The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-09
'mmkt 1atttt+
KEEP A FLOCK OF SHEEP.

The season is now approaching when
farmers, who have no sheep among their
farm stock, should set about procuring
small flock of good thrifty ewes
From twelve to twenty head of good
ewes, for an ordinary farm of one hun
dred to two hundred acres, will be found
q source of profit not inferior to any
other Investment on the farm. A flock
of healthy ewes of the size mentioned,
with proper care and management,
would produce from eighteen to thirty
lambs fit for the butcher next June or
July, that would bring considerably
more money than the stock sheep cost,
with the wool in addition to the profit
Of the lambs.
But we can't keep sheep on account
of the dogs" says the careless farmer
Where there is a will there is way, is
true in the matter Of keeping sheep as
a source of considerable profit on a
farm, as of any thing else the old adage
can be applied to. The farmers road
to success in this, as in every other
branch of farm labor is CARE. All stock
to be made profitable needs care, and
no man who is not attentive and care
full in every detail of his business will
ever be anything but slip-shod farmer /;
and hard pressed for time, and money
and every other requisite to prosperity.
If several neighboring farmers deter
mine to add to their business that of a
flock of sheep each, they could soon
make their farms too hot for all prowl
ing dogs, by well-aimed shot, a few bats
of strychnine and few dog traps. If
way is left open for the sheep to come
in from the pasture, and lie in the lane,
lot or orchard near the house at night,
where they are sailed occasionally, they
will invariably be found within hearing,
if any disturbance takes places among
the flock. Three or four light, good
sounding bells kept on the strongest
sheep in the flock will give immediate
alarm, if the sheep are molested, as well
as serve to frighten off timid sheep-thief
dogs. The destruction of sheep by
dogs in very great majority of cases,
is the result of want of proper care
and attention on the part of the owners.
We kept sheep for number of years
and lost none but an old, almost worth
less eve, by dogs, and then the bells
gave warning so timely that both dogs
were caught and shot on the sheep.
A handsome profit may be added to
the annual income of the farm by a
small flock of we'll cared for ewes, in the
sale of lambs and wool, whose keep
would scarcely be noticed; besides sew.
eral loads Of the best of manure. Our
advice derived from well attested ex.
perience, is for every farmer to keep a
small stock of good breeding ewes, and
Southdown or Cotswold buck The
farm stock is not complete without a
handsome flock of sheep. The flock
should not be so large as to interfere
with the other farm arrangements, and
all old or declining sheep be carefully
sorted out every year.
Our dog law, ostensibly for the pro-
lection of sheep, by the provision ii
contains for paying for all sheep killed
by dogs, out of the tax on these ami.
mails, in great measure, defeats its
object. The dogs should be taxed, but
the tax should not be applied in paying
for killed sheep. The practice has en-
couraged careless and mcrcenary farm.
ers, who own flock of mean sheep, to
turn them to the commons, in hopes
often, that the dogs may find profta
BILE market for the otherwise unsuitable
sheep. Let the tax be applied to the
public schools, and sheep owners take
care Of their sheep. If they determine
to do So they will pretty generally sue.
coed. If farmers combine to protect
their interests against dogs or middle,
men either, which are much more dan,
gcrous than dogs, they can do so.