Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-11-26
Feeding VS.. Plowlns Under Glover.

4 1T professors of chemistry would tell us
whether crop Of clover plowed under would
be Of more value treated in that way than if
sheep were folded over the land and daily
fea with Il in racks, it would be Of more
service than making statements every practi.
cal stock farmer knows to be erroneous tsuch
as, for instance, potatoes not being good for
animals, unless in such small proportions as
TO be Of little use), by giving good and cor
rect reasons for the raw herbage giving more
fertility to the soil than II would after pass
ing through the sheep, and being added to
the earth as dung aud urine.
In England sheep are kept iu what would
be called very large Aocks, aud on the farms
occupied by the best tenant farmers they are
used to eating green crops, by being hurdled
over the ground day by day, as much for
the benefit of the ensuing crops as for the
profit derived from the flesh and wool gained.
Thus hundreds of sheep lie in pens in the
fields all winter without shelter, having fresh
bits Of ground given them every day, and in
summer the same plan is carried on by FIRST
eating vetches, and then clover or rape until
the turnips are ready again. Many good
farmers keep hundreds of sheep without add
ing any food to the produce Of the farm
but there arc more who, finding how the
land is enriched and the crops increased by
giving ollcake, use great quantities, and ind
it pays them very handsomely. These are
genuine Farmers looking ahead and the
continued universal custom in Eogland shows
it pays generally. Therefore, if farmers in
America would keep sheep and use them to
eat their green crops, instead of plowiug
them under, and give them some Of the grain
and corn which has to pay exorbitant freight,
they would not "ruu down" their land aud
If college professors would 90 into these SUD-
jects, giving chemical reasons for the ad.
vautages obtained by sheep husbandry, it
would enlighten the pupils and be interesting
to practical flock masters, although they
would know from experience how the sheep
increased the crops by enriching the soil,
and how it added to their yearly income by
having so much wool aud mutton to SELL
Flowing one crop into the ground to force
the next one is expensive work, especially
when manure is used to get something tC
plow in, aud it would be much cheaper and
show more clearness of brain in looking
ahead, il the growing of every crop was with
the view Of consumption, 80 that while max.
ing wool, mutton, etc, to sell, the food con-
sumed would all return to the farm to double
and treble the crops. When every respecta
Bile farm has a shepherd upon it, prosperity
will reign over the agriculture Of America
and it seems extraordinary that clover AM
other good crops should bo plowed under
and shepherds be unknown IN whole dis
tricts, when by reading old history, and the
Bible, too, there is proof of there being
shepherds and hocks everywhere. At the
present day the best farmers in the bes
agricultural communities in the old worlC
owe everything to sheep ani other live stock
Growing wool upon an intelligent system o.
rotation, cropping in the South would even
tually pay far better than raising cotton, O.
both Of those staples might bo grown will
much better results than cotton alone.
Where there is will there is way, 70
though shade is seldom required in England
and would be essential in the South, movea
ble shade frames could be used which coul
be shifted daily, the same as the moving O
the hurdles or whatever was used to max
the division from the food to be eaten on
day and that for future days. In short,
is shameful pity that wool has to be i'm
ported into country which plows unde
good food for sheep.-Cor Rural Ne'
Yorker.