Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-12-29
A9sttnllnraG department.
MORE SHEEP

There IS probably no state In the
Union where better sheep are raised than
in Vermont. The celebrity of Vermont
Merinos is world wide, and some of the
long wool varieties have gained reputa-
ton which causes them to be in great
demand But the price of wool has been
so low Of late years that many farmers
who formerly kept sheep have abandon
ed tho practice. With better prices and
q new impulse to business of all kinds,
the question whether more sheep raising
would be profitable is reasonable one
aud should be carefully considered. We
do not propose to attempt to do justice
TO this subject at the present time but
only to suggest few reasons on the af-
frmative Of the question, hoping to draw
out others who can speak from personal
knowledge of the business.
1t is admitted that sheep aid in keep
ing up the fertility of the soil. This is
a most important consideration, for there
is poor prospect ahead if our pastures
are continually deteriorating. There
should be some method of bringing back
these fields to their former fertility.
Srmething can be done towards this end
by keeping sheep, whose manure fertili-
yes the soil and whose groupings Injuries
the grass roots less than that of cows and
horses. Sheep husbandry also has the
advantage Of requiring less labor than
dairying or grain farming. Labor saw
ing is and should be carefully studied
by all farmers, because labor is costly
and all unnecessary expense in this d.
rection should be avoided. A man who
owns one of the hill farms of this state
and cannot cultivate corn and grain
without much more labor than is roquir-
ed on level land, may keep sheep and thus
utilize his land, to the best advantage
without the necessity of hiring much
help. Sheep delight in roaming about
on the green hillsides, too steep for cul-
tivation. 1t would not be good policy
for farmers generally to abandon dairy
ing and go into the wool business large
ly. The grass lands would soon decline
in consequence Of dlminution of stable
manure. The two kinds of farming
should be carried on together, the one
experimenting the other. The nature
of the soil, the nearness to market, and
other circumstances will often determine
the question whether or not it is advisa
bic to keep sheep. The best sheep farms
are doubtless those which combine hill
pastures for summer use, and fiat smooth
upland fields where a good supply o
grass may be grown for the winter
supply of food. There are many sucl
farms in this state, and instead of send
ing so many of our Vermont sheep t
Texas, Colorado, Oregon and Australia
more Of them should be kept at home
and our hillsides should be more dense
ly populated with these animals SO mucl
sought for by foreign purchasers. Tn
time is coming, we believe, when tn
market for Vermont sheep will not
so largely confined to the distant Pacii
shores as it now is. All through tn
grain growing regions of the West tn
soil is being robbed of its fertility, an,
the owners will eventually be obliged t
resort to dairying and sheep growing o
abandon their farms and move on. Ma
we not also believe that the deserted hi
farms of this state will in years to com
be covered with Aocks of sheep, and
better home market be found by sue
we'll known sheep breeders as Campbell
Holden, Hammond and Stickney Tn
tariff on wool and woolens helps tn
farmer and enables him to compete sue
cessfully with all foreign rivals. Gu
climate is we'll adapted to the raising {
healthy animals of all kinds. Our flock
are not liable to be swept away b
storms and tornadoes as are the sheep o
our Western border, and fatal disease
seldom attack the sheep grown and care
for as the hOcks of this state general
are. These are some of the reasons VIII
we have seen fit to put in a plea fC
more sheep. Let others take up Ii
subject and give their ideas to the pub
lie.
The PoTATo MARKET.-There hs
been no year in the last twenty, whe
the price of potatoes ruled SO low a
over the country as at present. tt