The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-01-05

lbWV Seutleueu own three heCtlOub Oh
laed, and have also bnilt fine Stone
/ lresidenee, with out-houses, aud have
lnearly 1000 fine breeding sheen. They
have been there only little more than
one year. and so highly pleased is Mr..
j. &. Gunther with the experiment that
| he pronounces 1t the best investment OF
money he ever made.
The young men are delighted with
their prospects for the future, and their
life ON the stock farms. At the opening
Of the coming spring there will be a large
increase in the population from England
as well as from this city. Ample ar
rangements are being made for the build
ing OF q church aud the establishment OF
schools, which will be amplified as they
are required. The church, though nomi-
nally Episcopal, will be free for the use
Of all denominations. The Trustees are
| Right Rev. Thomas FL. Vail, Bishop of
Kansas; Mr.. John D. Perry, of ST. Louis |;
Mr.. Thomas r. Clark, of New York, and
Mr.. George Grant, of Victoria.
| In the matter OF stock farming Mr..
GRANTS experiment has been upon q
| very large scale, and eminently success
full. Although his crops tor the first
| year were nearly destroyed by grass
fere with the feeding of cattle upon the
| buffalo grass of the plains, and is af.
firmed to be the most nutritious grass
| tnat grows-eyen more SO than the fa-
nous bluegrass of Kentucky. Mr..
Granps specially is sheep. He began
about eighteen months ago with a flock
of $3.50 breeding ewes and sixty long
! wooled English rams OF the highest ped
| igree and from the first tiooks in England,
consisting OF Oxford Downs. Leicesters,
| Lincclns, Cotswolds aud Southdowns.
| Taking the past year as an average OF
the next ten years, the profits of this
flock, allowing fifteen per cent. less than
shown in the last years increase, will
amount to at least 81. 500, 900, on the p an
of reinvesting yearly two-thirds OF the
proceeds of the sales OF wool, mutton,
wethers, &C., in the purchase Of fresh
breeding owes, At present Mir. Granys
i1ocks amount in the aggregate to ul-
wards of 5000 sheep. These are divided
into focks OF 1000 TO 1900, one shepherd
and d dog being able to lake charge Of a
flock. They are carefully housed in
winter, in well-built corrals, with stone
walls and covered sheds.
[ During the winter months the sheep
are allowed one-half a pound of crushed
corn each when they are brought into
the fold at night. Except in stormy
weather, which lasts only few days az
time, the sheep are allowed to run at
large during the daytime. This plan OF
! herding and feeding mas reduced the
death rate TO very low percentage, and
| the increase OF the wool clip from The
| imported rams and graded meriao ewes
has nearly doubled in the past year. A
ihalLgraded merino sheep clips about
four pounds OF wool, whereas Mr..
Grants clip from his improved year.
llngs was over seven and 0ne-half
pounds.
Believing prevention better than cure,
the pan adopted by Mr.. Grant for keep.
ing Lne sheep healthy is as follows: He
has a sheep-Dath. in which he dips his
sheep twice a year, Immediately after
| shearing and at the end OF summer, and
by his arrangements he can dip 5000
sheep per day. A solution of twenty
pounds of tobacco and i've pounds OF sui,
phur to the 100 gallons OF water is pre-.
pared by being boiled for two hours in
two tanks holding each 1908 gallons, and
used i'll the bath at temperature OF 120
! deg. Fahrenheit.
| Tne solution is then run into a trough
"a feet long and 8 feet deep, and the
sheep are driven up to it iii single file
| through o narrow passage on o level
with the top, and fall into the water
After swimming through the water, the
lsheep ascend from the bath by steps to a
| dripping corral or inclosure, where they
remain until the wash runs back into
| the bath, so that nothing is wasted.
| The cost is about two cents head, and
yields to the owner a return in wool
| from the improved condition of the
sheep, of at least half pound, and
worth twenty cents per head. This
bath also keeps out scab, tick, and other
4 vermin 10 which sheep are subject,
| Several interesting experiments in
crossing imported stock will be made
this summer, and the results carefully
| noted.
Although Mr.. Grant has devoted his at.
tention principally to The raising and
breeding OF sheep, he has also on his
farm several head OF fine cattle, all ol
whicn are frst-elass imported Short
horns OF the Booth and Bates strains,
and some OF them are the finest animals
ever brought to- this country. in addi-
ton to them he has iour OF the pure An
gus Pail bull, well known in Europe ,bul
very rare here. These splendid animals
A are highly priced in England as bee
lproducers, being full, round, deep
i chested, with short legs, and when three
years cid give an average weight Of 2,20(
pounds each.
Mr.. Grants plan is the crossing of the
native cows with the Angus PalPs, ant
i his confidence In this production of {
lsplendid stock of cattle lie very san
iguine. He has also 200 calves, the result
OF this cross, which are tine specimens
of the improved breed, closely resem
bling their sires, He has in all herd o
500 native cows, OF the best class ant
approved colors, from which, with thi
additions he purposes 10 make by fire.
Quent aud judicious purchases, he viii
A Undoubtedly in time possess one OF thu
finest herds OF cattle to be found in the
4 United States.
/ These cattle are under the care OF ex
perienced herdsmep, and are grazed dur
ling the summer months on what il
known as Smoky Hill Ranch, which ii
plentifully watered by the Smoky Hi
4 river, and where the cattle lind sheltel
Iot cottonwood and elm-trees. This rancI
is about fifteen. miles from Victoria De
pot. During the winter season the sheeE
land cattle are pastured on the VietorIi
river, occupying frontage Of clear run
ming water iex tending iully ten miles.
4 Farming Is also being carried ON b,
dMr. Grant on an equal extensive scale
the crops being used only for the feed
ling Of his own stock. The past seasons
crop has been very successful in rye
wheat, oats and Hungarian grass. One
eightyaacre field OF the latter produces
A NO less than 476 tons OF hay. and GIL