Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-24
WHY DON'T WE HAVE MORE
SHEEP

WHY DON'T WE HAVE MORE
SHEEP
The discouragements to sheep raising
| arising from the negative protection to
worthless ours by our legislators, is a
source of no small loes to the people of
this State. There is no kind of stock
which is raised on farm that yields
larger profit to the farmer. They con-
sumo and turn into money food that other
stock will not eat. Moses, ferns, the
short grasses, growing in fence corners
and on steep hillsides are all worked up
into marketable products by this animal.
They will live and thrive upon pasture
that is worthless for other stock. They
are gentle by nature, and unlike the hog,
gregrarious, seldom strsying away from
the flock. They require but little atten-
ton, except during hard and snowy
weather in winter. In this climate they
are rarely ever attacked by disease, and
seldom die, except from old age, or from
attacks by dogs. There is no do
nestle animal whose manure is
more valuable. Poor farms may
be reclaimed by sheep husbandry more
cheaply than in any other manner. Mr..
Stilson, of Wisconsin, says their manure
enabled him to produce eight or Ten more
bushels of wheat per acre than is yielded
by the average wheat land in the State,
ON which sheep are not kept. 1t is a
common practice in the Northern States
to begin the renovation of an old farm
by putting sheep upon it. Many of our
old fields might be made profitable in
sheep raising.
As to the relative cost of keeping
sheep and cow, and upon this the profits
of each turn, it is estimated by the best
sheep growers in our State that in Middle
Tennessee, on good lands, one acre will
support, on an average, three sheep,
while three acres are required to support
one COW, making the cost of keeping the
COW equal to the cost of keeping nine
sheep. Now, as to their value. We will
take the ordinary stock of the country
without regard to breeds. An ordinary
average COW at two years of age will sell
for thirty. five dollars. Nine sheep at the
same age will sell for, at s. 80 apiece,
3l.5O, and nine fieeces averaging five
pounds, at 40 cents per pound, will
bring $500, making for the nine
sheep 1880, showing a differ
ence in favor of sheep of $l4 30. We
suppose in this calculation that the rela-
tive cost of keeping will be the same in
winter as summer, and that the early de-
velopment of the provocative functions IN
the sheep will give an increase enough in
advance of cattle to pay all cost of shear
ing, etc.
AS a sheep growing country no land
under the sun, not even the fertile plains
and mountain heights of the Spanish
Peninsula, is superior to portions of Ten
nessee and Georgia. The greatest draw
back is the liability of their destruction
by the poor, lean, unfed, hungry dogs,
too worthless oftentimes to have al
owner, and yet of sufficient Importance
to receive the protection of our law
makers. In 1867 the Assessors returns
for Tennessee showed a loss of 331 sheep
per county from dogs throughout the
State. At three dollars per head this
would make the loss for each county
about one thousand dollars, and for
the whole State oightyrfve thou
sand dollars, a sum great
enough to pay, one-third of the interest
accrulng on our forty millions of indebt-
edness. But the discoursgements arts
ing to this branch of husbandry, by res-
son of these losses is a source of still
greater loss. We have now in the State
dUOuJ 90, OOO oAOSPS vi oOOuC CIS AOi
every three persons. In the British Is
lands, Notwithstanding the density of the
population, there are two sheep for every
person, or relatively they have some six
sheep to our one. And they find it prof
liable, although thee is one sheep kept for
every acre and half in the Empire,
while we have seventy-twO acres for ev-
cry sheep in the State. Cheap food and
cheap clothing both depend upon the
proper encouragement by our Legislature
of sheep growing. Our fairs may offer
the tempting rewards Of high premiums
for the finest wool and the best NUT
ton; high prices msy stimulate the intro
duction of more sheep in the State, but
as business, wool growing will be as
uncertain as the winds until come
plan is adopted, or some law made
to rid the State of the wolfsh pests that
stalk over the land in search of flocks
that they may destroy.
Let tx be levied by our next Legis-
lature that will protect this interest in
our State. Great Britain has for long
time levied and collected tax on dogs:
other countries have done the same, and
80 protected themselves from loss and in
jury from this cause. The influence of
such law would in every point of view
be satisfactory. The number of sheep
would be increased, wool factories would
spring up in every portion of the State.
Mutton would be more abundant, and the
health of our people promoted thereby.
Worthless dogs would be killed and good