Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-26
SHEEP HUsBANDRY IN THE
EOUTH


ALIENS STATION, Near Brownsville,
Tenn.-March y, 1ST5.-Dr. Daniel Lee
Agricultural Editor of the UNION AND
AMERICAN: For sometime past l have in
tended writing to you on a subject about
which I need information, thinking you
are more likely to be able to give it than
any other source to which can now apply
for it. I see you are especially inclined TO
advise Southern people TO raise Sheppard
in my judgment you could give no better
advice to the Southern farmer, especially
where the negro dominates at the ballot.
box. could say much on the subject, but
will only say thai / write 10 you for in
formation on that business, because YOU
seem to have given il thought and atten-
ton.
Do YOU know our land here Haywood
county,, its character and constituents well
enough TO say what kind Of grass "a mix
ture) is best suited 90 make a permanent
winter pasture for sheep? How many
sheep to the acre must I keep l can sell
my mutton and l2mts in Brownsville and
Memphis at a fair price. What kind Of
sheep should I select? On the place which
I propose to use for that purpose there Is
about 800 acres Of open land. / want to
have as many as 500 ewes, the balance Of
the land to be devoted 20 other purposes.
VIII a flock Of that number Of the Cots
void breed be healthy? We have much
rain here in the winter and spring, and the
sheep must be housed, but 1 want TO use
portable shelter for the purpose Of i'm
proving the land and the health Of the
sheep. Is there any kind Of enameled or
glazed cloth or cloth that could be satu-
rated with oil that could be used for that
purpose, not costing more than plank, and
that will last? 1t can be used in pieces
and stretched across a frame. Ihave eXpe-
rimented some with a portable plank
house, with about 100 head Of sheep, and
found much advantage in it. You must
exercise some patience with my questions,
for we know emphatically nothing here
about grass and stock.
As 1 suppose you are aware, we know
all about crab-gTasS and the civil right
stock here in this county, but little about
any other. l have experimental some
with red-tOp OF herds-graSs, blue, orchard,
and timothy, and for what l want l should
give the preference to herds-grass and blue
mixed; but l am fifty years old and have no
time to waste in learning by experiment IT
can do better by getting the information
in any other way.
You must know that brOOm-sedge is our
great foe to permanent pasture. Can you
suggest any way to keep it down? Can 1t
be done by c0Ultering up a sod Of blue and
herds-grass, say every third year, and pull
ing it mp, and not injure the grass? Is
guanO good for grass? and will 1t keep
brOon-straw down? or IS there any chem
zeal manure good for grass that will keep 1t
down?
Owing to poor health and the distance to
The farm must have flock large enough
20 Justify the expense Of a herdsman. 1t
will be fifteen or twenty years before the
best system Of agriculture for this country
will be well asceTtained. Were l IN your
part Of the State or Kentucky / would not
have to write to parties at great distance
10 learn such things as l have asked you,
but could look around and see for myself
what had been done; but here there Is yet
no pioneers from the old beaten track, and
when We make our "neW departure
(Which mast be in a few years), we do not
know what system is best to adopt in the
place Of corn and cotton.
Hoping have made myself Ineligible
10 You in putting my interrogatories, L am,
very respectfully, subscriber
I. c. STURDIvANT,
Brownsville, Tenn.
For winter pastures orchard-grass,
bluegrass, herds-grass, sheep and
meadow fescues, Oat-grass and timothy
are probably the best in general use
in this country and in Europe. For
permanent summer grazing in the
South, a mixture of Bermuda and lu-
ecerne (called alfalfa IN California
we have found to give the most salts
factory results. The Southern farmers
should learn first how to make a strong,
close, reliable turf Of nutritious grass
es over all his grazing lands, and then
fight sedge at its first inrOads, as he
would the dogs and wolves that may
a7sail his focks or herds. The whole
affair is q matter Of industry and prop
er attention to business. Make
grass grow by sowing its seed and
change this grass into wool and mutton.
We cannot say what would be the
price or cost per yard for sheep shelter.
In Vermont and other Northern States
valuable sheep are protected from rain
and snow by suitable blankets, one tied
on each sheep, something ike a first
class horse-blanket which covers
valuable horse.
We have thought the Southdown a
harder animal as a breed than the
Cotswold, while the latter has some ad-
vantage in the quality and weight Of
fleece. Much depends on the manage
ment Of the fockmaster. Three hun