The Osceola times., 1878-07-20

busipess than any other stock business
that can De conducted In this country.
/ But 70 know hcv TO handle -heep right
" ID no small consideration when you SO
20 fieure on the profits Of your invest
nnent In sheep. ! venture 70 say that
there are - many men who lose a. MAKE
In the sheep business. and Il Il all IRON
Q lack OF knowledge Of the business, and
proper range and conveniencss for hand
ling the stock. A word In regard 10 the
kind Of sheep TO handle: Many get the
idea that IL js best to start with Mexican
ewes and grade up. This 10 . mistaken
ides. They have neither the constitu'
tiou, carcass nor wool. They count for
sheep, and that II all. Bay good trade
At once-buy quality and not quantity.
Ifa sheep that shears three pounds OF
wool pays, one that will shear six or
eight will pay better. The expenses on
I 900 good sheep are no more than the
came number of common sheep, and
there you have the difference between
three pounds and eight pounds, or fve
pounds more OF wool from your good
than from your common aheep. Land
in Texas will soon be an object, and ey-
cry man will be compelled 70 herd on his
own land, which, being worth good
rrice, 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, expense and profits
Of 1856 ewes for one year. My statements
are exact, and any one can see their cor
rectness by looking at my books; 155
ewes at tS per bead cost 81 ,240, and one
ram cost SIS. Total cost OF sheep, w..
315. The 1856 ewes sheared ,240 pounds
OF wool, which, at twenty-five and one
half cents, brought $27S. The expenses
Of herding, shearing, etc, were sl63.76.
Profit on wool t1l5.25, or . fraction un-
der nine per cent. on the Investment.
These ewes raise ninety five lambs. which
are valued at tl0 per head,
which I think Ia reasonable
figure (at least that would not
buy them). Then II 10 the value OF your
wool you add the value Of the lambs,
you have q very handsome profit on your
Investment. We employ a boy to herd
these ewes at u per month. Oi course
the expenses are heavy 10 proportion to
the income from wool on account Of the
small number Of sheep in the herd. But
II for !, 200 OF such ewes you double the
expenses. and multiply the ,240 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 70 this odd the value Of the lambs.
and you have q fine profit. This state
ment gives the profits Of sheep raising
where good attention Is given TO caring
for sheep. OF coursc the profits will be
les in proportion a. you fail 70 attend
the sheep rightly. You must figure on
q loa per annum OF about FIVE per cent.
OF your number from various causes,
such - wolves, worms, carelsssness
Of shepherds, etc., and in figuring
your amount OF increase 1t is not
sale TO count for more than two lambs
from every three breeding ewes. Gen
orally where good attention Ia given q
much better per csnt is saved. The
article In the Sun spoke of lamb. one
year old raising lambs. The Suns in
formant can beat Us In this part Of the
country, hut a. that article was most
probably written by some land or rail-
road agent, he had AZ well said what he
did as anything else. My object has been
To give you q fair and exact statement Of
facts, which will show to any one good
profit on the investment, but no big,
rapid fortune. And any one who thinks
TO make fortune In two or three years,
and then, like the Chinaman, return TO
his native land to spend II, had best not
invest In sheep, for In nine cases out OF
ten he will looee instead Of make. II
those who come to Texas TO 60 into the
sheep business would Arst go out on q
sheep ranch and herd and handle sheep
one year before buying, nine out of ten