Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-16

are usually cheap. For breakfast ne mas
corn-bread and bacon; for dinner and sup
per, bacon and corn-bread. For drink, he
has coffee and sometimes little whskey.
The rations he has to cook himself. A
pair of good revolvers is a part of the
necessary outfit of berdsman. and he
sometimes needs them badly. A man who
lives thus usually thinks he should have
some compensation for his time. A good
man can be hired to herd sheep for Sl5
per month, not including board. A fair
estimate of the cost of keeping 1000 sheep
year and ten per cent on the capital in
vested is as follows:
Cost of 1000 Mexican ewes, $500
80 Merino rams, 500
ranch and Improvements, 1000
span of mules, wagon, &c. 800
Total capital invested, $4,000
Ten per cent. interest on capital
invested, $50
Wages of herdsman one year 1870
Cost OF herdsman's board, rs
Shearing and dipping sheep $50
Salt for sheep 20
To this sum should be added the expense
and time in carrying the wool to market,
and the procuring of supplies for the ranch.
There must be extra help TO do this, and
extra expenses, rs Il matter of fact. the
year through.
All of the foregoing expenses of keep
ing 1000 sheep amount 10 about $1,000 or
$500 per head year. The income from
the flock, with good luck, is as follows:
$500 lbs of wool at I cts. per ID. S425
$50 lambs at $3.50 per head 975
Total income, $l40O
This sum, less the cost of keeping the
sheep one year, leaves balance of $500
for profit. This result is with good luck
with bad luck the result would be far diff
ferent. Let me assure you that "bad
luck are two words full of meaning 10 IA
person who raises sheep in Texas. Some
times it is caused by inexperience and
want of care. at other time by severe
drouth. or the locusts may come and de-
your almost everything that is green, or u
norther, as it is called, may visit the
country. A norther is a cold, strong,
piercing wind which occasionally sweeps
over the country from September to May
When it is accompanied with rain it is
most trying time for sheep, especially if
they are just shorn, and is death TO young
lambs. ! have seen IL person who COM
menced herding sheep last winter with
1900 ewes, and in the month of April he
had only 80 of them left. The way he
cursed sheep raising in Texas would be Il
caution to young folks. Another sheep
breeder of experience informed me that
some four years ago he had flock of 2600
sheep, he now had about 800; he had not
sold any sheep during the time. have
named these instances to show that it is not
all sunshine in raising sheep in Texas.
The money made by herding sheep
there is by first learning the business, then
by keeping the grade Merno sheep The
profits from 1000 ewes of three-fourth
blood Merno with good luck, is about
$4,000 per year or 50 per head These
sheep are worth about 81 per head and will
shear from to pounds of wool, worth
% cents per pound, when Mexican is
worth II cents. The lambs from these
sheep will sell for So per head. The NUT
ton sheep will sell in market for 90 per
cent more !h'h MeXlcans OF the same size
1 ool,o c 10 lllese acls IS que the
tln''''" w nie'l''o runs ior LEXIS anu
other like places. | submit to you in all
candor if the herding of sheep in Texas is
not encouraging and cheering for the
Melino sheep breeders of Vermont,
ine lui'''llcltal polhVs III u Sood Merl-
w n''eel' 're constitution, good SIZE form
Nt.tt1 a.,
" ~ e1'o,V,! "l'n S9ou q.ahtl'y OF lhc
''lSlIe" qut'l!y Oh WOOL ana In Their power
ol IL transmitting these qualities to Their
"nsPl iuS' nus 'ast named quality de
pei''S' Ill great measure upon their ped
iSl,e'
~ S"o' oo''s'''u'loi IS one Oh lhe all es-
senll'i points IN u good sheep 1T Is to be
',''ru "oo'o al ll!e nancy points mat
,'nas h Ih"llon can devise "A mock OF sheep
ui'! nave an ol !le nancy points; some OF
" ', l'o'' ''e cssontl't' 10 "eauCy' lney may Dc
, ne uuq"estloheo aeseen'lah'S OF ne Hum.
lni'y Vi some o'lef importation and II
lucy I'ch constitution, lhey are a poor
l i',Iga Oh sneeP. GOOD size IS essential be-
1I '"ao " so'y nrSe proportion OF the
,lr' lno n%'nS .llaI are SOFA arc sold to
l' 'ui 1on0 WHY 0leea slieeP lor mutton as
S , 10 WOOL ~ gooa form IS essential
'e',,, ~ n 1 the sheeP I'M object OF
1e"",y anu also means thit sheep is well
I l,.N;, anu all parts OF the sheep are in
1 i,,al proper ana necessary proportion.
ir,d dornl OF tne SneeP indicates IN great
I,ss th h, prGeolhS qualities. In the
'"cs II snouio De more delicate than in
,"his, AN eve llat mas the form OF Il
.oousI ram Is almost invariably II poor
.,,;.,i ana sucil ewes seldom give
'u,tao'c quahIlly OF mix LOT lhelr lambs.
II IS rs essential that II sheep be well
.oVereu win wool rs II IS that all of our
mage lanu' so lar as Is practicable, be
~. !" produce crop a sheep that is
Ios "oll oo1ele'' ooeS no. generally pro-
I : i" Soo,l crop OF WOOL Inc quantity
u Wool lhaV Il sheep VIII. grow must
ePehu somewhat upon It's SIZE and consH-
QJlOn. L think there is Il desire amOnU