The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-06-30
Ampn9 the {atmErs,
Improving Common Sheen,

d"c'ion OF wn"' and the breeding oI
sheep a speciality, and yet a larS.
amount Of wool is produced ANNUALLY
for the keeping of small focks OF
sheep Is very general with all the
farmers throughout the State. | be.
lieve that the 2, 1858 sheep return,
I'd in 1870 arc kept alHiost entirely
III small hocks, ranging say from five
to twenty-five. The lambs and fat
sheep are disposed of to the butchers
in cities ahd 'o|Tns. The production
of mutton and wool and the breeding
Of early lambs for market Is ::a'na-
bic adjunct to the othc> hrancll,s OF
agriculture. | do not claim that
there is a very large amount of profit
to be made in the course of Il year
from IA dozen sheep, but there is, on
all farii:s, grating IN simmer and
rough feed ~ winter that can be con
verified into mutton and wool, and
which would not make butter, beef,
or pork. 1t is impossible for weeds
to grow in field where sheep are
kept, and for this purpose they a,c
jnralnabl". I'ilr roult,y they are
The scavcnycrs OF the farm: their
keeping costs but little aud this is the
reason why they are profitable in the
hands Of even careless farmer. To
the farmer sheep ere stock that pay
dividends semi. annually, In the
spring there is a return of wool that
would render The investment in sheen
sufficiently profitable if there was no
other source Of profit, and in the fall
There is an equally profitable return
in lambs, or rather the lambs are
ready for market at that season. From
the returns of 1870 we find that the
average clip per head was 4.e5 pounds.
A sheep will clip nearly five pounds
Of washed wo"l;' worth say thirty
cents per pound tit has been con-
sldeMbly higher during the past few
years) this amounts to 81 50. She
also produces lamb, which should
be worth S. when it is fit for the
butcher. This makes SO 50 as the
amount realised from one sheep for
the y"cr. We have to feed the sheep
and care for her a year; but We have
the sheep herself lett at the end of
the season, tier manure also. and the
fact that this was accomplished on
'ongh feed aud an outlay of very lit
the season. As As at h,aatter t"eoN1se
it varies with the different breeds.
1t is important that the cost OF
keeping sheep should lie re''nccd t"
tive lowest possible figure. And while
this object should not be lost sight Of
another equally important object may
always be kept in view, and that is
increasing the quality Of the flock
'WIaleter is worth doing at all is
worth doing wells" Ifit will pay to
raise sheep for mutton and wool (and
think there is no doubt of iD, it will
pay to raise sheep making the large s
weight of mutton and yielding the
largest quantity of the highest priced
wool. Sheep breeding holds out III
ducrments as tempting as any brancf
of agriculture. 1t is very often the
casa that u business, profitable ii
theory, when engaged in by men w'!'
are incompetent, is apt to result II
loss aud dissatisfaction. The prof
Of sheep breeding depends as mnc'
on the intelligence and ability Of th'
man who undertakes it as does TIT
profit of any other business requiring
as large an amount Of experience t"
it's successful prosecution. 1t is i'm
possible for a man who has no inter
est in the bus;,,tss to become a sue
cessful sleep breeder, bud sucl. 4 ma
will in time quit the business IN dis
gust. Unless a man property ar
preciates the sheep that he is breed
ing. he cannot have interest cnons
in them to insure his making the br
SlucSS 4 success.
Salt is important to the flock.
is Il matter Of health t" the t|ock III;
,lcy are occasionally changed fro1
' one field to another. Good ,indsme'
y can he shown i'll the breeding Of Il
flock. The use of ram lambs Il
needing is an error, and where tn
: method of breeding is adopted the
I. is lack of visor in the lambs, and
Il steady deterioration in the flock.
" There is great deal to be done
improving the sheep that we hav
IS The ordinary breed Of the country
% almost as much of Il distinct breed
any Of the so:caled improved va'i
ties. 1t possesses some OF tile rhara
Fe tcris,ics of the long-wooled; the Tin
70 wooltd; and the mutton varieties.
y, is the result of the introduction,
s. different times, of all these varIcti'
~ and would respond quickly to a cr'
h of any thoroughbred stock. TIL
IL general appearance, however, is
a. fe,ior, and their wool especially
lacking in uniform Of quality a
staple. If a farmer finds itproiita
T. to keen sheep when they clip on
a. averaS g I've pounds Of wool, it is c
no dent that he will tiud it still nj
y. profitable if lie can ii,c!case t
n'ss average to six podnds, aud 60
49, prove the quality that he can ca
mand four or five cents m1ro
pound. A farmer VIII" finds it prof
.rn ble to raise lambs weighing from
The to sixty pounds at five 'nu"ths
led will find it still more profitable to +
My lambs weighing from eighty to
~ hundred pn"nls at the same
How can this be done' One wa
to obtain the sheep that will d'
en- bnt this is hardly advisable for
the ordinary farmer, as it involves
and much expense. A tert g"Ha VI
VS.: to use thoroughbred rains. There
! to 50 many men engaged IN the bree
of Thoroughbred stock that d ia
Is able 70 procure a good animal