Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-06-12
Sheep in Grant County.

showed q great increase IN Il num-
Der of sheep in Grant County, and
the present day public confidence in
sheep is being well founded upon the
satisfactory profits claimed by the
people. 1t is therefore concluded
that wool is to be q chief farm pro-
duet of our county, perhaps the
leading one. The presumption how
ever is, that O time of cheapness is
not far distant, at least il is best to
SC calculate, for men who take to
sheep are yet not of the ~sheepish
sort, that would count upon an even
time of prosperity for any particu-
lar farm product. Those who have
timely turned to sheep have done so
wisely and with close calculation.
Indeed, we have ever noticed about
men in the sheep business a peculiar
wisdom, and Observation-Disclosures
we mean those who stubbornly stick
to the business. For it is the man
who begins a pursuit early in life
and follows it up along through ad-
verses and seasons of profit alike
that surely never fails to win. The
sheep business has 0 in it to var
rant q fortune than any pursuit com
mon. to any country adapted for this
stock. Indeed we have never
known a failure where q man under
stood and patiently followed the
business. The failures have always
been to those who commenced on o
dear bought flock, became discour-
aged with subsequent low prices,
sold out cheap and went at something
offering better temporary induce
ment.
1t may be safely set down that
the sheep business is reasonably
profitable four years in five, and for
three years in five largely remuner-
alive, with now and then a year Of
extreme profit and perhaps one
year in five o loss. But as neither
wool nor sheep spoil by keeping over
one or even two years there need
never be any losses, so that the prof
its Of wool appear without any actu-
al discouragements.
Late years it has become quite
common for farmers Of small cash
surplus, yet Of good name for care,
fair dealing and knowledge of sheep,
TO take aocks to keep on the shares
of wool and increase. Those who
have by this method taken a start in
sheep appear we'll satisfied with re-
suits and are doing well. At the
expiration of the time sheepare rent
ed for, usually years, the lessee gen
orally becomes q purchaser, his prof
is in the time enabling him to secure
enough to stock his farm. OF course
it is more profitable to purchase at
the start, but all men-very often
those best qualified by Inclination,
knowledge and patience, have not
the ability. Want of money is, how
ever, q fortune to some men and
rather whets the courage than dulls
it.
For health, size, long life and clip,
sheep require q dry soil-one that
dries up SOC after q rain, Q high
land, light and dry atmosphere, land
uneven or bluffy, clear water and
abundance of range, all of which ex-
actly describes this section Of
try in Grant County.
The country moreover produces
abundantly the hay and grain adapt
ed forsheep, and the cheap lands cal
culated for supporting them with
little cost above the time and atten-
ton of one man to any number below
q thousand head.
MI. Fox, we'll knownin these parts
for dovoCIng his entire time and at
te%ntion, and large capital, to sheep,
and who formerly followed the same
business in Ohio and Michigan, in
forms us that this country is superb
or for sheep to any be ever saw IN
these particulars size, health, clip,
less liability to disease, especially
foot rot, scab and head diseases also,
that the DOSAGE by dogs, wolves, &C.,
is less by considerable in this county
than in Ohio and Michigan, and that
public opinion here is better support
ing dog and wolf bounty laws than
in the older states, and thinks that
with such continued public protec-
ton, the county may very soon
contain 200, 900 head Of sheep, and
a cash income Of q million dollars,
being a business and capital which
the people can well afford to support,
even by the sacrifice Of part of their
dogs and with the slight taxations
deemed indispensable for the protec-
ton of sheep and the capital invest
cd therein.
At this time there may be, proba-
bly, are at least 60, 1000 sheep in Grant
County, and with the spring lambs
at least $4,000, the capital invested
not far from half a million dollars. a
capital which may be doubled, trip
led and ~quadrapled in a few years, to
the interest of all and the increased
valuation of every acre of land in
the county.
OF the IL, 100, 600 acres of land in
Grant County, perhaps 5 millions
acres are waste land, fit only for
sheep pasturage, and range sufficient
for as many or more sheep, leav-
ing the agricultural lands to be used
as now. These figures are given IN
~ in view of showing the capacity
of our county forthe support of num-
bers of sheep. Such lands are now a