The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-08-21
Keen q Few Sheep,

DOES IL occur 10 Idrm6rS OTuludTuys
that they could add few sheep to the
stock already upon the farm without
lessoning the amount of feed set apart
for the latter. Do farmers consider the
unnecessary degree to which they con-
fine themselves to salt meats? After
the freezing winter season is over it is
not practicable. away from full sup
ply of ice, to keep fresh meats about
the house for more than a day or so.
Mutton is well known to be the easiest
of any to keep in hot weather. If farm
ers would more generally keep few
sheep. they would, by exchanging
favors, killing alternately, keep each
others tables supplied with fresh meat
during the summer months.
On some farms-and these are not
few-the only dependence for a change
from the barrel, is upon the good wife's
stock of poultry. This stock, which
has come from good deal of watchful
care and labor usually, would answer
her a good turn, if permitted to market
during the season, in connection with
her butter and lesser products. But
owing to the absence of other sources
of supply in the way of fresh meats,
when harvest and threshing time comes
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 and despised by the
average farmer, sheep well bred, with
a view to tendency to fattening and ear
ly maturity, will eat around in the fence
corners and by places, localities neglect
ed or avoided by other larger stock, and
on such feed-shunned by the COW and
the horse-they will fatten, making at
any and at all times, whether it be in
spring, midsummer, fall or winter, the
very best and most wholesome flesh in
use upon the table. For dinner upon
the farmers table, during harvest, or
at any other time nothing is more ap-
propriate, healthy and palatable than q
bowl of well-made mutton soup, with
crackers or light bread, accompanied
with slice of the meat, well-cooked
and duly seasoned. This, with the usual
vegetables, forms a meal easily pre-
pared, and so nearly fills the bill that
the most simple and Inexpensive dessert
completes the requirements. This for
to-day, with bit of roast for to-mor-
row, ham or pork the third day, ena-
bles the farmers wife to break in upon
the monotOny, SO common, and liable
to be so tedious to the housewife pos
sessed of average ambition, and so irk-
some to all, whoSe.tastes, and the wear
and tear of whose muscles, exposed to
the daily strain of farm labor, required
to be studied.
These are the views we set out to ad-
vance, not thinking to bring arguments
to show that there is money profit in
keeping sheep. The common verdict
for some years past, has been, that
there is, in general 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 figuring the
profit as the merch ant does this upon
a yard of cloth or a pound of tea, but
because the various movements upon
the farm and within the house cannot
be carried on in becoming manner if
these things are omitted. What a man,
his hired help, and his family eats, has
a question of palatableness involved,
as well as the question of building up
the muscles that a full days work may
be done. On these propositions it pays
to keep sheep, equally as it pays to
have the oat bin well filled when you
start in with your teams for heavy
seasons work. But we think flock of
sheep-kept away from the worthless
neighborhood dogs at night-if reason
ably well bred, will, in view of the ma
tural increase, the product of wool and
hide upon his back, and the incidental
value of the pounds of meat upon his
carcass, whether these be consumed
upon the farm or in town or city, will
pay equally with any other stock upon
the farm. Whether they will or not, in
view of the value and availability of the
meat in the ways stated, hundreds of
sheep should now be kept in townships
where not one is now seen.