Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-08-22

and could they be seen in market In
large quantities, they would become a
popular dish, for the demand would
most likely increase with the supply
| The Rural New Yorker. -
L
sheep the Mainstay or Agriculture.
| When sheep husbandry becomes uni
versal in the States, the management
will be such as to make it evident to the
most casual observer that the farmer
could not possible make his farm pay
without numerous flock of sheep, and
it will be bitterly regretted that so much
of the fertility has been lost to the coun-
try by sending grain and corn away in
stead Of having kept sheep.
1t is essential that there should be
ram breeders who pay particular atten-
ton to the production of an uniformly
true-bred race. and to reimburse them
for extra care and expense, no one
should grudge the paying of good price,
for it does not pay for man to to use
rams Of his own breeding in flock orig
mating from mongrel.
One of the best recommendations a
tenant farmer IN England can have, is
that he so manage as to feed and bring
round a larger flock of sheep than his
neighber, in proportion to the number of
acres. 1t is but few years since the
highest premium given by the Royal
Agricultural Society Of England, went to
a farm which grew prodigious crops and
was in the very highth of fertility, owing
to the great number ofsheep bred, rails
ed and fattened on it every year. Here
the accounts proved how remunerating
this system really was, for it could not
be attributed to the farmers bodily la
Dor and his great industry, as it would
be in America, for the farm was a rent
ed one and the tenant widow. This
woman. however, put to shame thou
sands of men who are trembling afraid
oil high feeding. for she had paid $1,000
per year for oilcake, besides feeding
grain, &c., in great profusion, which all
came back to her again in the Immense
crops, and recol}ect, We American land
overs, this was not her own land.
| In America great stress is laid on the
caution not to cross the breeds and to
respect each pure-bred variety as sacred.
and not to be defled by any other blood.
But the United States is free country.
and say what any one chooses to say
about purity Of blood and keeping it I'M
contaminated by other kinds of strains
or even by totally foreign blood, it has
aided clear-headed and deep-thinking
men to cross or give dashes of fresh
bloodin order to bring about the shape,
the fleece and the particular tendency
to mature early they sought. Hence it
will not be worth while for intelligent,
wide-aWake men to be influenced by
the cautions of interested breeders
against taking dip Of any new blood
. which they have reason to believe will
be beneficial.
Read the history of the Hampshire
Down. and though no one can deny the
extraordinary improvement which was
: here effected in very short time, yet
it is so well known that 1t cannot be
disputed that there was good deal of
crossing resorted to, when the Hamp-
shire Down was being improved and
established. Then, again, everybody
has read how BLACKWELL searched the
country through to find the frame, shape
and general appearance his faultless
taste told him were required to supply
the markets of that period. Afterward
he kept close to the ewes and rams
which proved true to the standard he
| had erected, and consequently, it is not
worth while to be afraid of dash or a
cross Of fresh blood, when any thought
full farmer can see itwould supply some
deficiency in his flock, or would decid-
: eddy improve his sheep.
The Oxford Down is an established
breed, and that was almost a direct
cross between two different breeds, for
the men who first started this variety
did it openly and neighbors watched the
!, effect doubtingly, aud only admitted the
success when the offspring and descend
ents commenced to win premiums and
the admiration of the public generally.
The Merino is more or less intermix-
ed with all the grade focks in the Unit
, ed States, and these grades are very
useful, hardy breed which being all but
native and thoroughly acclimated,
should be the foundation of any flock
intended in the future to bring in an
annual profit from wool and mutton.
A good judge of sheep, with practi-
cal knowledge of the best and most
salable mutton and wool, has, at this
present day. good opportunity to dis
. tinguish himself by breeding and estab-
fishing new variety, which would COM
bine the best characteristics of the NUT
ton and fine-wooled sheep, and which
, would bear confinement in winter bet
ter than some of our present breeds do.
The South, however, will doubtless
eventually become the great sheep dis
trict of the States and there will not be
: occasion for much shelter there. Prob
ably it may be found that quite different
breeds will be required for the warm
and cold climates of this country, for in
England, Wales. and Scotland which
combined form miniature of this vast
Continent, nature has Diversified the
breeds to suit the highlands, the noun
talns, the valleys, the forests and the
broad plains.
! When sheep husbandry becomes gen.
eral every precaution will be taken to
prevent any sudden storm from destroy
ing the prosperity of any flock, for there
must and will be a shepherd on every
farm, and of course with the common
forecast used in regard to other stock,
in having food ETC., always on hand for
occasional need, there will be no losses
but such as the English and all other
sheep-raisers are liable to. In my next
/ will describe the English management
of sheep on the farms rented and occu-
| pied, year after year, by the common
tenants, and the average price got for
fat sheep, wool, etc. G. G..