Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-11-23

SHEEp HusBANDKY.--Dr. Apple
ten. st the Essex (Masg1 fair. on
2Tth Of September. delivered an
address on @fSheep HuAhhudry.
from which The following extract Is
taken:
would refer to sheep as aH en-
doubted means Of renos ating worn
out. and now almost ufknssd pas
tnres where bushes hriats and
mHss are on the Increase. and
where the nutritious grasses hare
Deen suppressed Dy such useless
grOwths. Many Of cur pastures
possess a broken and rDoky sur
face, where the plow eannpf be
used and where no implement can
well serve 90 better il. In the
sheep we have the RaeanaOf keen
ing down the bushes. bfiafs and
moss, and increasing and fertiliz-
ing ne nusritious grasses on such
rough and rocky land.
Sheep cannot be expected to
feed on old bushes and old briars,
but all such should be moved down
at the start; nor can they be ex-
pected % thrive in. or fully bene-
fit, on old rundown pasture, with
out receiving some good feed from
their owner each day. Our late
Secretary of Agriculture says in
regard to keeping sheep "thas il
was necessary TO give them some
thing to keep them quiet and con-
tented, or they would be jump
ing over the stone wall. So /
bought a lot OF cotton seed meal,
paying thirty five or forty dollars
a ton; and | fed those sheep every
day, lnorning and night with cot
ton seed meal. They liked Il first
rate. and it agreed With them an
commonly wei / % not relnem-
Der the exact auahfity, bnk per
haps a pint fof eacl sheep III each
feeding" THE result was. they
cleaned out Absoluteiy every briar,
and every sumac brush, and many
other shrubs, but not the buckle
berry bushes. They covered the
pasture with manure"
1.-THE cotton seed meal was a great
advantage TO that pasture"
They require careful attention
On the part OF their owner, that all
forms of disease may be warded
of or cured mt the start, and
knowledge as totheir habit and the
diseases 10 which they are liable
are necessary to successful man
agement. The knowledge is read
lily obtained from good books upon
the subject, which exists aud
should be found in the agricultu-
raj departments of all city and
town 1ibfaries. Tie secretary OF
the State RDard Ira his last report
emphasizes the importance Of this
industry, and ailFgeS Il svalue upon
all farEperSszsThs raYages Of dogs,
by which the sheep are either
killed outright or run to death.
largely prevents their being kept.
IL is true that the loss by any
damage done to flocks can under
the laws be feesivdred BIZ pr0viilg
the loss, butlfarmers Nho have ex-
perience claim that it costs too
much time and money TO make il
worth while attempting it. Con
sequently, the FARMER finds only
loss in raising sheep, and is un
willing generally TO undertake it.
An attempt was made hast winter
before the legislature to alter the
existing dog laws in the interest
Of the would be sheen raisers, but
the opposition was,t0O trong. II
il case where the welfare of the
minority needs protectianx A case
has just been called 60 nv notice
near Marblehead where some
young cattle have been, killed by
dogs within The limits 0f the CITY
of Salem. The owner will attempt
to secure damages, and the result
will be off interest to Us all. II
state laws can be make to protect
sheep husbandry, all ! farmers
should unite for general good to
secure their passage.