The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-30
AGRICULTURE.

SABLE SHEEP. There Is no profit In
black wool and it brings five cents per
pound less In the market than white.
Some years since, when every rural
household contained spinning-whcel
and loom, upon which the matrOn spun
out the material with which the family
was clothed, black wool was in demand
and 1illed"an important niche in the
domestic economy. Now the great fac
tories monopolize that buytness, and
arc able to furnish the people with yarn
and cloth better and cheaper than 1t can
be made at home. TO. day there proba-
bly, ts not yard Of cloth manufactured
domestically where there were thou
sand fifty years ago. The factory pre-
fcrs white wool, which can be dyed to
suit their purposes, while it has been
| found more difficult to control the ir-
regular shading Of the black. Tho
preventive against black wool Is easy.
There is no black blood In sheep, white
or black; no pigmentum In the skin of
sheep, as in the races, only difference
| in the outgrowth or wool. a white
| eve will moro frequently produce Il
black lamb than black eve, and a
black eve Will more frequently have a
white lamb than u black. We're there
black and white blood III the sheep the
reverse Of this would be true. White
owes unmiXcd with black will always
have white lambs. Put only one black
sheep with the white flock and there
will be many black lambs; mix the
black ewes with tho white and they
| will have 4 majority Of white lambs.
The inevitable conclusion Is that the
marking Of tho lamb does not arise
from any distinctive characteristic in
tho bleod, but from the Impressions
made upon the mind OF the mother.
She looked upon tho black inaovator
with wonder and stamped the character
Of her lamb; the black eve took in the
beauties Of her white companions and
fixed the destiny of hers Not long
since, Mr.. II. $. Tinsley, Of Misso url,
writing to The Rural World, inquired
rs to what could be the cause of his hav-
ing five black lambs in flock of forty
head, which had boon bred to a Cots void
and 'shad no black rams there" He
mentioned incidentally hat"th ere was
black stray wether tnat took up with
his flock" This accounts for tho "milk
in the coc0anut" and is an illustration
OF the fact set forth above. Missouri
is the home and birthplace Of the black
sheep. some time since we bought 800
sheep there, In lots Of from to 100,
and when wo got through we had 24O
black ones. la purchases made Of
those natives you have to take black
ones, grandmothers, grandfathcrs and
the flock through. Overloaded with
black, desperate measures were In Or
der. They were put on strong diet,
shipped to Chicago. q car.load % "f Of
black mutton !'-the first and only ar
rival Of the kind ever in that market.
So rare was 1t that it was matter of
comment in the local papers. Four
and onc-half cents per pound sufliced
us, and they took them in. The black
sheep is a healthy, hardy animal, but
the wool being deprecated In the mar
ket, they should be avoided, and when
on hand, committed to the shambles.
PRoTECT THE HORSES FROM THE
F1IEs.-A cotton sheet will be found a
great protection to the horses working
In the harvest field. 1t screens them
from the heat, from flies, and from dust,
and the labor of cleaning them is les
seneu. AS mentioned it will bo found
desirable. when horses are washed, to
use soft sponge and water in which
some carbolic soap has been dissolved.
This cools the skin, assists perspiration,
removes the strong pungent smell,
greatly refreshcs the animals, and
drives away flies. Where there is a
river near by, a bath in the evening
will be agroea de and safe, If the horses
arc kept IN tho water only two or three
minutes, arc driven home at once and
rubbed dry. A scraper for the horses
may be made OF piece Of the scythe,
with the edge dulled on the stone; with
this the sweat or moisture, after wash
ing, may be easily removed.
TIE COW that is lesl,y gives milk
that Is richer in butter than the COW
that Is poor and thin. One that has
reached her full maturity gives better
milk than she did before she reached
tina ago; COW that Is gaining flesh
day by day gives richer milk than a
COW that Is losing gradually. Tho con-
dition of the pastures have also much to
do with the quality of tho production.
Regular feeding, II not generous, is
better than food giyon In excess for 4
few days, and then stintcd, or food
given plentifully, but at Irregular per-
iods. Animals do not thrive unless
perfectly contented, and never permit
ted to get hungry. The saIne hours for
feeding should be kept regularly
WHEN cattle chew leather, wood, and
old bones 1t indicates lack of phos-
phate of limo in their food, which is re-
qulred to supply bone material. A
tcaspoonful Of bone meal given daily
with their grain will correct the habit
and supply the deficiency which in
duces it.