Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-10-24
SHEEP RAISING.

! There Is a very peTceptibie in
clination manifested among farm
ers 10 go largely into the, rearing
of sheep, and were it not for the
difficulties in their way, ocasioned
| by the ravages of dogs, in a few
I years the wealth of the country
/ could be increased very materially
I by the extension of the breeding
of this valuable animal. The prin-
cipal breeds in our vicinity are
the Cotswolds and the Leicesters,
which are nearly the same thing.
al d the Southdowns. More in
quiry, however, is being made
lately for the Merinos, which are
generally considered as valuable
alone for their fine wool, and not
especially for their flesh; but the
admirers of the breed deny that
they are not suited equally as well
for mutton as their rivals. The
Southdowns, however, are the fa-
vorites ct the epicure, but they are
small OF size, and though the wool
IL fine. than the Cotswolds. vet the
fleece is much less is quantity
There is, however, breed more
recently introduced, which will
probably answer all the purposes
better than either the Southdowns
1r CotsWolds-We allude to the
Shropshires. OF these there are
but few fiocks in this country at
present; they resemble the South
downs in color, but are larger and
come to maturity earlier. The
Cotswo!ds, however, are most gem
orally in demand at present, and
we annex statement of breeder.
Mr.. G. K. Ward, in the "Ru.al
I'll Jme," Of his success with them.
He says:
II am so frequently inquired of
with regard to my experience with
Cotswold sheep, that am induced
to give it in brief for the benefit of
your readers. In company with nav
son, Frank ID. Ward. / began in a
small way, some five years since
Our flock now consists of about
800. We have twenty to twenty
fiv" first class imported Cotswolds
and their descendants, with a few
thoTonghbreds from some of the
best tiocKs Of Canada. The bal
ance are high grades We have
kept them in fiocks of fifty % one
hundred in summer and winter.
without any Inconvenience. They
are very hardy, and as free from
disease as Merinos, and on some
accounts ere more SO, as they are
not troubled with the iooJ dis
ease.
They fatten much more readily
than fine wool sheep The same
amount OF feed will produce more
pounds ut mutton and wool than
Il e MerlnO sheep They feed and
manure much younger, and when
Haature, eigh about two hundred
pnuitdr " have fspqueutly had
:. .'t'~, '~"nty months old, weigh
5a,> ~ haV@ now full grown
9,'t it.ta' " il Il go to 800 pounds.
Flri INA tpn IL worth in market
on - lA', crn!s per pound more
SHAN ttp-e Of fine wool sheep
Gu" thoroughbred sheep shear
u 10 twenty pounds, and the
g'ad' : six "a ten pounds. We have
ootd oar wool rom five TO fifteen
cents per pound above the price
OF tin wool. Have sold it thu
present year for fifty cents, when
fine wool was worth in this mar
ket 40 cent
THE ewes are good mothers.
Last year we raised about ten per
cent. more lambs than we had
ewes. II present season we are
raising ninety lambs from about
the same number of ewes. Our
lambs, from three to four months
old, weigh seventy-five to ninety
pounds. Our experience with
them is quite satisfactory
Whether they are more profitable
than other sheep, every farmer
must decide for himself"