Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-03-26
The Profits of Sheep
Raising.

! bbO ASONh VIM tOC'tCtfCCC' lilo ~
marks as to the adaptation of
Montgomery county to sheep-rais.
ing are equally applicable to Lin
coin. He says:
Montgomery county is so par
ticularly adapted to sheep-hus-
bandry that | earnestly desire to
draw the attention OF my fellow
farmers to the subject. There is
scarcely farm in the county up
on which flock of sheep can not
be raised, OF larger or smaller size,
and the profits derived therein, m
would go very far towards paying
our taxes. The beneficial effect
upon the land is well understood.
To show what may be done in
this respect, I give herewith an
extract from the letter of a relia.
bic and intelligent gentleman in
New jersey, detailing his success
with a single flock. 1t is true
that his proximity to a large city
gives him superior advantages,
but we can approximate to his re.
suits. l myself have repeatedly
purchased tlocks in the Fall Tor
from $50 to $50. and have sold in
the following Spring nearly 800
worth of lambs and wool, having
the nn22ee!s left in good condition.
Ny rule is to bring up the. sheep
into a tight yard erery olaht.-
This does not injure them, even
in the most sultry weather, as
they are creatures Of habit, and
Immediately lie down and rumin-
ate, and are tlen ready TO 60 to
feeding as soon as let out very
early in the morning. By hav-
ing the yard fence high and strong
they are secure from dogs. A
three quarter Southdown buck
runs with them, and the lambs
come in from the last of January
to the middle of March. Last
year my early lambs brought me
five dollars each, some of them
not much over two months old
BY having a good shelter, not too
close, the lambs will do we'll, and
after they are few weeks old
there should be place for feed
ing them separate from the
sheep. They will thus improve
very rapidly, and soon be
marketable. a pen made Of
pine poles across the sheep yard,
accessible to the lambs and not
TO the sheep, will answer the
purpose.
If our farmers can once be in
duced to ascertain the value of
sheep, we will not be long III
procuring proper law for their
protection, as we are very apt to
become earnest about whatever
touches our finances.
Extract from a letter Of q .Neoc
Jersey Farmer:
GAS to sheep, | will cite an
instance from my own expert
ence. Year before last | pur-
chased 100 head of sheep at the
Philadelphia Drove Yards for
$50, mostly ewes. They had
evidently been very badly cared
for by some one, as they were
very poor indeed. [ gave them
an excellent chance on grass
during the Summer and FALL
Before feeding time sold 40 of
them for SIG, reserving 90 of
the best, all ewes, which had
been running with a full-bloOd-
ed Southdown buck. They COM
menced to lamb about the lat
ter part of January, and were
all in by the first of March, and
there were altogether 81 lambs.
l began marketing them toward
the latter part Of March, at 50
per head for the first 80, and So
per head for the rest. sold
from this lot Of 60 ewes and
81 lambs $1,003 worth, and
had Ii ewes and 3 choice lambs
left. 4 number of these lambs
went into market at seven weeks
old for So each. The lightest
eve weighed 1O2 lbs, and the
heaviest 165 TBS. | take to my
self the credit of bringing the
sheep to such a satisfactory con-
dition, but attribute no incon-
siderable part of the success
with the lambs to the South
down buck"
We see from the foregoing
that this careful and successful
farmer paid $3.50 for a flock Of
100 sheep, sold S1,179 worth,
and still had II ewes and 3 lambs
left. OF course he gave close
and judicious attention to his
business; but did it not pay?
His figures speak for him.
At a Dubuque wedding, the