The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-07-21
Sheep and Sheep Hnsbandry.

Extracts from paper read before the students
oil me new Hampshire Agricultural College. by
A. L. Perkins OF Pomret:l
Mexican ewes are worth in Mexico
$3.50 per head, and their annual clip of
wool of two pounds is worth II cents
per pound. This makes tho annual
value of the feeces from Mexican sheen
about "a cents per head, provided they
have not lost a portion OF their fleece
BY reason of their having the scab, or
Othes diseases.
These Mexican sheep, after being
crossed few times with the Merino,
makes what is called the improved
Mexican sheep. which shears annually
about pounds of wool per head, and
10 worth now Is cents per pound; this
makes the annual value of the fleece
about 81. 25 cents per head without in.
creasing the cost OF keeping, and the
value OF the carcass of these sheep for
mutton Ia improved 25 per cent. The
ewes OF these improved sheep will sell
for from IN 6 dollars per haod Tho
foregoing named facts are what creates
ths demand for the thousands of Meri-
no rams that are annually shipped from
New England and other states.
THE OLDER STATES.
Twill give you a few reasons why ]
think that sheep breeding in New Eng
land and the older states will continue
TO be prosperous business.
A"ow tnat wIItSI1 vu nSIILuit...
have told us that we cannot raise sheep,
cattle, or hogs, and all the various
kinds of grain in competition with the
west. According to the writing of
these persons, we must bny most of
these things as long as we have money
10 pay for them, and after our money
10 gone l suppose emigrate or starve.
do not take such bilious view Of
our future prospects. / believe that
competition Is the life of business.
Let us examine this subject of compe-
tiiion. When the first railroad was
built from Boston ont u few miles, the
market gardeners in the vicinity of Bos.
ton, said the railroad would ruin their
business, because it will bring the
products from the country IN competi.
lion with the products of their gardens.
What are the facts in this case? The
railroads have increased until the pro-
ducts of California are sold in Boston.
aud yet these products have advanced
in price. 1t was also said that the
railroad would ruin the business of
raising draft horses, because the freight
OF the country would be transported by
railroad instead of being drawn bv
horses, and yet the facts are that the
price of dra't horses has increased,
Again it was said, that when the Un-
Ion Pacific Railroad WAS completed IT
would injure the business of raising
beef in the older states, by bringing
isnr 10 nf In A
ern plains in competition, and yet We
lind that the price OF beet has advanced
There has been an immense amount of
labor saving machinery introduced OH
our farms within the past two years,
and yet the price Of farm labor has ad-
vanced.
THERE'S an immense amount of work
now done by machinery that was for
merry done by hand, aud vet the prices
Of nearly aliklnds OF labor have advanc-
ed. rf5 NJ 81. 49, =
know that there are large Quantities
Of cattle. horses, sheep aud hogs, and
the various kind of grain raised In the
west, and yet II has not ruined the
business here. know that the raising
of sheep up on the western plains is a
positive advantage TO those sheep
breeders who are raising the improved
breeds of sheep in the older states.
know that these sheep have been
brought to their present state of per-
lection by care and attention In breed
Ing aud feeding, and 1 also know that
when sheep do not receive the neces-
sarY care and attention, they will dete-
riorate and run down, and consequently
the sheep breeders of the western
plains will look 10 the older states for
sheep to improve theirs.
do not think there is any just cause
for us 10 fear competition in sheep
breeding from tho western plains.
Their sheep OF the same quality cost
them nearly double what they are worth
here. The rate Of interest on the CAPT.
tai invested 10 from 10 TO ~ per cent.
Thesprics Of competent labor Is dear
there their couyeniences for shelfering
their sheep from storms and wind are
Q bluff or . ravines rThe cost Of erect
ing suitable barns or shed Is double
what tbs here, for the cheapest kind
Of lumber is worth $50 per thousand.
The liability Of sheep in large herds to
diseases, snch as the scab, and the
yearly expense Of doctoring them, and
the almost impossibility OF curing them,
are sons Of the hinderances they have
to encounter. The foregoing are few
Of the reasons why l think we have
nothing to fear from the competition of
raieiu0 sheen upOn the Western pIaiua.