The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-05

teen-months fleece which weighed
514 pounds; the same animal clip
ped forty-six pound fleece at two
years old. 1t is only just 10 say, how
ever, in this connection, that the eli
mate OF California being so dry, the
wool retains greater amount of
oil than in other countries where
the rainfall Is large.
Mr.. j. h. Ray, in an address to the
New York merino sheep breeders
association, had the following to say
on the points OfmerinO sheep:
"But few persons would prefer a
staple of more than two and one
half inches for a ram, while many |
would be contented with a two-inch |
staple of highly crimped wool, pro-
vided the maximum density of fleece |
has been reached. Comparative |
evenness OF fleece with as little glare |
as possible is an important point |
reached by our western breeders
Experience has fully demonstrated |
that great weight of fleece can
be combined with the highest
physical development, constitutional
vigor and other points of perfection
as Indicated above. AS to the point
of oil, or yolk, the greatest amount
that can be secreted without IMPAIR
ing the vitality OF the animal is ad-
missible in ram. Most breeders
prefer a colOring bordering on a
buff, while thin, sticky oil of
greenish cast is highly objectiona-
BILE. AS to folds or wrinkles, which
is distinctive feature of the Ameri-
can merino type, there might be
| diversity of opinion as to size, loca-
ton and number. Still it would be
difficult to find a ram of such heavy
pendulous neck, tail and flank as
would disqualify him as a stock
animal in any flock, while many
would prefer that with the above he
should have large fold extending
across the point of the shoulder, a
considerable number on the sides ex-
tending in massive proportion we'll
under and nearly across the belly,
yet diminishing well in size and lost
TO view in full fleece before reaching
the back, with numerous large folds
lengthwise across the hips and
STILES"
Those who fancy the delaine type
are aiming in the main to secure the
same points of American merinOs,
while at the same time securing a
longer staple of high quality of wool.
| AS to folds or wrinkles, a good neck,
tail and TANKS are about all that is
desirable, with little or none on the
body. Thus we have before us pen
sketch of our ideal rams of the
American and delaine merino types.
ONE THOUSAND head of stock cat
tie and ranch horses sold for $500
around in New Mexico, about two
weeks ago.
| CATTLE FEvER.-Dr. III. j. Det-
mers left Texas for the north Sep
TENDER 10, to investigate the Texas
cattle fever, said to have broken out
near Champaign, Illinois.
| PRIZE CATTLE.-At recent cattle
show in Scotland, the Polled Angus
breed won the first prize for cows,
and the Shorthorns took the prize
for bulls.
HIGH FEEDING.-In regard to fat
tening sheep a high authority says
that 'it lie undeniably true that high
feeding-sbow feeding, if you like
is the best method to insure profit.
. SHEEP AND GRAss,-Wherever
sheep feed, new, sweet grasses
flourish and weeds are destroyed. If
farmers fully appreciated how great
benefit sheep are to land they
would raise more of them.
To PREVENT PEsTs.-It is said
that sweet or olive oil, strong
ly scented with oil of penny
royal, and rubbed on the face, neck
and hands, will cffectually prevent
;; annoyance from mosquitoes, gnats,
etc.
SHEEP IN ORCHARDS The COun-
try Gentleman says that sheep in
, orchards will entirely annihilate the
cooling moth. Those who have
UrCnarue anu sueep snouIu urakD a
note of this fact. And they may also
note that the fertilizers that sheen
drop in an orchard will greatly in
crease the crop of fruit and improve
its quality. But they should see to
it that the sheep do not bark the
trees.
The BREEDER who stops to ask
himself: 'Can l afford to buy thor
roughbred bull ?" should try to an
swer the question by asking, "Can
afford to buy low grade or mongrel
SIRE" Nobody but people who are
J tolerably Independent of the cattle
herd can affOrdto use mongrel sire.
A RAM is considered in his prime
between the ages of 8 and z years,
though some do some good service
until they are ten years old and over.
A yearling ram should not be al
lowed to serve more than 80 or 60
ewes, and a two-year old double
that number. A ram in his prime
may be used on an average to about
90 ewes year.
NICE BUTTER-The London LSue
Stock Journal presents an interest
ing, it not very apetizing, picture
of the possibilities of oleomargarine,
when 1t quotes statement that in
one year the fat has been extracted
from 141 tons of tripe and fish refuse,
ID tons of cts and z tons of dogs,
and suggests that the tat obtained is
lust that identical animal oil which
suits the purpose best" of makers
OF oleomargarine.
COTTON SEED OIL
cotton seed oil has been the product
of large establishments in the hands
of capitalists. Now small machinery
is being employed, run in connection
with steam gins, which will afford q
market for cotton seed on planta-
tons too remote from the large mills,
so that in tine cotton seed oil will
be product of almost every neigh
borhood in the cotton growing
regions.
SHORTHORNS-Concerning Short
horns as mixers an English contem-
porary says: A number of gentle
men interested in agriculture visited
the farms of the Southern Dairy
| company near Brentwood. The
party were under the guidance of
the Earl of Dunmore Chairman of
the company and Mr.. Collision Hall
managing directory and were shown
the workings of the system under
which the cattle (Which are all Short
horns) are all stall-fed on the pro-
duce of the farms mixed with a pro-
portion of foreign food, for the most |
part half matted. The cattle are
housed in concrete built sheds, with |