Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-23
4 | ,533

$l,5 33
In addition to his sheep, Mr.. Washington
kept j horses. a number Of cattle. and a
few hogs. He has 800 acres Of land, mostly
hill, aud in fertility can hardly be compared
to the rich soil OF Iowa. In addition
to the profits of his stock, he sold enough
grain vegetables, &c, &c, to pay his taxes
and keep up repairs How many farmers
are there IN Iowa who have cleared .ftteen
hundred and thirty three dollars, from 800
acres, during the last year from raising
| grain?
Now, let US calculate for I moment what
could probably be realized in Iowa in grow
ing wool. Suppose a iarlnor would buy one
thousand sheep, mostly ewes, after shear
ing next spring and that they would cost
him s. each when they were landed in
iowa. The income and expense OF keeping
the sheep for one year, would foot up about
as follows:
1000 lbs. Of wool at 30 cents per
Podhu ,ooo
500 lambs at So each 2,4OO
$4,000
As it will take moro hay in Iowa than in
Ohio to winter sheep. will allow fifteen
tons to every hundred. A farmer with two
horses, three hired men, hay rake, and
ono Of English Il Dixon's mowers, can cut
and stack or pat into the barn ten acres Of
prairie grass per day. 1t would be safe to
allow two tons Of hay to the acre-thcy
would therefore cut and put away 20 tons
per day. Allowing 81 per day to each
hand, 81 for the team, and 81 to comlen
safe the farmer, the hay ready to feed
would cost but ufty cents per ton. The ex
pense of keeping one thousand sheep one
year might be summed up thus:
Cost Of cutting and stacking $50 tons
oil hay ......-..... 20
600 bu. shelled corn at so cents per
pu ISL
Cost Of shepherd one year .......... 800
Salt .............. 80
$7s5
Deduct 1856 from 81, 400, and there is
| profit left to the owner of the sheep Of
thirty sir hundred and .ftteen dollars! In
making this calculation have only put the
wool at 90 cents per pound, while it has
been sold in this locality, during the last
| year, from Go to SO cents per pound, &c.
cordns to quality.
Fifteen years ago the farmers Of Tuscar-
| awas county paid little or no attention to
growing wool. They continued to pillow and
SOW, from year to year, until their land was
| so impoverished, that 1t was with difficulty
that they could raise money to pay their
their taxes, and purchase such necessaries
as their families required. But "a change
has come DER the spirit Of their dream y
Now they think of moth ny, and talk Of
nothing but wool wool !! wool,.l Last
year they raised only $4,000 bushels of
wheat-hardly enough to bread US
but their income from sheep alone
was about hair million of dollars !,
They are growing rich. and now they cheer
fully pay from $3.50 to $500 for blooded
eve. Last summer several farmers dubbed
together and bought Vermont Buck for
which they paid 1920. Only last week
one Of the prominent wool growers had
a sale and sold As blooded sheep for $3,4ll.
Our farmers are wide awake-some OF
them are now sending sheep to Iowa put
ting them out on the snare and realizing
from 90 to 20 per cent on their invests
ment.
Ny advice to every farmer in Iowa is to
purchase flock Of sheep, take good care OF
them. and you need not in the future, be
disturbed by failure Of crops. Turn your
attention, principally, to growing wool
and there will be 20 weeve, no rust, nc
chintz bug, no June or September frost
and no dunnins creditors, who will disturb
like the night mare your qniet slumbers.