The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-20
Sheep and the Fertility Of
the Soil.


sheep husbandry in various
countries of the globe, We find
that Great Britain has one sheep
to each two acres of land ; Ger
many, France and Spain one to
each FIVE acres; the United
States one to each So acres.
This latter, however, does not
give a correct idea. Sheep hus-
bandry is essentially of more
and more Importance in thickly
settled regions. The United
States has yet vast acres of wild
and unsettled or only partially
settled land. TIE New England
States, with an area nearly four
ffths as large as that Of Great
Britain, have but one sheep to
each 30 acres /: and Ohio, one of
our greatest sheep-producing
States, has but one to each eight
acres. The cotton States have
but one sheep to each $4,000
acres ; yet, as the Prairie Far
mer has time and again said,
there is no region in the country
better adapted to the production
of wool, and especially of fine
mutton. All the hill regions of
the South, even Of the gulf
States, might not only raise their
own mutton and a large amount
of wool for export, but sections
near to railways might realize
largely from the sale of early
lambs at high prices for ship
ment North. So they might
send extra fat mutton sheep
North, which always sell tor
good prices. The great draw
back to this industry in the
South is, as is we'll known, the
horde of dogs kept there. Legis-
lation might do something to re-
move this disability, especially
if it was supplemented by a
severe shotgun practice OF that
more effectual remedy, strych-
nine.
Sheep husbandry is one of the
essential neal which has been
successfully used in England to
bring into the highest produc-
tiveness the worn lands of that
country. There it has been tur-
nips and sheep. In the South
it may be mangel-wurtzel and
sheep, supplemented with corn,
to which many portions of the
South are we'll adapted. 1t is
true, grass must be the founda-
ton for successful farming. In
this respect the intelligent far
mers there must experiment
with a view to finding the varie-
ties best adapted to the climate.
There are undoubtedly varieties
of clover which will do well
there. Alfalfa should be at
home in the South, but this plant
is better adapted to soiling than
to pasture.
There is no farm animal that
with proper care-and this they
must have-will do more for a
wor country than sheep. So
we'll known is this that their
tread has been called golden. It
is so inasmucd that while paying
we'll for the care bestowed on
them they are constantly enrich
ing the soil on which they feed
by their droppings.
1t has also been said that
sheep pay twice, once in the
fleece and once in the carcass.
The interior of Australia pro-
duces vast quantities Of wool of
the finest grade. New Zealand
produces an exceedingly fine
grade of wool, from which our
fine delaines are made. High
dry lands in a warm climate,
produce the finest and best woods,
for these soils produce sweet,
fine grasses. Much of the hill
land Of the South already pro-
duce or may be made to pro
duce, not only sweet but succu-
lent grasses.
England, Scotland, Dominion
of Canada, West Indies, Austria
liza, Cuba, France, Brazil, China,