St. Landry democrat., 1878-08-03

; business than any other stock busines
that can be conducted in this country
But to know how to handle sheep right
ly is no small consideration when YOU %
to figure on the profits of your invest
meDt in sheep. | venture to say tha,
there afe as many men who lose as make
in the sheep business, and it is all from
lack of knowledge of the business. and
proper range and conveniences for hand
ling the stock. A word in regard to the
kind of sheep to handle: Many get the
idea that it is best to start with Mexican
'wes and grade up. This is a mistaken
idea, They have neither the constitu
ton, carcass nor wool They count for
sheep, and that is all. Buy good trade
at once-buy quality and not quantity.
If a sheep that shears three pounds Of
wool pays, one that will shear six or
eight will pay better. The expenses on
1000 good sheep are no more than the
same number of common sheep, and
there you have the difference between
three pounds and eight pounds, or five
pounds more of wool from your good
than from your common sheep. Land
in Texas will soon be an object, and ev-
cry man will be compelled to herd on his
own land, which, being worth a good
price, you can buy the less-so buy good
sheep and make better per cent. on
your investment than when YOU handle
common sheep. The following figures
will show the cost, expenses and profits
of 1876 ewes for one year. Ny statements
are exact, and any one can see their cor
rectness by looking at my books: 1855
ewes at IS per head cost FL ,240, and one
ram cost $75. Total cost of sheep, ST.
3l5. The 1855 ewes sheared ,24O pounds |
OF wool, which, at twenty-five ana one |
half cents, brought $278. The expenses
Of herding, shearing, etc, were $lG2.75.
Profit on wool $ll5.25, or a fraction un-
der nine per cent. on the investment.
These ewes raise ninety five lambs, which
are valued at SO per head,
which I think is reasonable
figure (at least that would not
buy them). Then if to the value of your
wool you add the value of the lambs
you have very handsome profit on your
investment. We employ boy to herd
these ewes at 81 per month. Or course
the expenses are heavy in pr, portion to
the income from wool on account of the
small number OF sheep in the herd. But
if for 1000 of such ewes you double the
and multiply the l ,24O pounds
Of wool by six and figure the wool at a
reasonable price, you have good profit on
your investment from the wool alone.
Then to this add the value of the lambs
and you have fine profit. This state /
nent gives the profits of sheep raising {
where good attention is given to caring ,
or sheep. Of course the profits will be
ess in proportion as you tail to attend
he sheep rightly. You must figure on I
loss per annum of about FIVE per cent. f
# your number from various causes,
uch as wolves, worms, carelessness ]
# shepherds, ETC., and in figuring g
our amount of increase it is not r
ate to count for more than two lambs t
rom every three breeding ewes Gen r
rally where good attention is given E
luch better per cent. is saved. The '
rtlcle in the Sun spoke of lambs one t
ear old raising lambs. The Suns in t
'rmant can beat us in this part of the f;
ountry, hut as that article was most
robably written by some land or rail- n
,ad agent, he had as well said what he v
id as anything else. My object has been W
give you fair and exact statement of Il
cts, which will show to any one good
rofit On the investment, but no big, il
lpid fortune. And any one who thinks "
make fortune in two or three years, a.
i'd then, like the Chinaman, return to n
is native land to speni it, had best not n
west in sheep, for in nine cases out OF il
N he will loose instead of make. If st
lose who come to Texas to 60 into the n
leep business would first 60 out on el
eep ranch and herd and handle sheep NJ
le year before buying, nine out of ten
ould never invest. n,