Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-04-19
Irasburgh Farmers Club.
What kind OF Sheep shall ue keep

ly all keep few sheep, and some have
over one hundred. Our pastures are
good, and our barns are filled with
hay, so we ought to choose those sheep
that will give the best return for lib
eral keeping and good care, and the
kind is what is generally termed NUT
ton sheep. With common fine wooded
sheep it is almost impossible to keep
them down to the number that can be
kept we'll. They will increase, and
it is difficult to find cash customers
for small lambs, poor old ewes. and
skinny wethers; but with mutton
sheep, sales can be made any time
We should keep some kind of blood
sheep, as the name will cause an ami
NAL to bring a better price, and the
South Down mutton in English mar
kets, as well as our own, seems to be
the favorite kind. The flock of South
Downs of A. Bemis & Son, of Burke,
numbered about 100, and the sheep
that took prizes at the New England
Fair were in good condition, and the
past winter, the sweepstake buck has
! htyS of =, =
ion. An English farmer is said TO
have had 1900 and without doubt they
are hardy. There is, however, anoth-
er consideration which should have
due weight; the long combing wool
seems to bring the best price, and
yield the most pounds per head. The
Cotswold kept by Fl. NJ. Hall at Burke.
would grow an inch of wool month
in length, and a pound a month in
weight. English sheep without doubt
would be found very profitable.
VIM. L. Locke, .ir. Although my
father has keep common coarsisi
wooded sheep, [ have a good opinion
of full blooded animals, and bought
Merinoes; have now six full bloods
eve sheared 10 II, one 8 and one
s ID lbs. the wool is long and not
dirty. The listers priced the six al
$40, when they prize common sheer
only 81. One lister said ne would
rather have one of these than any tel
common sheep he had seen. To bC
successful with blood stock we must
be patient; at the same time bought
my sheep, several other farmers made
purchases. but most of them have civ
en- up breeding blood sheep. Meri
noes will do better in large flo ks than
mutton sheep. To raise mutton sheer
have the lambs come early and weaI
them earl y; then the ewes will oct
fat, and winter well. Mr.. J. Vance
had last year II sheep, they raised
ID lambs which sold for $3.50 and
yielded lbs. Of wool each-thc in
come was over 500.
Mr.. E. P. Church, keeps mutton
sheep of no distinct blood, and kept
in his yard on meadow hay they do
not thriye-would warrant the South
Down spoken of by the Secretary
would not get too fat in flock. Do
not think full blood mutton sheen are
so hardy as would cross 50
as to have fine wool, and large lambs.
Geo. B. Brewster said, we can't at
tend to too many kinds of business al
once, or change too often. 1t would
be some trouble to change COWS and
get sheep, but there are some who can
not conveniently carry on dairying,
if such should begin keeping and fat
ting sheep, and carry it through, get
up a reputation, they would make
money as fast in that way as any. |
keep few sheep that run with my
COWS, they shear I to s lbs. of wool
and sold for 81 per head. Keep stock
we'll for profit.
VIM. L. Jameson, says, | begun
sheep raising with one sheep that cost
S., she brought two lambs which sold
for 81, and yielded a good fleece Of
wool; the next year her lambs sold
for 81. Then kept some of her
lambs few years, and then sold $50
worth, and had some left. One fall
after she had raised two lambs, |
killed her, the meat was very fat,
weighing 10 lbs, and there was twelve
pounds of tried tallow. Another
sheep bought in the spring when very
poor, in the fall the meat weighed 100
lbs, the tallow 20 lbs, and the pelt
sold for 1925. | consider the full
blood Spanish merino business, Que of
the greatest humbugs of the age; rich
men may do well raising and selling
them, but poor man cannot buy the
best, and if he pays high price does
not get tie value of his money; if the
speculation continues, it would pay to
raise sheep at $50 to $4,000 per head
and he referred to the man who built
a house for two sheep, and when he
became their owner, they were so
much less in value that they were kill