The daily gazette., 1876-04-05
Ftofa the Dover Sentinel.
Samuel TOWNSEND on Sheep Raising

HAS DCCu III tnl6 DtdLC ulLc Ii COulTO-
versy about the justice or injustice of |
taxing dogs, the friends of sheep rails
ing contendibg that sheep-killing dogs
were great drawback to the business.
/ think that these great friends of sheep
raising would find it very poor bust
ness in Delaware, if there did not not
live one dog in the Slate; but If dogs
are the real cause, why have not these
friends of dog-taxes long before this,
had law passed that would abate the |
nuisance. Every farmer knews that |
well fed dogs are less liable to kill |,
sheep than poor. half-starved dogs
Now, in majority Of cases, these half !
starved dogs are owned by negroes who |
neglect to pay their tax, and are re-
turned as errors; thea, of course, the |
dog tax is unjust for this reason, if no
other. is it right, and is Legislature
carrying out their satbs when they, to
their certain knowledge, pass laws tax
ing well led degs of farmers, to pay
for sbeer killed by half starved dogs
owned ly negroes? think not. but
still the is great use in dogs; the
well fed enes, and also the dogs of the
poor negroes, for in my opinion, the
dogs an DetdDare sdce e0ery gear from
murder, rape, fire, robbery and stealing,
by giving timely warning to their
masters, more than eUery sheep in DelG-
is not able to keep his dog fat, lays
down with his family in entire securi-
ty, well knowing that his dog will
give hlm timely warning in case of
danger. So much for dogs. Now for
sheep.
This profitable stock, befere lime
and other fertilizers was found out,
nearly made Sahara Desert" of
parts of Kent and Sussex Counties
The people then had no manufactures,
and each farmer had to keep sheep as
/ necessity to get wool to make clothing;
but these sheep having teeth in their
under jaw like the point Of trowel,
could cut grass shorter than horses and
cattle and thousands of old hollow
horned oxen and cows, have been
8 arved to death in the Spring, by these
said sheep robbipg them OF the early
grass, and every good farmer knows
now that lime and clover are the cheap
est and most 81 ostantial leans TO i'm
prove land, and l z any farmer if
sheep a.e not the worst stock that can
be turned on young clover. Now, l
will allew that gu old meadows, in our
county, where the mosquitoes are not
so plenty as along the salt marches,
that small herds Of sheep may pay
something; and on some few farms
near Port Penn, Delaware City, Will
fine, large breeds are raised and sold
L. a0N ht.f loo
lated cases like raising trotting stock
or extra breeds of cattle, it pays be-
cause there are so few at it, for the in
slant it becomes general, they would
all be producers and no buyers.
These men who raise few extra
sheep. do not let them roam all over
their farms; they are generally kept on
blue or green grass sod, on upland or
meadow lots, and also fed on good hay
and grain in the Winter, and grass and
grain in the Summer. Now, as to this
peach orchard project. For the last
few years, large quantities of sheep
have been brought from the West in
, the Fall. and sold in Philadelphia for
, S1.50 and So per head. Several far
mers have experimental with these
sheep. Now, we will take the neigh
borhood of Middletown. Suppose a
} man has 160 or ITO acres in his farm,
and say he has from 80 to 100 acres OF
that in peach tress. In the Fall, after
the peaches are picked, he has a nice
, show of crab grass, but very little
greea grass, for you cannot grow pro.
fitable green grass or white clover and
peaches the same year, on the same
ground. Well, say the first of October
he buys 100 head of sheep, and turns
shert time, what crab grass is not cal
up is killed by the frost, and by The
frs Of December these said sheer
o have eaten up every thing like grass
: and probably commenced upon the
; peach tree brush. We'll, this said farm
has to keep up as strong force of hor'
ses and mules. as if it was all titled in
grain. For the peach orchard, to be
kept up to the standard, must be til
led, and thus 80 or 100 acres of peach
orchard pr oduce Winter food therefore
in addition to the horses, mules and
" cews, farmer must keep some OF
> them, you have these 100 head OF
B sheep to take care of and as sheeF
will eat as much as one steer or cow,
> it will take 90 tons of hay to last youl
0 100 head of sheep until the first oi
March; at the time the sheep begin tC
II have lambs, and should have semt
j. grain. Now, you have fine prospect
ahead of you. Feed scarce, and il
o you turn your sheep out on your pas
ture land, you will have no pasture
for your horses and cattle, and if you
turn them in the field you intend t.
Q NOW, you will have no lay, ant
if you turn them into the peach or
chard, they will eat the green twigs al
fast as they start, and often gnaw the
bark of the trees, and as the green
grass was eat up last fall. there is non'
of it to fall back on, and if yeu intend
% to raise peaches, you must plow your
orchard about the middle of April ,and
these lambs and sheep must he KEEP
until the first or middle of June o.
July, before you can sell them of
About one sheep experiment generally
makes man so rich he never tries i
again. Take horse and carriage, ,ant
ride all over Delaware, and you viii
600 oo,n no ra tiyalv faw choap Why i