Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-03
Sheep as Renovators Of worn-out Farms.
Hon Gserre Getas. IN She rribpns.

4
] might say in very few words that
there is no method Of restoring over
cropped land, so good as turning 1t
into sheep pasture, and using the
manure tue sheep make during the
winters for the poorer parts OF the
land. But letter referred to me by
the Agricultural Editor-from New
England Boy" Augusta, Me.--de-
mands more Of detail. My first adj
vice TO him is to procure "Thc Prac-
tical Shepherd" by the Hon. Henry
5. Randall, by far the best book ever
written on the whole sheep matter
every man who intends TO keep fifty
sheep should have copy. Sent
postpaid TO any address by the Pub
Usher OF the Tribuae on receipt Of
price, g. Ed.l But as 10 the partic-
ular case before me--a farm of 100
acres, well watered by running
stream, having two fields, one Of fifty
acres, the other of twenty-thrcc; soil
"light, loamy and sandy" The TWEEN
ty-three acre field formerly produced
forty tons of hay, but now only nine
tons. Nothing is said Of buildings.
but there is cash on hand, 81 900. /
condcn.e his questions into one:
"What is TO be done 2"
Somehow, restore the fertility Of
the meadow of twenty.thrce acres.
/ by purchasing some OF the CONNER
cial manurcs which neighboring farm
crs have tested and found useful on
like soils; or apply barnyard manure.
if it can hc had. You want the hay
crop TO winter your sheep; buying
feed for winter j. unsafe: il should
mostly be produced or the farm
| This is a good rule to 90 by, but
there are very special cases where
food may be bought proftably. Some
seasons hay is very costly; some
seasons it is very cheap. 4 farmer
raising stock OF any kind will pay
but little attention 70 these variations
IN selling price, but 90 steadily for
ward, turning his homegrown hay
into animal products, and making all
the manure he can, 10 be used in
producing more hay and grass. "Will
a flock Of 100 sheep do well when
running in the same pasture" Yes.
If there j. grass enough 70 feed them
we'll. This old notion of small nJcks.
A. necessary to health, in pastures.
IS not so prevalent as il WAS once.
Merino sheep are especially hardy,
are kept in large tlocks, and do well
The larger breeds are not SO good
gathcrer- oC food on short pastures.
and require better feed. In winter
the size of locks is more important.
because the strong have at that season
too mucn advantage over the weak
and feeble IN the small Enclosures
necessary in cold climates.
Some years ago We constructed a
sheep barn eighty feet long aud TWEEN
/ Is wide, having a basement eight fee;
high, and on top Of that frame
sixteen feet high. This gave IT, room
/ for hay enough with the other forage
wc had) 70 winter our 200 Mcrino-.
/ This basement was divided bv hay
/ racks into four parts. In from, of
each of these rooms were yards Gfiv
feet deep and twenty feet wide, hay-
/ ing pure water that came from
/ pcht>tock and was discharged into
large iron kettles, such rs salt and
/ potash makers use. These four Yards
communicate 10y gates hung next the
building. Al the coming of winter
we graded our sheep, putting say
forty large and strong ones into one
apartment; in the next. torty-fyc. or
( thcrcahnuts, Of the next grade as To
strength /; and so on, grading until in
the last apartment We would have
ffty.dvc or sixty of the poorest of
the flock. Trougbs for feeding grains
we're nailed against the partition
fences. Thus our 200 sheep were in
one flock in four grades. During the
winter it will happen that changes
must be made from time TO time, by
taking sheep that have either out
grown or have fallen below their TEL
lows, and placing them in apartments
better adapted 10 their changed con.
dition.
know of no better plan than this
FOR wintering shscp in places where
severe winters prevail. This sheep
barn may not be exactly adapted to
every case, but it will indicate the
leading points to be kept in view
first, the big sheep cannot run over
the smaller second, warm, dry sheds,
that can be entirely closed in severe
weather, save food and promote com
fort; third, fresh and pure air aud
water, combined with the other al.
vantages, insure good health TO the
sheep. Plenty of straw, or some
other bedding, is quite important for
the manufacture of such manure.
The manure should he removed from