The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-11-11
The Deer Greek Farmers Club.

Barnes, near Churchville, on the 5th Instant
here were Ct the active members the
nett II: Barnes, Janney, Moores, s.. d. Silver,
Benz. Silver; Jr, A; =. Hays VIM. F. Hays,
James Lee Archer, acknowledgement and Webster.
Among the honorary members and invited guests
were Messrs. Hosea Barnes, 5. w. Barnes, W.
Scott Barnes, Rev. Geo: W. Barnes, Bennett Gil
Thos. Bradford. Geo. a. Gilbert, G. w. Steele, DR..
John Finney, 6: W. Steele, VIM. McVey and
Lycurgus Lee, of Kansas.
The customary inspection of the farm and
premises was made by committee, consisting of
Messrs. II. II. Archer, VIM. Munnikhuysen and
b. Silver, Jr. Their report was exceedingly COM
plimcntary TO Mr.. Barnes as an energetic, indus
trious and judicious farmer: who keeps, up his
that section of the country. The committee
thought, also, that no section of the county had
that between Churchvie and Aberdeen. Mr.
Barnes corn was the finest the committee had
seen this season: his wheat on fallow ground,
in His horses, of which he has some fine ones,
were in good condition, as We're likewise a fine
lot of pigs. Mr.. Barnes has what every farmer
should have. namely, Il thorough bred Short Horn
bull Everything, in brief, was in fine order and
the tools under shelter.
The question for discussion was
WILL SHEEP PAY?
Hosea Barnes did not think they would pay, on
cattle and horses. He had last year 100 sheep and
could have cut 800 worth Of hay iii had not been
for the sheep. Where you have wood cutting or
large farms. He did not think, either that his
sheep had left the land in any better condition,
from their droppngs. He would rather keep one
bullock than five sheep. On large farms they
would pay, but not on small ones.
b. Silver, 1r., did not believe sheep will pay
Take what il costs to feed sheep and raise lambs
and compare it with what the land would produce
| in hay, and you will find the hay far ahead
The President suggested that you must take
| into consideration the deterioration of land by
cutting hay and the improvement to ii by keep
Mr.. Silver, resuming, said it was cheaper to use
artificial fertilizers to keep land up than to i'm
prove land by pasturing. He did not believe an
acre of ground would keep over three sheep, and
the same quantity of ground would fattcn n
| steer.
H. G. Bowman had kept sheep, n few years ago
and they paid very well until dogs got among
them. That is the chief reason why more far
mers do not keep sheep. The profits on sheep are
larger, for the amount invested, than on any other
| stock.
S. d. Silver said that the object of farming
should be to improve land, and when he COM
pared the cost Of raising wheat or other crops
with the cost and care of Sheep he must decide in
favor of sheep: He has 40 acres Of grass which
will pasture loo sheep months in the year, for 20
years to come, without the application of any
other fertilizer than that produced by the sheep;
1t is better now than it was 10 years ago and had
only had in the meantime, Il slight sprnkling of
rough litter over portion Of the field. Last year
his sheep. consisting of $50 head were only win
tered in the stable twelve weeks, and the profits
were 1919. He sold 30 lambs. at from $3.50 to s.
each; his wool brought 20 cents pound and up
wards. and has often sold at from 30 to - cents
| They were pastured on the 10 acres referred to-.
| The field might cut now tons of hay 10 the acre,
| but without top dressing in seven years it would
not cut one ton to the acre. He could see no dis
| advantage to other stock from pasturng sheep
with them. This year his sheep had the run of
the place and his cattle were fatter than he ever
| had them Sheep should not be put on farms that
will not, naturally grow grass. On Deer Creek
| lands, however, more money can be made on
sheep than on wheat, corn or hay. In raising
sheep farmers ought to have lambs to sell early
in the season; when they will bring from to >.
| cents ID. He sold, on the 18th of last April, II
lambs at $3.50 apiece, and the most of them We're
not over two months old. Wel-wooled sheep
should be selected and a thoroughbred South
down buck used. The latter should be five or six
years old, and one buck be provided for every 40
common ewes. If you want 100 breeding ewes,
you should handle $50, pick out 100 and sell the
remainder. 10 make sheep pay man must un-
derstand how 10 do it; There is many an acre
where cattle can not be kept but where sheep
might prottaby be raised.
VIM. Webster said he hardly knew what to add
to MIR. Silvers REMARKS OF all stock there is
be raised. All the productive farms of the cOun-
ty have grazed stock, and if we had proper sccur-
ity against dogs the capital invested in sheep in
Hartford county would soon equal that invested
| in beef cattle. a flock of sheep never RECEIVERS
from an attack by dogs. They are no longer suit
able for breeding purposes and Will not fattCn as
| well but if we count the losses on hay we will
find it more than from dogs getting among sheep.
Bennett A. Gilbert thought sheep might be
profitable in his neighborhood where there is
much waste land. Like everything else they re-
qure good deal of care.
| Johns n. Janney had tried common sheep with
Cotswold bucks, but found it difficult to get lambs
fat. Then he tried common ewes with pure
| Souhdown bucks. The lambs were easily fat
tened and ready for market early. The buck
should be put with the ewes by the LIST of August,
so MS to have lambs dropped by the LIST of Janu-
airy. He had also tried thoroughbred South
downs and had done well with them lie started
with % ewes and in five years had sold $3.50
| worth of sheep. lambs and wool, and has now -
ewes and bucks. Not many kinds Of stock will
| pay better than that. Sheep may be injured by
being kept too much in the stable; even if snow
on the ground it is better to let them out. They
need great deal of water and salt in the winter.
No kind of stock will injure grass, but the proper
way is to craze cattle and follow the cattle by
j. + Bra ford believed sheep would pay better,
accOrling ~ the amount vested, than any other
stock. n" only difficulty is with the dogs. 1t is
not profitable to keep sheep with other stock, but
if followed after cattle they will do better
| Mich cows will not milk freely nor do so well
when paSturcd with sheep. Farmers for profit
should keep both cattle and sheep, but if both can
| not be kept, for the same amount invested, and
with the risk of dogs removed, he would prefer
sheep.
James Lee never owned sheep and never thought
| there would he as much profit in them as in cat
tie. There is n great deal of risk with sheep.
| Lycurgus Lee said many sheep Were raised in
Kansas, where he resides, but has not handled
Il. Harris Archerdid not think there is as much
money in sheep as in cattle Several gentlemen
present made 81 900 on cattle the past year, which
could not have been made on sheep. Any one
with ordinary common sense can attend to cattle
but he would not like TO trust 800 or 400 ewes to an
| ordinary man. Another point against sheep is
that they will not stay where you put them, but
90 all over the farm Cattle do not.
| VIM Munnikhuysen said he commenced farm
ing on poor farm and when he got grass to grow
he tried cattle. He bought and made 81 or s.
apiece The next, year and made SD or SlC
| apiece; then CATTLE and made Sl4 or Sl5 head
That fall he bought 20 sheep; one was killed and
from the 10 left he sold "a lambs, at 50 each and
ne ,o next Year he Kept ID sheep from Which he
sold S407 worth Of lambs, wool and sheep, and had
"a sheep left His six cattle cost $40 and made
$S5. The first 20 sheep only cost $50 and made
Sl5G. His land had improved by pasturing with
sheep. He therefore concluded that sheep dc
pay. Found no difficulty in pasturing sheep with
mich COWS, oxen or steers, In fact cattle are n
Ereat protection to sheep.
VIM +. Hays was not sure sheep would. pay, and
asked Mr.. Silas b. Silver tho cost Of keeping
sheep. The latter replied that he could have them
pastured for one cent day, and thought It dear
" John Ohm Moores agreed with other members in
thinking sheep pay a little better than other
stock. On any ordinary farm SIS to the acre can
be made with sheep. They certainly improve
land, although they eat the grass very short
With u large number Of sheep it would pay to
keep some one with them To keep sheep sue
cessfuly in Hartford farmers want some protec-
ton from dogs. In his neighborhood much in
jury had recently been done. to sheep by dogs
| He would like to see sheep raising encouraged
Jas II. Ball said there was no doubt but for the
danger of injury from dogs sheep would pay bet
cattle By making a specially Of sheep we would
see our lands improving faster than by any other
mode of treatment. He had SO sheep; one was
which he sold at from 1925 to 81 Il head.
Bennett II. Barnes said that two years ago he
made money on sheep but last year he lost Last
September he bought GO ewes at S2l0 and bucks
for S12. Seven ewes died. and out of the 90 ewes
he only had 40 lambs. These were sold at $33j
apiece: the ewes at $3.50 each and the bucks for
$i2. Allowing the manure to pay for keeping in
| winter, he lost $50 for the hay which might have
been cut on the land the sheep went over, could
| have been sold for 300.
Geo A. Gilbert said he has few Sheep and
they pay as well as other stock for the money in
| vested.
The President, Mr.. Geo. +. Silver, closed the
discussion by summing up the general opinion of
the club to be that sheep do pay.
The club adjourned to meet at Mr.. Jas. ii. Ball s
| on the 81 of December, when the following sub
| ject will be discussed:
| "Best system of farming to keep up the fertil-