The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-11-23
sheep and Wheat.

Ia.
We are satisfied that there are no two I
branches of grain and stock farming I
that can be so pro6tably combined as |
wheat and sheep farming. In growing
wheat the ground in plowing turns up
sssw, fresh soil, giving q clean, new
seed bed tor the grass to grow on;
while the fermenting and decaying ac-
Sumulations of an old pasture, or hay
field, are turned down to enrich the
soil and give the plant more vigorous
growth. We find in our domestic sheep
two very admirable habits; one is quiet
ness, the other industry. You can easi-
~ fence them in-they do not need q
Jall-yard, like wild colt, nor do they
need vigilance committee after them,
as you DC in the care of the vicious
hog. After youg wheat has been drawn
from the fields, turn in your sheep and
they will clean it as carefully and sue
cessfully as did the cleaners in the days
OF Ruth. We find by experience that
sheep can be well wintered by feeding
grain, and good, bright wheat straw.
thereby returning to the soil that which
has been taken from it.
BY carefully utilizing all our prod
ucts our farms will grow richer and our
pockets larger. 1t is very essential that
every farmer keep few sheep; first, as
source of profit; second, as renovators
they being very destructive to weeds,
brush and such accumulations in fenco
rows and other obscure places, render
ing the farmer valuable service in many
ways.
We have carefully noted the growing
and marketing of the great crops, wool
and wheat. We need to grow more
wool, because we do not produce
enough for home consumption; while
with wheat we have to look to foreign
markets very largely to make sales.
Our farmers have been marketing these
two farm products. The wool has been
grown without any extra expense, the
farmer and his family caring for them,
while the washing and shearing has cost
about five cents on each dollar received; ;
they took their thirty-five cents per
pound and went home happy. In tho
meantime, the wheat farmer has come to
market with his grain. "Wheat Just
one dollar to-day" els that ailPM
Yes" He gets black in the face, for
it has rained, should remark that it
has poured down in torrents; hehas had
long, hard siege in tho house rs we'll
as in the field, employin5; large gang
OF hands at two dollars per day. Rain
has caused extra expense and extra
work. He finds, after q careful estim-
harvest expenses, marketing, etc., n net
profit of about sevonty-tivo cents on tho
dollar He estimates that it costs about
as much to feed q wheat crop, includ-
ing seed, labor, manure, commercial
fertilizers, and all that goes to make q
good wheat crop, as it does the same
percentage of sheep, leaving n hand
some balance on the wool side Of the
ledger.
The amateur may ask what kind of
sheep to keep. Well, if mutton is the
object, take mutton sheep of the En-
glsh breeds; if wool is the object, take
the American Merino. Do not try and
breed sheep combining wool and NUT
ton, because each has fixed type. The
coarse wool sheep have been bred for
hundreds of years on the Downs of En-
gland, and are fixed type; while the
fine wools were bred in Spain rs long
ago as the time when the Moors in
Vaded that country. SO in trying to
build a breed in a few crosses YOU will
make serious failure, ana the worst
kind of q mongrel. In 1881 these
coarse and mixed woods were bought at
Bissell junction, Ohio, at from thirty
eight to forty cents per pound, and sold
in Boston, June l. 1882, for thrty-five
cents per pound The same class OF
wools were only bringing TWENTY-FIVE
cents per pound in 1882, the fine woods
thirty-iive cents. The future outlook
for fine wool sheep is very satisfactory;
farmers are fast learning that it pays 10
grade up their tlocks, and some are in.
Producing few ewes to make II start
Michigan Farmer.