The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-11-08
MANAGING SHEEP.
METHODS OF A BREEDER OF LONG

RIENCE.
| promised my brother wool growers at
our last convention to give them my way
or plan of handling sheep the year round.
will start on the first day of September
and give you my mode of handling 100
ewes for one year, and their profits, put
ting them at S. per head. This will apply
to any number in the same ratio; pu tone
buck to each IS ewes the IS. of Septem-
Der, and no more; put each Is to them
selves. Now this number will apply to
all long wooded sheep, but 100 Merlnos
will do better together than Is long woods.
Breeding those ewes as above mentioned
will bring your lambs about the Ist of Feb
ruary, which is the mildest month of Win
ter, and if l save 7 in 10 am satisfied, 1t
corn stands up well, put my sheep in the
corn field They will do no harm through
September and October, but great deal
of good in some mems corn. This change
will give your blue grass good start for
winter Now, please prepare good shed
or barn that will hold Is comfortably, say
Iox2o at least, litter it with good dry straw,
and allow them to walk in and out at will.
| Don't close them in till they commence
Landing, then only nights and stormy
DAYS. Feed clover hay in square box
rack, three feet high and three feet wide.
running the whole length of the shed, with
second plank out from the bottom to adj
NIT their heads Never feed corn except
in frozen weather, then half an ear to a
sheep, with husk on, is sufficient. This
brings us to lambing time. Close them in
every night after they commence Landing
with good dry straw about knee deep, give
a small amount of salt, mixed with sui
phur. once a week-old Kenawha salt-as
all other kinds have a tendency to scour
stock of all kinds. | call the attention of
farmers to this important fact. | presume
this teatment brings us up 90 the fifteenth
; day of April with as many lambs as have
ews, at least. | prepare myself with a
bucket of old fashioned North Carolina
tar, some sulphur and lard mixed, chisel
and mallet with a good square block to
dock on. l select my best bucks first that
J | intend to save, bring them to the block
feet down, back them up square on this
block, set the chisel on the second joint
hit it one lick, put little tar on the stub
| a little sulphur and lard right under the
armpits to drive away ticks, and you are
? done with that lamb till weaving time
! At this time l tag the ewes; make rack
: like a sawbuck, line it with thin plank
S place the ewes in carefully on their back:
.
or not If you don't they will need it be
e fore shearing time. Keep them on the
f same pasture till shearing time, and smear
all their noses with this good old tar.
: is the healthiest thing in the world fo
a sheep Don't shear till the first of June
: By this time the exc will be melted anC
a mixed all through the wool. 1t will weigh
< heavier and give it more life. | wean M
2 lambs the first day of August; sell off m,
s surplus and make a calculation on profits
e My profit on 100 ewes the last year wa
: $3.50 for wool and lambs. | sold So lamb
at 81 per head, and 20 yearlings at IS pc
e head, to Mr.. Oakley Purcell, Marion
: county.
Il am buying No. I Cotswold ewes a
O $40 per head. | have an ambition to have
!, 100 of the best Cotswolds in Rush county
: but doubt whether l can make 100 pc
r cent on the $40 ewes as easy as did or
s the S. ones last year The most and quick
est money on sheep is on common eve
with thoroughbred buck. l am testing
four kinds, and will soon be able to Civ,
the results.
AS now is the time the CAD fly is doins
n its work, to prevent, bore holes with two
IS inch augur in logs or stumps and fill witt
: pure pine tar, put little salt on top o
" the Tar, ana you can smear 100 Sneep no
7, ses in five minutes.
l. To feed sheaf-oats make a runnin,
e moose in twine-string, put it aroun
IS three or four seaves, hang on nail or pc,
i Just high enough to reach in cold days
II nothing better.
i Sell the sheep that lag behind when yo
l. call them up Give them access to water
e summer and winter.
n Select when you buy, and select whe
:; you sell; you never can keep a flock u
IS any other way.
J, Learn to tell their ages by their teetl
a no man can be a successful sheep handle
d till he learns this. Med, Indiana.
IT ACREAGE OF WHEAT IN KENTUCKY
n OF our large list of correspondence says til