The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-01-25

DOES IT PAY?
If the wool grower can increase his profit
by washing before shearing he viii not stol
to consider the question of discomfort o.
health. Neither will be hesitate at th,
seeming barbarity and cruelty Of the prac
tice to the sheep if it pays. Fortunately. il
agriculture, profit lies right in the line o
the comfort and health of both farm animal,
and men. The dairyman who provides fol
his cows good shelter, comfortable stalls and
bedding. proper food, sufficient in quantity
fed regularly, stables we'll lighted and ven
tilated, will realize the largest per cent Of
profit. He finds his cows give larger
yield of milk and butter when they are com
Portable and quiet. He knows well thai
everything that disturbs or irritates tbs
feelings nf his COWS lessons the flow of milk
and makes his profits smaller.
We can go through the whole list of farm
animals from the fowls that supply our tables
with fresh laid eggs and the toothsome
roast chicken, the swine, the sheep, the
calves and cows, up to the spirited, lntelli-
gent horse that takes US quickly to church
or market, and we shall find that the largesl
profit results from providing for their rea-
sonable comfort, and guarding them from
everything that can disturb, irritate or
harass them.
IT CANNOT BE DENIED
that the operation of washing causes discom.
fort and injury to the sheep However care
fully driven, they become heated, and more
or less fatigued. and in this condition are
frightened and shocked by being forced into
the water And here | want to say that
driving sheep to one general washing place
has done more to spread the foot rot than
all other causes combined The large
amount of water in the sleeps fleece after
washing cannot be evaporated without large
~ reducing the heat of the body. and maxi
ing considerable drafts on the vital forces of
the system
The yelk andsoil of the wool is made from
the sleeps food, and it requires Just as
much of the elements of nutrition to produce
pound of oil and yelk as it does to produce
pound of WOOL This is the case whether
the loss Of yelk and oil is occasoncd by a
long rain or by washing In the brook
When we become more civilized we shall
PROTECT OUR FLooKs
from drenching rains and not let the animal
oil be washed out and lost, to be replaced by
the consumption of more food at our ex-
pense, Here again we see that the profit
of keeping sheep lies right in the line oftheir
comfort.
L In order TO wash before shearing we must
wait until the water and weather is measure
ably warm Then we cannot shear until the
wool has new supply of oil AS the mum.
Der of shearers is limited the shearing is
crowded into a short space of time, and
large number of focks carry their feeces
into hot weather. This causes discomfort
and suffering to the sheep and must unavoid-
aoly deprecate It's condition.
An experienced sheep man of this county
said to me that carrying the fleece into hot
weather and the exposure of the newly shorn
body to the sun is detrimental to the thrift
of the sheep as to be equivalent to the loss
of months growth of wool, or over eight
per cent of the product. If The practice of
washing sheep were abolished sheep could
be sheared at any time after Nav LIST, at the
convenience of the farmer. Last season
was backward, but | sheared May 30ih and
3lst and next day noticed that my sheep
sought the shade TO lie down.
THE COMFORT OF THE SHEEP
time of shearing. Those who can conve
niently give their sheep shelter at night and
during storms can shear early. And no,
only can shearing season be heightened but
the alketing also. The spring is time
when the market is bare of wool. The
manufacturer, waiting for the time when the
bulk of wool is thrown on the market, and
prices recede, buys from hand to mouth, but
mas to pay good prices. Last season
shipped my wool to Chicago the next morn
ing after shearing some Of it was sold in @
week and inside of four weeks had the en-
tire proceeds in my hand.
Now it is proper to ask what benefit re
suits or is expected to result from washing
Does it add one grains weight of wool to the
sleeps back? Does it add to the length of
staple? Does it add anything to its good
qualities Does it add to the comfort and
THRIFT OF THE SHEEP?
Is there anything gained in marketing the
wool washed Those who have abolished
the practice. and sold their wool unwashed :,
are as we'll satisfied with the returns as
when they sold their clips washed There
| is no reasonable reason why it should be
otherwise. All regnlsr dealers and manu-
| facturers buy wool on its meriis, that is on
the basis of the secured pound.
The demand for unwashed wool is just as
good as for washed. All wool, whether
washed on the sheep or not. must be and il
scoured-perfec,ly cleaned-before the
manufacturer can use it. Some manufac-
turers buy only washed fleece: some buy
only unwashed, and others buy only secured
wool. The fact will soon become familiar to
our minds that fleece, whether washed or
unwashed, will sell in any rightly constitu
ted market for the amount of wool it con.
tains. If your wool will not sell on it's
merits at your door do not sell it there
There are markets near by where your wool
will always sell from 10 to 20 per cent more
than any perambuating buyer can pay you.
The wool growers have the power in their
own hands and soon wool will have to BIZ
bought in Kenosha county on its own
merits.
Twenty years ago all butter sold in this
county at the same price per pound now il
varies from 10 to 81 cents; it is sold on Its
merits.
To sum up the
ARGUMENTS AGAINST WASHING
| VIC nave the expense Oh tim0 anu laDor
the worry, fatigue and discomfort of the
sheep; reduced vitslity aud waste of vita
forces. injury to health Of men end sheep
loss in growth of wool and condition by
carrying the fleece in hot wea her, and ex
posure of the bare skin to the hot sun.
In favor Of not washing we have tn,
advantage of shearing early at our conve
nience; Of selling some wool on the mos
favorable market; and the profit Of twelv,
months uninterrupted growth of wool. Il
abolish the practice will make nice yearl.
saving of expense. The sheep will laugl
and grow fat 10 learn they are no more to b
subjected to the barbarous custom. Moth
> ers and sisters will clap their hands and re
I | joice to know that SONS and brothers will n
I more cndanger health by shivering 70
: hours in water to perpeiuate barbarisr
on the gentle animal. the touch of who's
e hoofs is god.
/ A physician says that upon the wea
and exhausted cold acts as permanent d.
8 bility. There is not, indeed, more frequer