Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-06

AAALAo VI = -"S - - ~
but there are many districts of eompar-
atively poor land which are brought up
into the highest state of fertility
chiefly by feeding barley, peas and oil
cake freely to cattle and sheep; some
farmers also fattening great numbers
of hogs to still further add to the plant
food, thereby increasing the yield of
every crop through the rotation; for on
every farm, or almost every one, there
is a regular rotation adhered to and no
matter how many cattle and swine are
kept, there is the flock with the shep-
herd, as about two-lhirds of the root
crop is eaten by the sheep On the fields
where grown and on the light land all
the turnips are used in that way.
'Now, as these English farmers only
rent their farms, and it answer their
purpose to follow thishigh kind of feed
ing, not only eating all the grain they
grow, excepting wheat, bat much more,
In the instance above mentioned f1,200
$4,000 being expended so as to pay
and to show such proof o wool farming
as to take the highest premium from
tire greatest society IN the Kingdom,
It cannot be doubted that any one occu-
pying his own land would do well to
follow such example.
Since turnips and Swedes have been
so very extensively cultivated, sheep In
England have already changed; for
when l was a boy, although root cul-
ture was common and sheep fattened
to a good weight on them, the MAORI
ty were shearlocks, two years old or
nearly. and manywere shorn the second
time; and now heavier weights are OBJ
tanned and q year saved, which has al
lowed of increasing the number of
breeding ewes; and as the custom is of
keeping store sheep always in high
condition, the clip Of wool is
very much heavier on the
average than formerly, and
the quality, too, is correspondingly
improved. For ten years or more, be-
fore 1 left England, 1 knew several
focks of not less than 400 and some
Of 500, where there would not be an an
imal which was not fat enough to be
eaten and as good as any average
marketable meat; IN short, the best
stock raisers of every part of the
country consider it pays much better
to have every living creature IN the
farm fat from its birth till it is dis
posed OF.
The great advantage in sheep hus-
bandry IN England is in being able to
feed such an abundance Of roots as to
not only force growth of frame and
wool, but to give the round, barrel-like
shape to the body which produces the
most robust kind of health and inclines
flesh to accumulate so fast that the re-
turns from stock are more than as
quick again as they were half a century
since.
Excepting the breeding ewes, the
millions Of other sheep are at.the pres
ent time eating at least 20 lbs. of tur-
nips or Swedish turnips per head, per
day, besides hay; and in many i~ntances
grain or oil cake; and they VIII come
to market from now till next May and
June weighing from 50 lbs. to $50 lbs.
dressed"
Much is gained by forcing lambs and
calves forward by feeding their dams
high with roots, grass, hay, and grain
oil-cake and other feed, to yield their
young al the rich milk their skins viii
hold. With new milk mush or bread
is fed made Of meal boiled or baked,
which may be partly peas and barley,
or partly oats and maize, or partly
fax seed or cotton seedcake. Turnips,
cabbages, beets and carrots give green
food in the winter season when grass
is scarce or wanting. Lambs a yeal
old are made monsters of SIG
and fatness; and steers and heifers two
years old, while not ripe
beef, yet weigh heavy Il
the quarter, make a quick return on
capital, and sell well as compared witt
the flesh Of older animals. The early
maturity and rapid growth of short
horns have always made them the mos
popular breed with thrifty English
farmers. Enterprising men ali ike tC
push things; and this is a rather fast
age any how. If We dare not attempt
to keep abreast with the times, let u
not fall many miles in the rear, out o
sight and out Of hearing Of the mali
army. There VIII be a great saving il
exporting our grain in meat, butter
cheese and other provisions, to NEE
in part the foreign demand.