Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-11-18
Rocky and Partially Barren Lands for
Sheep Pasture.

THERE are millions of acres of such
lands in the United States and Terrific
ries, and where it is not more profitable
to keep them in forest they may be util-
lied as pastures for the support of sheep.
They ought to be owned in tracts suffi-
GENTLY extensive to maintain f1ocks large
enough to afford keeping a shepherd,
with trained dogs to attend them con-
stantly. Two or three of these dogs for
his companions, make it an easy task
for 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 attack and drive
off any such that approach.
Sheep may be pastured here in sum-
mer, and then be sold off or taken to
better lands to winter. But it frequently
happens that narrow valleys are found
winding between rocky hills, sufficiently
fertile and free from stones to be easily
cultivated 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 may be
cut and soiled to them in racks, if pre-
ferable. A succession of crops must be
cultivated for this purpose, commencing
in the spring with rye; and continuing
during summer and autumn with other
products, which are too well known to
our readers to require enumerating here.
Folding the sheep at night on these, en-
riches the land adequately to bear good
crops the ensuing year, and thus it may
continue to be cultivated 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
50, and each band folded on to separate
division. An acre of clover usually
feeds 100 sheep during the early even
ings and mornings for q week, and
other crops do the same in proportion.
No better preparation can be made there
for succeeding wheat crop than this,
if it be ever desired to grow one.
In such system of sheep pasturing
and soiling, they can be made sufficient
ly fat for market to be drawn from early
in summer, and thus continue on for re-
peated drafts till cold weather sets in.
If the valleys are large enough, forage
can be raised there, not only to fatten
off all the sheep desired from the focks,
but also to winter over what is required
for breeding and store purposes the fol-
lowing season. This is one of the most
easy and profitable systems of farming
that can be followed in our country,
and it only requires to be duly consid-
cred by flock masters, to induce them
to adopt it as rapidly and extensively
as cheap lands can be obtained.
Sheep for such lands should be of
medium size, compact form, early to
mature, hardy and active. The South
down breed, or its high crosses are
usually adapted for this system of feed
ing and fattening in England, and we
think they would be the most suitable
breed for American fock-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 re-
quisite for the Cotswold, the Lincoln,
the Leicester and other long-wooled
breeds, as they excel in size, and are
not so active to range in pastures and
work for living. -Raral Nev Yorker.