Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-05-05
agricultural Department.
THE NATIVE SHEEP.


wether yield handsome return for
their cost in mutton. The profit
however greatly depends upon the
right choice of kinds, for if the wrong
sheep are chosen there may be no
profit at all and the venture might
even be loss. If farmer, for in
stance, being misled by desire to
make too big profit, should choose
pure bred sheep for his flock at a cost
of SIS to $50 per head, expecting to
sell the produce at an equal price, he
would expend great deal of mon
ey, would find his ignorance of the
management of such sheep to lead to
disaster and in the end would proba-
bly, lose all his money. The rearing
of pure bred animals for sale is a
special business and needs special
methods and advantages, and without
these it is impossible to make more
from costly pure bred animal than
from a common low priced one.
Therefore while farmers may admire
the looks of such animals, and envy
the profits which he reads has been
made from them, let him remember
the old ad2ge that ''all that glitters
is not gold,' and believe that there
is another side to the affair. The
writer speaks from personal expert
ence in this matter and can safely
warn other farmers against this mis-
take. The farmers sheep is the ma
tive race, which has descended from
a mixture of the pure races, OF rather
which has in it the original elements
of the SO called pure races, that have
been built up by improvements upon
the common sheep. The common
sheep has in its turn been improved
by mixture with the improved kinds
and is therefore a very good and use
ful animal and serves the farmers
purpose exceedingly we'll. II is we'll
that farmers should try to improve
their common stock by the aid of
good pure bred animals, but this is
best done by crossing these with pure
bred rams and is by no means a
costly process and Is within the
means, the ability of almost every
farmer when he is prepared for 1t.
In the meantime he should confine
himself to to the native sheep and do
the best he can with them until he is
ready to extend his operations.
The best native sheep in North
America is that known as the Cana
ola sheep. This is a mixed kind,
having the blood of the best English
breeds crossed upon the best French
merino. The first sheep brought to
Canada were the merinos from France,
and these make up the greater bulk
of all the American native sheep, but
in Canada the Leicester and Cotswold
have been chiefly used in improving
the common kind and have given ;
large size and good fleece to the off
spring. The best lambs and mutton
: taken to the markets of New York
Boston, and other large cities in th,
United States, are either direct from
,, Canada or from farms in New Yorl
+ state or Ohio, the stock of which ha
+ been procured from Canada. Som
of these sheep are exceedingly fin
; and could scarcely be distinguishes
; form the pure bred Cotswold or othe
a long wool English mutton sheep, an
S many of them will weigh as month
: old lambs 20 pounds or upwards an
as muttons $50 or 100 pounds an
over. These are exceedingly profit
able sheep to keep on farms, and th
II outlay necessary to procure q stoc
'e is but small to begin with. Farmer
of orr acquaintance make a practic
Il every year of procuring number c
it. such sheep as these in the fall
" feeding them through the winter
y crossing them with pure bred ram
rh sell the lambs IN the spring, take th
s. feeces; and fatten the sheep fe
Is sale in July or August; realizing
s. this way profit of 100 to 200 pr
cent and besides gathering larg
ou quantity of manure. The sheep
Is purchased well can often be procure
- for s. OF $4 per head the lambs Sc
as usually for So OF $4 each in IL
nc spring if raised early; the wool pa,
ror for all the feed and care and Il
NJ the sheep sell when fat for 81 al
even Sc for fine ones, per head. III
cd profit of such a business is qui
plain to see and very satisfactory.
is The native sheep of the Unite
he States are of a different characte
They are chiefly of merino blood al
are largely mixed with Southdow
ed showing the close fine wool of t
IDS latter. These are smaller than s
ore Canadian sheep, weighing from so
120 lbs. when in common store co
me dition. This kind is specially WI
III adapted for raising early lambs f
mt: the markets and for the lighter mt
pi ton carcases which are in demand
ber the summer when heavy and fat MT
led ton is not popular. The profit
about the same as with the lar
Ee- sheep, as being of less value me
ing can be bought for the same none
and being less hearty feeders, me
said can be kept on the same amount
ain feed. These sheep-of both kinds
cross we'll with the black faced do