Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-09-27
Our Future Course Of sheep nassandry.

OF the original Estramadura sheep Of severa
centuries back.
The principles upon which the improve
ments Of the respective classes Of sheep hav
been brought about, are however so cutirel
dissimiar, that it cannot be expected tina
the one class can be so exclusively adapted
to the wants of the varying phases Of Amer
lean husbaudry as the general adoption Of tn,
fne-wooled breeds would lead one to infer
As the result of this policy, we find tina
the Merino type has been bred to an exteu
that has made sheep husbandry cease to b,
profitable, even with the assistance Of a high
protective tariff in its favor This is partly
due to the fact that the use OF fine goods pro
duced at home under the high pressure oil
prohibitory protective tariffs, must be restrict.
ed, their high prices and want Of adaptability
to stand the wear and tear of active Ameri
can life putting them beyond the reach oil
any but the Weather classes. Bat the
main cause of the present failure Of the fnc
wooded breeds to render sheep husbandry prof.
table in mixed farming, is the cost Of theiI
keep in comparison with the returns they
make. The production Of meat has now be-
come q necessity of the age, aud the problem
is not so much how 10 provide clothing OF
home growth, as to feed the greatly increas.
ing number Of artisans engaged in the pro-
duction of goods that find foreign market
Meat Is perlshable, wool Is not. We can i'm.
port wool cheapy from Australia and South
America, and manufacture it into goods for
expectation, but the meat necessary to give
stamina TO our workmen and laborers must be
produced at home IN our own country.
ii while producing this meat we can also
produce wool of quality adapted to manu-.
iacture into blankets to keep US warm in
winter, and clothing suitable to the wants Of
the working classes-whch are articles OF
necessity rather than OF luxury-we attain
the acme OF proht on the cost OF production.
10 do this, we must 60 more largely into
sheep Of the mutton type We want ami
mails that yield large proportion OF meat to
ohal, come early to maturity, aud can be prot
itably fed for the butcher at any age. 1t is
manilestly Improbable to the farmer who
pursues system OF mixed husbandry, to feed
hundred sheep IN order TO make one dol
lars worth OF wool out OF each, when by
feeding fifty Of twice the size he would not
only get two dollars worth OF wool from
each, but also have the. additional return
gwen IN the production OF meat 50 whole
some aud palatable as human food, as the
rich, thick, juicy flesh OF the South-Down or
Leicester. Few Americans and Germans
have, however, as yet tasted good mutton.
chop OF home growth, and hence there Is
general prejudice against mutton, which can
only disappear when the mutton breeds Of
sheep become more generally introduced, and
their value as meat-producers known among
all classes.
No doubt it will be said by many that the
cost OF keeping Merinoes is much less than
that OF mutton breeds. This is true, but
only IN negative sense so it costs less to
carry on poor farm than good one or to
breed common scrubs Of cattle than Short.
Horns or Ayrshires. The comparative cost,
however, is always largely in favor of the
good farm or stock against the poor ones
Ono hundred Merinoes, as commonly kept
Will cost less to keep, as thriving goes with
the breed, than htty Lelcesters; but the net
returns from the latter would as a general
rule, yield four times the interest on capital
invested as compared with the former.
The great object with the majority Of far
mers who are now so clrcumstanced that they
can no longer carry on sheep husbandry with
profit, with their present stock of hne.wooleC
sheep, will be how to change without sacri
hcing that stock. This is not so difficult I
matter as might be supposed, and can be don't
by crossing out the merino blood. To do thi
successfully requires little time and som
care 10 selecting variety Of the variou
mutton breeds from which to begin crossing.
Those having somewhat billy or broker
lands adapted rather to permanent pasturag'
than grain and roots, will find the South-Dowl
cross the most desirable. The same may b
said OF those whose farms lie near enough Il
cities or large towns to render the raising O
early lambs for the butcher a source of profit
This cannot be done to advantage unless com
Portable, well sheltered buildings are provid
ed, and extra feed and care given to the eve
at lambing time, and for some weeks after
wards. Ewes having more or less Merlin
blood are best suited to bring early lambs OIL
account Of their blossoming season coming o.
30 much sooner than with the more sluggis
long-wooled ewes. The cross OF South Dow
blood through the sire brings large lambs
full OF flesh, and by selecting ewes with goo
capacity as mixers and nurses, the lambs ca
be turned of to the butcher at very higI
prices in February and March. Vigorou
shearing rams of pure South-Down bloo
should be used, and a change trans be mad
each year.
A few Of the best eve lambs Of the eros
may be retained each year, and some of tn
original stock sold of, though we should pre-
fer not using ewes beyond the first eros:
by persistence in this course a small farme
near the city may establish his reputation a
a breeder of early lambs, and make larg
profits by judcous course of breeding, tina
can only pay under peculiar circumstance
aud situations. Where the production O
wool, and the sale Of full grown sheep OF tn
South Down type is desired, rather tina
early lambs, it would he better to use care il
selecting and retaining only the best ew
lambs for breeding purposes, containing tn
use of South-Down rams till the flock become
nearly pure bred.
On farms adapted to high culture, and t
carry heavy crops of grain aud grass, tn
crossing Of the Merino with the purely Ion.
wooded breeds will be found most adyar
tageous. II may be questioned whether i
IL "a l.. II