Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-11-13
Success with Sheep.

THERE have been indications for some
time, and from various quarters, that wool
is going to advance in price. The de-
mand appears to be heavy in England,
and this affects our own market. We
have watched the sheep and wool business
for twenty years. during which time there
were several panics, sheep being butch
cred for their pelts and tallow; but i'm
mediately after prices rose, and then every
sheep was saved. Meanwhile, those who
kept on steadily, and sold at the going
prices, have done well; while those who
held wool over year or so thereafter
were we'll paid. The truth is, there is no
better business, year after year, than that
of sheep husbandry, and for the reason
that the increase of our population is so
constant and great as to keep up steady
demand for all kinds of wooden fabrics.
AS it has been in the past, so is it quite
certain to be in the future, and those who
have sheep may safely get more. But let
not inexperienced men rush in, for COM
plete knowledge is required and constant
attention. The best way to get good
flock of sheep is to raise them, because
there are but few chances to buy such
sheep as will pay to keep, unless at high
price. He who has good sheep knows it
as we'll as anybody else and, as a general
thing, if he offers to sell sheep, they will
be culls. A beginner should buy a few
good American Merinos, say from twenty
to fifty, and if they are really good-that
is, young and free from disease-there is
more increase and money in them than in
a flock of five hundred culls, old, scabby,
and otherwise unsound. In fact, such
sheep are not worth the feed required to
winter them, and the best use to make of
them is to send them to the butcher, if
that is allowable. BY commencing with
few sheep, painstaking man can learn
how to manage them as fast as they
grow, being like some school teachers,
who learn as fast as their scholars do. 1t
will take from three to five years to learn
the sheep business, and by that time the
flock should be of respectable size. We
hardly know of an instance of young men
going blindly into the business with five
hundred head who have not lost their
whole investment-N. 7. Tribune.
A NEW cereal has been grown in Ore
gon, and the people are puzzled as to
whether it belongs to the wheat family,
or more nearly resembles rye, barley or
oats, opinions being very nearly equally
divided. From seven to ten stalks grow
from one root, to height of about four
feet, and these stalks, or straws, are thin
and hard. The radiCles are tough, and
spread widely. The heads are six inches
in length and covered with heavy
beard, each filament being five inches
long. The grain is double the length of
a kernel of wheat, and, instead of being
firm and compact, is hollow, the cavity
containing glutinous matter While the
grain bears closer resemblance to wheat
than anything else, the straw looks more
like that of rye or barley. Its origin is
somewhat peculiar, the first grain having
been taken from the stomach of wild
goose, by farmer in Tillamook County,
nearly three years ago. He was struck
with its appearance, and planted 1t, and
the succeeding season sowed the product
He distributed portion of the second
crop among a few friends in different
parts of the State, who this year raised
small quantities. 1t will require another
year to determine the value of the grain.
A NEW way of preserving autumn
leaves is given as follows: Iron them
fresh with warm mot hot iron, on
which some spermaceti has been lightly
rubbed. This method preserves perfectly
their lovely tlnts, and gives waxy gloss
which no other one secures. The process
is very rapid and very agreeable, and no
lady who has ever tried the tedious and
uncertain experiment of pressing will ever
again resort to it after once trying this
new and better way.
AN important order of Catholics in
Iowa is the Monks Of st. Troppe, Du-
buque County, who have one of the larg-
est and best farms in the State, compris-
ing over 5000 acres, and an immense
monastery.
AN unstamped letter was deposited in
a Western post-office last week, and under
meath the address was the Endorsements:
"Let her slide, P. NJ; she's all hunk; in
side air one of them post hole keerds."