Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-10-21
AGRICULTURAL,
Cots,rold Sheep and Lambs

A correspondent Of the Now England
Farmer, in a recent communication in
that paper, says:
Some time since called the attention
of my brother farmers to their sad neg
lect in regard to improving their flocks of
sheep, giving them my experience in
sheep breeding, and recommending the
Cotswoldas the best kindo shecpto keep.
/ again beg leave 10 call their attention to
the same subject.
l have been engaged for the past year in
butchering. and find too many mutton
frames, with but very slight covering of
meat and still lighter covering Of wool.
Consumers are calling for better meat or
for more meat and less bones. but the
butcher cannot get il unless the farmer
will grow il for him andhe cannot much
longer afford TO pay the farmers for bones,
because the American people have not
yet learned to eat them; and, therefore,
we cannot find market for them
If it will pay to keep sheep. will it not
pay to keep good ones | answer. yes,
Good lambs were worth from the 18th, of
june to the first of August of the pres
ent year, from five TO six dollars per head
for mutton. At those prices no one can
deny that sheep pay as large or I larger
net profit than any other Kind of farm
stock; but farmers are letting their focks
run down, because the sheep fever is over
and Il won't pay TO bother with them
But the fault is ell with them; the de,
mand for good. early lambs was larger
than the supply the present season. and
one can say that they did no, command
prices that would pay well for raising
them.
called the attention OF MY brother
farmers to the Colswold sheep as the
right Kind of sheep TO keep for mutton and
wool con- bined Also asked them TO try
the experiment and report to me this fall
Several have done 50 and are well pleas.
eel with the result visited the flocks OF
one or two of them. while on a visit To
New Hampton, few weeks ago One OF
them, Mr.. VIM. K. Dearborn. of New
Hampton, (who has been for two or three
years past successfully replenishing his
flock bought last fall pure bred Cots
void buck, weighing three hundred and
seventy FIVE pounds, and used him with
his sheep. saw his lambs in August
he had pen OF six buck lambs, selected
TO keep Tor breeders, which were the best
lambs have seen this season. helped
him weigh two of them nj that time one
of them weighed 100 pounds, aud the
other Up pounds, and a eve lamb weigh
ed day or two after, III pounds. These
lambs would not average over four and
half months old at the time they were
weighed, and for beauty OF form quaint
" and quality OF wool, think it would
be hard 10 find their equal
\ neighbor of Mr. d. weighed lamb
from grade CotSwold and South Down
eve. sired by Mr. ID : buck, nj lust three
months old. and he weighed lp2 pounds
another ncighbol OF his carried his sheep
10 Nj. D.'s and paid him : per head he
had six lambs from four sheep. and he
had sold the six for So have buck /
lamb. sired by his buck, that will weigh I
10 pounds. and yearling ewe. sired by I
the buck I bought Of Mr. Hart, that
weighs 80 pounds, and Tor beauty oil
form luever saw her equal also keep
my eve that had ofMr Hart. should +
be happy to have any one vino has any /
doubts abog; their being good kind of
sheep, ca, and see them. and would /
like 70 have them call and see Mr.. Dear
boru's ilock and examine them. and Get .
his opinion orthe Co,>wolj sheep.
would like to have those interested in (
sheep breeding try the Cot>wolds We
must have better mutton, or the demand /
will die out Ibelicye 1t will pay to raise
mutton, and an Improvement in our nut.
ton sheep will be money in TIE pockets OF /
ali concerned, and source of wealth to /
the whole country. \ word TO the wise .
is sufficient.