Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-09-18

year lotU, the census STATISTICS Oh
that county showed that the sheep
and wool products footed up an
amount greater In value than the
products of any other county In
the United States. The business
there since that time has been on
the increase, and from present in
dications will be perpetual. We
have Information, the most reliable
that within the recollection OF the
present generation, the soil of that
county had become, by a course OF
blowing and tilling, very much
reduced in fertility, but system
Of sheep husbandry, carried on
there for many years has recuper-
ated the worn out properties OF the
soil, and at the present day Ii Is
highly productive, the result, as
they claim OF a system of rest aud
pasturage.. Lands that once would
not raise more than 20 or % BUSH
els of corn to the acre, now will
produce from so to 70 bushels to
the acre, and, we are told by the
inhabitants, rarely ever miss corn
or any of the crops congenial to
their soil and climate. Indeed,
the greatest crop of corn ever rails
ed, except one, that we have any
knowledge of, was raised in that
county on a field which had been
pastured with sheep for nineteen
successive years, which, when cnl-
tivated, made the enormous yield
of one hundred and sixty-nine
bushels of shelled corn to the acre.
We think such illustrations as we
derive from the history of sheep
raising of Washington county, Pa
and Eastern Ohio, completely ex-
plodes the old established preju-
dice against sheep as being land
robber- and impoverishers Of the
soil, as taught to us by our forefa-
theirs. AS from such examples
herein enumerated, we may, with
great propriety, take the certain
ground that the contrary effect Is
produced in the soil, and the sheep
will add powerfully to Its recuper-
alton and TO its future value to its
owner.
AS we have already stated, our
undulating surface and salubrious
climate is highly conducive to
healthiness in sheep tiocks. We al
so cite you to other causes which
makes sheep raising a calling of
much Importance to the farmers of
Berkeley, as we'll as the farmers of
the entire Valley of Shenandoah
and the entire State of West Vir-
ginia. Our lands, partaking as
they do of Limestone formation, the
rocks laying so close to the surface
makes the use OF the recent inven-
tions in farming machinery i'm
practicable, and having the great
Mississippi Valley as our great ri
val in wheat raising, where the
nature of the soil admits of the use
of all the improved machines Of
the day, besides their easy railroad
facilities to the seaboard towns of
the Union, we say, with these eau
ses operating against the valley
farmer, the cost of the cultivation
of his soil Is such that he fails to
make his calling and his business
remunerative, and necessarily
must resort to other methods as a
means of gain and as a means of
living for himself and family.
It's our own opinion, formed upon
several years experience as we'll
as observation Of things that
sheep raising properly carried on
presents the best alternative,
for the purposes of gain and profit,
and improve most OF your coun-
try that is within our power
to lay hold Of at the present
time. The adaptability OF our
soil to all grasses known among
the farming community, makes it
another very great reason why the
sheep can snbsist and improve
here, and we are certainly of the
opinion in that point of view, no
country where the fine quality of
our grasses, the pure condition of
our waters are taken into consid-
no country on the face of
the globe presents more advanta-
ges for carrying on successful
sheep husbandry.
The members present enjoyed a
social intercourse upon the occa-
sion and a friendly interchange of
opinions upon the subject of sheep
raising, after which the meeting
to meet at the Court
house on the first Saturday in De-
cember next.
JACOB RoPP, Chm.