Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-07-31
agricultural.
The Best Breed of sheed.

The Best Breed of Sheed.
There is much difference of opinion on
this subject, but no one need hesitate long
in deciding on the question, for all the
pure breeds Of the present day have so
many good qualities that their relative
excellence is only matter of opinion and
taste, and instead of consulting with one
and another to gain grounds for decision
a. to which of them is the best, any man
may as well humor his own fancy. and
commence with the breed whose apper-
snce he likes best.
OF course there are considerations
which should have some weight in decid-
inc ones selection. One farmer, for In
stance, may have an extensive mountain
range so broken that much activity Is
required in getting about after the her
bage on a great part of it, while another
may have a good deal OF rich bottom
lands, with pasture so abundant as to
require very little movement. In such
eases the man with the high land could
Dot do better that choose the good, old
South Down, while the others choice
ought to fall on the Cotswolds, Lincolns
or the Leicesters.
Where mutton and wool are the great
dcSideratun, the owner having no inten-
ton of raising or breeding rams to be sold
at fancy prices, it would be advisable that
the ewes should be grades Of good COM
mon stock then rams Of the desired
breed should be used. and pure-bred rams
ouly should be employed on the young
ewes of the next generation. Thus, step
by step, we,l-bred animal will be at
tanned, which is really very easy mat
ter.
Where the sheep have to range u good
deal, and there Is browsing and climbing
To seek for heritage, a pure South Down
ram would be preferable TO any other, as
tina, breed Is decidedly the most active OF
the mutton breeds, and vii! prosper where
the heavier breeds would do no good IN
less they had some feed given them daily.
The breed Of sheep tor any man to get
Is the one best adapted for the pasture
and for the treatment to which they will
be subjected. And whatever breed may
be selected, it will pay to feed them wei
whenever the season Is sufficiently ad-
yanccd to require it; and however hardy
the Downs may be, and however little
extra feeding they may subsist en-, still
i, is the fact that it Will pay to feed them
literally, as there are three sources OF
increased prof; arising from the single
cost Of grain, oilcake, or whatever Is CIV
cu, VIZ, more mutton, more wool, and bet
ter manure.
Nor Is this all, for every business man
knows that mutton and wool, from well
fed, ripe sheep, bring more per pound, &c
that to the increased quantity of meat
and wool there should be added the profit
OF q cent or two per pound on the whole
carcass, because prime meat always com
mands a greater price per pound, while
the wool Is also of better quality in pro:
portion to the condition OF the sheep
Then again, as an additional inducement
TO feed literally with stimulating food, i
should be borne in mind that much les:
hay Is eaten in winter if other food j.
used. Many people, however are 30 care
less in thought as TO charge the whole
cost Of grain, meal or oicake making nc
allowance for the hay saved and for the
richer manure.
Not only are the above advantage,
gained by good feeding, but there is still
another result Of great importance which
follows The high feeding Of young stock
| refer TO early maturity and quick re.
turns. Owing to this practice IN Eng,
land, the yearling wethers, called tegS
are quite a. heavy as any wo-year-old
we,her in the United States, and they
yield a fleece twice as heavy as that OF au
American sheep. This Is caused by the
great quantity Of turnips generally eaten
by sheep in that country, and the atten,
ton paid to them by the shepherds, who
feed them IN such a systematic manner as
10 make them ca, a much as possible
while the farmers here contriye to keey
their sheep on as little as possible.
1t Is really astonishing how rapidly
sheep husbandry has progressed in Eng
land during the last half century, iol
when l was boy, there were no machine:
for cutting turnips, and they were all eat
en- oft a. they had grown. A kiusman 0.
mine, who did business in Danbury Ok
iordshire, invented the first good turniE
cutter, and to this day no other machine
has been much Of an improyement.-Geo
Gardner, in Rural New Yorker.