awake to the
Importance Of the subject and dis
cussing the matter in our public
journals. The country has long
been humbugged, especially at the
North more than in Texas, by heavy
shearing greasy mcrino sheep. TO
illustrate, which we quote from
notes of the Country Gentleman,
on the Rochester New York; sheep
show, which took place recently,
and where there was the largest
Of merino sheep ever held
in the country:
"Why, sir, there are single sheep
on the ground worth $4,000. This
can be easily shown, Here lisa buck
hat sheared 26 pounds 94ouncos of
wool, and he is by no means the
best sheep on the grounds, as he did
not get the prize. Now, sir, your
reporteg keeps flock Of mcrino
sheep that averaged last year only
) pounds Of wool, Suppose by pm'-
such a ram he could bring
up the average to Is pounds, how
much would such q ram be worth to
him? His present flock probably
costs him the increase, and three
pounds of wool to pay expenses,
leaving only two pounds Of wool as
profit. But if it was 10 pounds and
the expenses were the same as be-
fore, the profits would be II pounds
of wool, or just sir times as great as
at present. | can keep 500 sheep
on my farm, and the profits, as we
have estimated, would be 1000
pounds of wool in the one case and
&. .OO0 pounds in the other; or rcck-
oning wool at so cents a pound, the
profits with my present flock would
be $500, and with the improved
American mcrinoes' it would be
81, 600. But this is not all, | could
rear rams of my own that would be
worth thousands and tens of thou
sands of dollars, and | should soon
be rich man. Hadn't better
mortgage my farm and buy a ram ?
Full of this idea | go TO a moneyed
man who happens to be a woolen
manufacturer, and ask him to loan
me $1,000 on real estate security,
telling him | want it at once TO buy
a sheep, and that | must be in hur-
~ before they are all sold These
capitalists are a provoking class OF
men. Instead of letting me have
tba p,orer et oncp and Tins enabl-