The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-05-13
THE MODEL FARM.
Sheep Shearing Day ct 4sjor
0entry's.

sheep Sheorlng Day q As)of
0entry's.
The climax Of pastoral interest is
reached in the month of May. when
tie snowy fleece is shorn, and the
product results in recOmpense for all
the outlay and trouble Of the year.
Pastoral life is the poetry Of nature.
and from the days OF Abraham. those
who have guarded the Aocks have
been made the themes Of song BY the
barls. aud the subjects Of inspiration
by the l,oets. And was not Christ's
birth first revealed tn tine shepherds :?
Last Tuesday BAzOo reporter ac-
copied an invitation to visit the model
farm Of Major VIM. Gentry. and witness
the annual process Of sheep shearing.
In early DAYS. in some l"cslities. this
was a very important event which was
participated in by ueighbors who came
to tender their help, and the work was
generally concluded with feast and
dance. But this progressive age has
done away with the good old time
customs, and business is business.
Upon arriving at his magnificent
estate, the reporter received a cordial
welcome from its proprietor. who
showed him the objects Of interest up
on the place.
Major Gentry. who has paid par
ticular attention to blooled stock Of
all kinds. has devoted considerable
time and study to sheep raising. He
is firmly convinced that nothing yields
50 large return for the money and
labor invested As sheep raising. In
fact there is but little trouble or ex-
pense attached to it, while the increase
il positive and certain. 1t takes but
little to sustain them, and on old lands
they enrich while living of from
them.
The Major states that they are not
subject to disease in this locality. The
only drawback to sheep raising
here is the plenitude Of worthless
ours that infest nearly every farm
house. Sheep can be made to yield .
handsome profit annually until they
are about six years old-then they
should be iattened for the butcher.
Major Gentry's fold contains about
500 head IF mixed breeds. the fleece
averaging seven pounds, and mutton
and fat $50.
In addition to these he has q num-
Der of select. Imported. pure-blooded
varieties. among which are eleven
head of Spanish Merinos-eight ewes
and three bucks. One Of the Merino
bucks yielded q fleece Of fourteen
pounds; another fifteen and one-half
pounds. One one-year-old yielded
twelve pounds and another fourteen.
The wool of these was exceedingly
fine and very long.
In addition to the Merinos. the
Major hss q number Of pure Shrop-
and Cotswolds. Also q
fiue Leicester eve, named kate
CIaxton." . yearling. that produced
fifteen pounds Of wool at this shear.
ing. Her mate, . pure Leicester
buck, is named Mug" also . year
ling, who yielded twelve pounds Of
wool. These two animals were im.|
ported BY Major Gentry from England
at . heavy expense. Their fleece Is
very long and of the finest texture.
Leaving the sheep. the reporter &C.
companied the Major over bis spleodid
domains, the improvements Of which
more resemble some Of the ancient
baronisl estates Of England, than the |
Of one man io bis lifetime. |
We came to where the Thoroughbred,
hort horn Durham bull. Red Cloud,
vas grazing. This animal Is . mag
,i6cent specimen Of his race, and
Weighs 2.27O pounds. although be .
not in flesh. A dark red, With every
inc fully developed and in perfect
he looked . King Of
,easts. He 10 but four years old. but
! paragon Of perfection.
A Handsome Norman stallion Was
be next object Of interest. He i
eo years old, weighs !, $50 pounds.