The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-05
Profit in Sheen.

will grow him ton or ton and half of
excellent hay.-Ne,vs and Courier.
Profit in Sheep.
ave have a flock of near three hun
dred sheep; most of them are scrub ma
tives, except the lambs of last year, which
are the progeny of a fine Leicester buck.
We wish to buy two more bucks of pure
blood, because we see clearly the improve
ment from the first crossing. Our flock
ranges on the Santee bottoms, and wool
is our chief object, but mutton forms
some part in the economy of our flock,
as we are sufficiently convenient to reap
the advantages of the Charleston market.
Now, will you advise US what breed to
invest in to satisfy our wants, climate and
all considered?"
The writer of the above says he has
seen our views in the Neaus and Courier
but would rather hear from us as to his
especial investment. And we regret in
our replying to his particular case to say
that we fear he has begun with the very
worst step towards improvement. The
Leicester sheep is the same as the old
Bakewell; very large and lubberly, al
ways fat, but a heavy and good feeder,
and the most delicate and liable to dis
ease of all the larger breeds of sheep.
They are not held in high esteem any
where, except in the immediate vicinity
of mutton markets, where they can be
pampered and highly fed, so as to pro-
duce large carcass in the smallest posi-
BILE time. They have frequently been
known to dress one hundred pounds net
at year old, and sometimes three hum
dred pounds at full growth or four years
old. Their fleece is fine, silky and very
white, but not heavy, averaging not over
eight to ten pounds from the choicest
specimens.
The South Down would be far more
desirable sheep for the Santee country.
They are smaller than the Leicester,
round bodied, small boned, with black or
dark legs, fine breeders, and at year old
will yield carcass weighing forty to fifty
pounds, and at growth about eighty to
one hundred pounds. Their average
fleece is not more than five, perhaps four
pounds. The mutton from the South
Down is reputably superior to any in the
world. To this, however, we do not at
tach much Importance, for if any sheep
is domesticated and properly fed to pre-
vent a wild rank taste to the flesh, we
think one kind as palatable as another
We have often had friends to say at our
table, "Why this is equal to any English
mutton p and the choicest piece of NUT
ton we ever tasted, and one which drew
from professed epicure the remark, that
he had never eaten anything equal to it,
"even in the valley of Virginia" was a
roast quarter of four year old goat that
had become seal fat from stealing his
meals from the stable troughs. So we
don't attach much value to the breed on
the point of mutton. Any of them will
make superior mutton if properly handled,
tatted, butchered and cooked, all equally
important points in growing mutton for
the table.
AS we have said before, however, the
South Down proved a delicate sheep in
our handling, and by no means equal to
the Merino. This, after all, is the sheep
for our climate, latitude and pasturage.
The Merino is a small sheep, of awkward,
yes ugly shape, slow of growth, and does
not mature as early as other sheep. For
mutton the lambs are worthless, but at
four or five years of age when fat, the
weathers are equal to any sheep we have
ever eaten, and the older the sheep the
better the meat. AS breeders the Merino
is perhaps not so prolific as the other
breeds of sheen, and possibly not as good
mixers but they will reproduce rapidly
enough to increase the flock amazingly if
carefully handled. The bucks are as
vigorous as any breed of sheep. A two
year old may serve Is to 80 ewes, and at
maturity from 65 to 80, if highly fed and
iudiciously treated. In 1867 we weaned
56 lambs from 4S ewes and q single buck
three years old.
No sheep is fond of rank pasturage,
and all low wet lands are unfavorable for
the growth of sheep. The foot rot is a
disease created by too wet pastures and
is said to be fatally contagious, and has
carried off thousands of sheep annually
in Southern Europe. We do not know
that this disease was ever seen in Amer
lea. We certainly never saw it, but we
mention it to advise our Santee friends
that it may be provoked by pasturing
sheep too much in the bottoms. We are
convinced that sheep should at least have
dry land to ruminate upon, and for this
reason where they ramble in bottoms
during the day, should be driven to high
er and drier spots at night. If left to
themselves they will seek these spots any
way, and will never be found standing or
lying in wet places. They prefer rumi-
mating upon bald, dry spots, which don't
remain so long after the sheep appropri-
ates them for aseason-NeWs and Courier.