The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-05

Exchange.
Sheep adapt themselves to.a wider range
oil latitude than any domesticated animals
except the dog. For more than a thous.
and years they have been raised in Ice.
land, where tho climate is 80 cold that few
cultivated crops can be produced. They
are also raised with profit in all the couu.
tries Of Europe aud Asia that border on the
North Sea. Sheep raising has lately been
undertaken in Patagonia, with excellent
promise OF slcco.a. South Africa and ali
the islande IN the Indian Ocean are found
to be well adapted to the raising Of sheep,
Spain and AaiGtic Turkey have louv pro.
duced moot excellent wool, although the
climate OF these countries is yery warm.
Sheep do wellin every State aud territoryin
this country. Sheep are better adapted 10
poor land than any other domes,icated an.
lmal except the goat. They utiljzs the feed
That grows on hills and mountains that are
too steep Tor horses and cattle to climb,
They will eat more kinds OF forage than
any animals except goats. There is econ.
ony IN keeping a few eheep in pastures
that are chiefly devoted to other animals,
ior the reason thatth former will eat MANY
kinds OF weeds and grasses that the latter
Will leave. Lands productive of fine crops
OF clover, grass, and small grains are by no
means Objectionable for sheen ~raisinp,
Some Of the beat land in Great Britain Is
devoted to sheep raising. The animals are
Intended for food, and arc kcp. in fine
growing condition during their entire lives.
lhe!r iood Is chisay grees and clover dur.
lhg the summer, and roots, hay, and oil
cake during the winter. The animals being
heavJ are not allowed a wide range. Ths
different breeds OF sheep allow raisera to
select varieties best 6uitedto the lands thew
occupy.
As a specially Tor the employment OF
lafge capita! and extensive bodies of land
Bheep-ralsing has advantages over auy
otner department OF s!ock raising. itis also
well adapted to persons of small means.
There are still large bodies of land that can
% used ior pasturing sheep without &C.
curing title to it. There are other tracts
that can be rented for a term Of years at a
nominal cost. Land is ordinarily improved
BY. pasturing sheep upon it. They do NOT
ln]uIe the turf as cattle do, they keep weeds
bllshes III subsection, and their manure
is scattered over the entire surface of the
ground. Persons engaged in general farm
ing n stock raising are commonly bene.
lifted by keeping sheep. They arc timely
sources oil income. Early lambs in good
condition always bring very high prices.
The wool Of the mature sheep is ready for
market in May, at which time there ia o,,
%dinarily little on the farm to sell. Well.
lattened mutton 10 ualable at all
seasons Of the yeer. For the sup.
ply Of the farmers. table mutton is tho
most suitable meat. ANY farmer can learn
to drefsa sheep properly, and there is a
convenient place Tor doing the work about
every farmhouse mutton will keep longer
IN a irtsh slate than beef o. pork. II is an
excellent meat to preserve in pickle or by
means OF smoking. For cooking in con. |
nection with vegetables it is superior TO
beei, as 1t has q better favor. Boiled NUT. |
ton ID a desirable foodin summer. Itoccu.
pies a place between chicken and beef and
pork. Mutton has never been a yery NOM
lar meat in this country, chiefly for two
reasons. The quality Of the meat ia O
and most persons have not understood
how to COOK it properly. AS the various
Dreed5 OF mutton uheep arc increasing yery
fast good mutton will soon become com.
mon. Mutton will soon occupy the place
in our market that it does in England.
Prosperity has almost always been as,o.
ciated with sheep husbandry in this coun-
try wheIe the persons engaged in II have
shown good judgment in continuing in the
business during a series Of years. Sheep
raising has been ! profitable businets in
Vermont ever since the State was frat get.
tied. AS it was difficult to send mutton to
market before the days Of railroads only
sheep producing fine wool were kept. The
breeders acquired a widespread reputa.
ton ior their sheep, and haye always re-
tanned it. The raising OF fine mrerino bucks
for the use OF persons having largo hocks
in California, Colorado and Texas has con.
tinued to be q very profitable. business,
During the past lew years many Vermont
bucks have been sant to Australia, New
z .aland and South America. Sheep raising
has also been profitable in western pennsyi.
vania, northern OAio, southern Michigan.
and Wisconsin. The eheep.raisers have
acquired wealth, and the value Of their
lands haa increased very rapidly. The
farmers in Ontario, Canada, who have kept
sheep have also been very prosperous. Its
likely that the breeding Of choice mutton
sheep will be as p, oftable in the future as
the breeding Of ine.wooled sheen has in
the past. The animals now command n
very high price, and the demand for them
Is increasing. Breeding superior sheep for
cressingo on inferior hocks ia as profitable as
any branch Q fstock. breeding. There have
been limited times during which sheep.
raising has not been very profitable. Many
bought locks when sheep were high and
sold them when they were quite low,
They obtained less for a large flock than
they paid for asmali one.