Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-08-30
Pastures for Sheep.

| Every farmer knows that sheep ear
not bear damp soil without in ur.ous
effects attending. and that undra nee
pastures are therefore to be avoided
also all low spots OF holiows in which
marsh plants grow. But all farmer:
are not aware of the fact that the char.
acter of the soil upon which these ami
mails are pa 'tured has an influence fol
| good or for bad
! Soils rich in potash. such as those
consisting of decompoSed granite OF
feldspar. are not favorable Tor sheep
pastured long on such lands they show
generally unhealthy appearance. es
pecialy the lambs. These lands are all
well enough for cattle, but sheep thrive
best on sandstone and limestone soils OF
dry, porous character The original
home of the Leicester sheep and the
Shropshires is red limestone. The
American Merinos are to be seen in
perfection on the limestone hills of Yer
mont.
While peat or marsh lands are unfav.
orable for sheep farms, salt marshes
near the coast are utilized with fair re.
SUI IS. as the saline heritage acts as q
specific against the diseases to which
sheep are subject upon ordinary marsh
lands.
Sheep are also bred with success in
localities where coal is mined. an in
stance of which are the fine tocks in
Ohio and Pennsylvania on pastures with
underlying coal formations.
Wherever the locality may be, and
whatever the geological character OF
the soil, if the land is not drained sheep
can not be raised with profit. They
must have dry pastures, or diseases
viii quickly and surely thin out the
flock.
The character of the soil influences
the character of the heritage and the
charact + Of the sheep is influenced by
the pasture. All kinds of grass are not
equally good for sheep. The flesh and
wool of the sheep. scientists teach. are
but the products of the soil and contain
only what has existed in the plants
which the sheep have consumed.
Analysis of clean wool gives in every
one hundred pounds about seventeen
pounds of nitrogen and five rounds OF
sulphur. When fed on nutritious pas
ture the fleece con aims quantity OF
greasy matter tie med "yolk' and the
animal is in good health. This yolk is
a sure indication that the food is al
right and sufficient. When the WOO
is marsh and dry this proof that the
uOuris ment is defective. Now the
yolk contains q lar.-e rer cent. of pot
ash, hence the proper food must be rich
in sulphur, potash and nitro en. as wei!
rs other matters. The bones If the sheep
contain a large per cent. OF phosphate
and carbonate Oh lime. With these facts
in view, it will he seen that the pasture
must either contain grasses giving the
re uired elements, or be supplemented
by other food which VIII supply the de.
ticiency. Right here comes the arGu.
ment for a variety OF grasses, and as 3
rule a pasture OF several grasses is bet.
ter than that with one only. J he best
of the common gras es are those OF
creeping habit, with fire, S ort her
bage. Timothy, oat-grass, spur-gr IS.
bluegrass, sleeps fescue. red-top ano
orchard grass. when closely pastured
meadow foxtail. white clover, etc.
form desirable heritage for sheep.
Butia!o-gr,ss and the mes ut grasses Of
the West are excellent pastures. by
the way. the occasi ,nal dressing of pas
ture with bone-d,lst, salt and su!phate
of lime furnish a supply Of mineral mat
tiers that are of service.
Parsley, yarrow, NORWOOD and
other grasses of an aromatic or astrin-
gent character are often in duced into
pastures for their medicinal effect upon
tAe sheep.-N 7. HOrld. -