Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-10-26
ROCKY AND PARTIALLY BARREN LANDS
FOR SHEEP PASTURES.

There are millions of acres OF such
lands in the United States and Territories,
and where it is not more profitable to keep
them in forest, they may be utilized "a pas
lures for the support of sheep. They
ought to he owned in tracts sufficiently
extensive to maintain flocks large enough
to afford keeping n shepherd with trained
dogs to attend to them constantly. Two
or three of these dogs for his companions,
make it an easy task for Il single man to
handle large flock. and keep any from
straying or getting lost; and they are
protection to the sheep from vicious dogs
by day and night, as they invariably at
tack and drive off any such that approach.
Sheep may be pasturcd here in summer.
and then be sold off or taken 20 better
lands TO winter. But it frequently hap
pens that narrow valleys are found wind
ing between rocky hills, sufficiently fertile
and free from stones to be easily cultiva-
ted for various crops. Where this is the
case. the English system may be pursued
of sending the sheep on to the hills for
pasture during the day and hurdling them
on the growing crops in the valleys at
night; or these NAV be cut and soiled to
them in the racks, if preferable. A sue
cession of crops must be cultivated for
this purpose, commencing in the spring
with rye; and continuing during the sum-
mer and autumn with other products.
which are too well known to our readers
to require enumerating here Folding the
sheep ut night on these, enriches the land
adequately to bear good crops the ensuing
year. and thus it may continue to be cul-
tivated indefinitely.
In England these soiling crops are in
closed with shifting hurdles. in squares of
about an acre each. and the sheep. when
driven down from the hills at night, are
divided into bands of 100 or so, and each
band folded on to n separate division. An
acre of clover usually feeds 100 sheep
during the early evenings and mornings
for week, and other crops do the same
in proportion. No better preparation can
be made there for succeeding wheat
crop than this. il it be even desired to
grow one.
In such system of sheep pasturiug
and soiling. they can be made sufficient
" fat Tor market To he drawn from early
in Summer. and thus continue on for re-
peated drafts till cold weather sets in. II
the valleys are large enough, forage can
be raised there. not only to fatten off all
the sheep desired from the flocks. but also
to winter over what is required for breed
ing and store purposes the following sea-
son. This is one of the most easy and
profitable systems of farming that can be
followed in our country. and it only re-
quires to be duly considered by flock-mas-
tiers. to induce them to adopt it as rapidly
and extensively as cheap lands can be OBJ
tanned.
Sheep for such lands should be of me-
dunn size, compact form, early to mature.
hardy and active. The South Down breed
or its high crosses are usually adapted
for this system of feeding and fattening
in England, and we think they would be
the most suitable breed for American
flock-masters. Richer. smoother, and
more level lands are better adapted for
the larger Down breeds. and particularly
for that OF the Oxford. the biggest of all.
Still richer lands and more abundant feed
are requisite for the Cotswold. the Lin
coin, the Leicester. and other long wooded
breeds, as they excel in size, and are not
so active to range in pastures and work
for living