Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-09-04
Sheep for Their Money Value.


ness man will long pursue that which
brings him no profit; and if he be saga
Cious man he will not extend his bust
ness into untricd channels until he is
well assured that there is II fair show of
profits to be realized through the new
departure. 1t is not every farm that is
adapted to stoCk-raising and feeding.
Much less is every farm adapted to the
keeping of sheep. Nevertheless, no farm
can be successfully carried on without
stock, and, as the Western Rfrdl has here
tofore demonstrated, those farmers who
carry the most stock, according to their
facilities for so doing, are, as Il rule, the
most successful.
There has been good deal of grum-
bling, first and last, about the unpTotita
bleness of sheep husbandry. The cause
of this nprofitablcness, if examined
into closely, will be found, nine times
out of ten, either to be that the farm was
unsuitable to sheep, or that they had
been neglected. There is no stock kept
on the farm that want more continuous
looking after or better care than sheep;
but then they always pay amply for this
care.
We have already called attention to
the importance of selecting good sheep
to begin with, and also the importance
of knowing Just how the money was to
be made from them, whether from the
wool principally, or from both mutton
and wool. This will depend in a great
measure upon your ncarncss TO, or dis
tance from, a market. If near, you may
make rs much or more from the mutton
as the wool; and in this case especially,
since you will keep smaller flocks, the
long-wooled mutton breeds should be
kept. If far away, this will be out of
the question, and the merinos must be
kept; but in either case, with care, the
profits are sure. With wool mt forty to
! forty-livc cents per pound, and with
| sheep that will average from four to five
| POUNDS per head, there is no doubt as to
the profits, if only the situation and land
| be right. At least, there is fully as much
| profit as in any other ordinary branch of
! farming.
There is no reason why, with the cheap
| lands of the West, and our unlimited re-
! sources as to hay and grain, we should
! fail TO raise wool enough to supply the
| yearly demand of our manufacturers.
| And yet we do fail. There is no reason
why, as II rule, prime mutton should be
! the dearest meat in our city markets.
] Yet it is so. There is no reason why
! farmers, however badly situated as to
| convcnicnces, should fail to raise enough
Of this nutritious and hcalthful meat to
supply their families in summer. But
! they don't do il.
The reason is, first, farmers imagine
that sheep are a lot of trouble, when in
reality the principal trouble lies in the
! fact that there are too many worthless
ours kept Another is that the keeping
of sheep is considered to be pottering
business. The facts are that we as Il
class do not sufficiently diversity our ag-
! riculture. Sooner or later we must
come to it, and when we get walked up
to the true value of sheep on the farm
we shall be surprised that we have never
seen the point before.
Any stock costing an average of not
more than three to five dollars per head,
that will average an increase of 150 per
cent. each yearin young, and an average of
four to five pounds of wool, worth, say,
two dollars per head, cannot but be prof
table. This would give, including the
value of the sheep, allowing three lambs
to each two sheep, AS the gross product
for one year, the value of three tleeces
and the value of the carcasses of the two,
as the result of the investment on one,
and the feeding Of the three. 1t is true
all shepherds do not do so well as this
Some do better. Can better showing
be made in any other direction with
stock? We think not, even with swine,
There is money in sheep, but to get il
there must be no slip-shod work. 1t is
only good farmers who succeed with
sheep; but this class do succeed. Try
therefore, few sheep and grew into d
knowledge of their special wants while
you are growing flock. 1t will soon be
apparent how many or how few you can
keep with profit; but, whether few OF
many, their ileeces and well-fattened car
casses will always command cash. How.
ever hard the times people must eat
summer and winter, and wear woolcns
in cold weather. Western RurdL.