Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-06-22

Nnecp OIL NOfn-Oul Ianus
In our new States there is as yet no
, serious question as to the best way Of
: renewing worn-out lands. But in the
older States II Is question Of ilupor-
! tanee, and IL our ieW States il must be-
come one in time, Under our proligatc
system Of agriculture it is only matter
Of time when this will be vital ques-
ton to those who own and till the soil
The eject Of sheep, therefore, upon
such land may be studied with profit by
all Of us, whatever may be the present
condition Of our soil. 1t has long been
known that sheep are an excellent
means OF fertilzing 1t is estimated
that sheep fed upon rich foods will pay
for the food in the Product lon Of mutton
and wool, and will give at least seventy
five per cent Of its value IN the fertilza-
ton Of the soil In no. other way can
phosphorus acid potash and fiitrogeil
be SO cheaply applied to the soil, the
cost being generally estimated at fifty
per cent, of the cost Of commercial fer
tilizers containing these elements. Be-
sides, as noticed by one well-known
writer while it is impossible to tell what
we are getting in the commercial fer
tilizers, we do know what we will get
when we have fed sheep upon
the richer foods. II we feed certain
foods Ne know just what the fertiliging
product will be when it has passed
through the sheep machinery for diges-
tion. There is, therefore, no branch Of
the live stock industry that draws so
lightly upon the soil rs sheep husbandry.
In the first place, it is not so exhaust
ing anyhow, and in the next place, it
actually returns SO much that the soil
grows better instead Of poorer Under
favorable conditions, we have the very
highest opinion Of the sheep business,
tariff or no tariff dogs or no dogs and
in the face Of the various obstacles that
oppose our achievement Of the full meas
ure Of success We repeat what we
have sometimes said before, that our
sheep husbandry viii bear all the direct
or indirect disadvantages and come out
ahead in the end. Just SO long as this
country fails to produce all the wool il
needs for its own consumption, and Just |
so long as we have the present natural |
advantages for the business the sheep
business viii have room to spread itself, |
and viii commend Itself to those who /
are engaged IN agrcultmei aud should /
we lose some Of oiir natural advantages, /
and The industry should enlarge to a +
degree that our home demand will be /
fully supplied, an animal that will pay /
seyenty-iiye per cent. Of the cost OF I
what It consumes in fertilizers to the
soil upon which il feeds, will still COM
mend itself to the farmer Upon farm
that is fitted for sheep husbandry, keep
ing sheep viii pay, If the dogs can be
kept away, whatever may be the price
Of wool or mutton. The improvement
Of the soil will be enough 10 make 4
profit, in addition, of course, TO what
the wool and carcass win bring for they
must always be worth something.
Some interesting and instructive eX-
perments have been made as to the
comparative effect Of feeding a definite
quantity Of food to sheep upon the land,
and applying manure made by sheep
under a shed, in winter from the same
kind Of food Prof Stcwarts experi-
ments, which he records in his work on
Feeding Animals, are among some Of
the best. He confined fifty large sheep
upon twenty-five rods of ground for
three days in June, feeding twenty
pounds Of green clover per day TO each
sheep, cut before hlossoming. The
parts Of the stalk not eaten ~ first,
were placed in q trough every day,
three-quarters Of pound Of corn meal
TO each sheep. with a pinch Of salt
spread over them, and were thus eaten
hy the sheep. In this way all the clover
was eaten. AZ the end Of the three
DAYS the land had received the drop
pings from sixty poundsof green clover
and two and a quarter pounds Of corn
meal At thi, rate an acre would re-
ceive s. .26i pounds.of dry clover. and 633
pounds Of dry substance Of corn meal
The estimated Yield Of this would be
ninety pounds Of nitrogen. eighiy-
four pounds Of potash. and twenty
two pounds Of pho-phoic acid The
sl0ep fed uader the she'd in winter,
were fed 5.iGo pounds Of dry Clover
the number Of shclp being ifty-ani
corn 10 the amount of 1896 pound. Of
dry meal The sheds were bedded four
inches deep with cut straw before the I
feeding comm need The sheep were
thus fed and bedded for ihftv days
As 10 the effect upon the sheep them
selves. thes- fed upon green clover
gained ti.f~- and q quarter pounds per {
wcck. whileihose fed In TIE she'd gained
only two and a half pounds PER week
Tie manure thus made in The she'd was
spread upon an acre adjoining one
upon which the green ellrer feeding
was done. both pieces freaici exactly {
alike a. % ploWinr. and both were soEn
10 winter wheat. with grass seed Re-
sulf: tbe acre ferfli ized tY feeding clover
md com meal upon i Welded thirty
bushels t0 TIE acre the oihfr acre {
y vehei bat twenty-five bashfis F0
.r0 wears the grass crdp rurn IRE
'0rmcr vas mach better than upon ile
.nttr. ani after thai tHf dferenes ass {
naf uaroartihla. We simply rlier to
as experiment .ss s1 i1dioafnn al tie ;
.rrr rri crrtnirfr 81 faft me- - iari 2