The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-09-18
Farm and Houlo.
AND USEFUL IMPORTATION.
Keep a Few Sheep.


Does it occur to farmers ordina
rlly, that they could add a few
sheep to the stock already upon the
farm without lessening the amount
of feed set apart for the latter. Do
farmers consider the unnecessary
degree to which they confi1e them
selves to salt meats? After the
freezing winter season is over it is
not practicable, away from full
supply of ice, to keep fresh meats
about the house for more than q
day or so. Mutton is well known
to be the easiest of any to keep in
hot weather. If farmers would
more generally keep a few sheep,
they could, by exchanging favors,
killing alternately, keep each others
tables supplied with fresh meat
during the warm months.
On some farms-and these are
not few-the only dependence for
change from smoked meat, or
otherwise, pork from the barrel, is
upon the good wife's stock of poul
try. This stock, which has come
from a good deal of watchful care
and labor usually, would answer
her good turn, if permitted tc
market during the season, in con-
nection with her butter and lesser
products. But owing to the alb
sence of other sources of supply in
the way of fresh meats, when har-
vest and threshing time come, or
visitors drop in, raid is made
upon the young growing stock Of
poultry, the best are selected, and
little by little the wife's visions of
diverse and sundry things to come
of sales in the early fall, vanish.
Sheep, ignored ana despised by
the average farmer, sheep well bred,
with a view to tendency to fattening
and early maturity, will eat around
in fence corners and by places, To-
calities neglected or avoided by
other larger stock, and on such
feed, Stunned by the COW and the
horse, they will fatten, making at
all times, whether it be in spring,
midsummer, fall or winter, the very
best and most wholesome flesh 10
use upon the table. For dinner
upon the farmers table, during
harvest, or at any other time, moth
ing is more appropriate, healthy
and palatable than a bowl of we'll
made mutton soup, with crackers
or light bread, accompanied by a
slice of the meat, we'll cooked and
duly seasoned. This, with the usu-
al vegetables. forms a meal easily
prepared, and so nearly fills the
bill that the most simple and mex
pensive dessert complete the require
ments. This for to day, with bit
of roast for tomorrow, ham or
pork the third day, enables the
farmers wife to freak in upon the
monotony, so common, and liable
to be so tedious to the housewife
possessed of average ambition, and
so irksome to all, whose tastes, and
the wear and tear of whose muscles,
exposed to the daily strain of farm
labor, requires to be studied.
These are the views we set out to
not thinking to bring ar
ey profit in keeping sheep. The |
common verdict tor some years |
past, has been, and there is, in gen
eral terms, no profit in farming. |
The farmer keeps pair of farm |
geldings for the mere work there is
in them. So there are various
things kept, not with view to fig
uring the profit as the merchant
does this upon yard Of cloth or a
pound of tea, but because the va
rious movements upon the farm
and within the house cannot be
coming on in a becoming manner
if these things are omitted. What
a man, his family and his hired
help eat, has question Of palata
bleness involved, as well as the
question of building up the mus
cles that full days work may be
lone. On these propositions it
pays to keep sheep, equally as well
rs it pays to have the oat bin well
filed when you start in with your
Jeans for a heavy seasons work.
But we think flock of sheep, kept
away from the worthless neightor-
hood dogs at night, If reasonably
vek bred, will ,in view of the natural
Increase, the product of wool and
hide upon his back, and the Incl
dental value of the pounds of meat
lpon his carcass, whether these be
ON the farm or in town
'r in city, will pay equally with any
other stock upon the farm. Wheth-
# they will or not, In view of the
'alue and availability of meat in
he ways stated, hundreds of sheep
hould be kept in townships where
lot one is now SEEM Farm and