, 1882-03-04

why they are NOT genstAAy keps % ih-
proved farms for the purpose Of eating
the kinds of food that ars not devoarsd
by other kinds of stocA, for furnishing
meat for the supply Of the table and ths
market, for the production u WOOL, and
for making manure. They also express
| surprise that our vast extent Of uneccu-
pied land is not devoted t. sheep hus-
bandry. They notice that in many parts
of the country, that are quito veil set
tied, many hills and much broken land
of which no use is made, which might Be
made very remunerative il stocked vith
sheep. They do not see Why . country
so well adapted to sheep husbandry shou!d
import wool, neither do they comprehend
why meat SO delicious aud nutritious -
mutton should not be eaten BY large
proportion of the people. They think
! that the general neglect of sheep hus-
bandry shows lack of thrift and econ
emy. All who have given any attention
to the matter will acknowledge that the
wealth of the country might be increased
enormously by the general introduction
of sheep. Millions cs sheep might be
kept on the land that is now devoted in
the man to other purposes without d.
minishing the amount of grain that 10
produced or the number of homes and
cattle raised They would thrive on
plants which other animals reject, and
occupy land that is of little value for cul-
tivation or for the pasturags Of large
stock The care they require would not
make it necessary to employ any more
help on farms than is now needed. Tho
wool and meat they would afford would
be clear gain to the farmers. The only
extra capital required would be for the
purchase of enough animals to get start
Sheep multiply rapidly, breed at an early
age, and require less costly protection
than other animals. A farm can be TT
ted up for keeping sheep much cheaper
than for keeping cattle and horses. Men
too old to perform hard work and boys
too young to labor in the fields can take
care Of sheep during the summer. Sheep
viii commence to Craze earlier in. the
spring and will continue to get . living
in pastures later in the fall than any kind
of farm animals 1t has been often re-
marked that sheep produce two crops .
year" They yield both meat and wool
the same season Wool can be marketed
to better advantage than any farm pro-
duct. 1t is worth more per pound, and
can therefore bear transportation longer
distances. Many crops are not profitable
unless they can be sold near where they
are produced They sell at low price
per pound and their value is consumed If
they are transported long distances.
Wool, however, can be produced q. .
profit even if it goes half way round the
world to find a market Many crops
must be sold almost as soon as they are
produced on account of their perishabls
nature, but wool can be kept an inde6
nite period without loss in weight or de
terioration in value 1t il not subject to
the injuries that grain and fruit are. 1t
is not liable to be destroyed except by
fire. A large amount of value can be put
III small space. Wool is sold for
cash in parts of the country where many
farm products are disposed of by way OF
trade Sheep are better adapted to sup
plying farmers families with fresh meat
than any other animal, because their car
casses are smaller and they are capable of
being kept longer than those of hogs and
beeves. Mutton eorned or smoked il eI-
cellent food, though many farmers who
raise sheep do not appear 10 be aware of
the fact. For cooking with vegetables
corned mutton is superior 20 corned beef
or pork II has richer favor than the
foumer and contains less fat than tho
latter
1t is true that there are some pretty
strong objections to keeping sheep in
many parts of the country. In some
places they are liable to be destroyed by
foxes, wolves and other wild amin Als.
Dangers from these sources are becoming
less, however, every seas,n, a. the eoun-
try is better settled up. In any place
dangers from these sources may be obyis-
ted by the exercise of care in giving pro-
lection to the hocks- The loss Of sheep
by dogs IS more to be feared. In many
states and parts Of states the canine pop
ulation outnumbers the population OF
human beings, and is Of very low order.
Still IN all the states where the sheep IN
terest is large or promising it il easy to
obtain legislation unfriendly to vicious
dogs, and to influence public opinion in
favor Of affording protection TO sheep.
As the number Of sheep increase in any
neighborhood the number Of dogs de-
crease The losses Of sheep by dogs in
Vermont are few, as nearly every far
mer is fiock-master. The price OF wool
fIactuates more than that Of most farm
products, and the demand for different
kinds varies with the fashion OF cloth.
On these accounts many farmers who like
steady income do not wish tc engage in
sheep husbaniry. Sheep are more liable
to be destroyed by contagious diseases
than horses and cattle, or even hogs, be-
cause larger numbers are kept together.
Suitable care and watchfulnes will pre-
vent the introduction Of contagious dis
eases, and sheep are liable to fewer aeca-
dents than horses and cattle. Many per-
sons object to mutton because they as6rm
it has "wolly taste Whatever Pc
culiar and offensive taste mutton may
have is largely due to the improper man
ner IN which sheep are generally dressed