The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-02

good time coming when there will not
be so much gloom among sheep breed
ers and wOol-growers as there is at
present. Still we believe that even
though circumstances have conspired
to greatly reduce the profits of sheep
raising, that had we, as sheep breeders.
| pursued little different course in the
past, VIC would even now be in quite a
satisfactory position. AS we have re-
peatedly said, we have not given as
much attention to the production of
mutton as the Importance of the matter
demanded. Except we have had the
| mutton breeds we have given little at
tention to the question of mutton. We
| have virtually considered the sheen as
Valueless when the wool was off its
/ back except as a source of more wool
1t is true we have not thrown the car
cass away, but have sold it for the most
we could get, and it is also true, owing
| to the ignorance of the great mass OF
| consumers, that mutton is mutton
| whether the sheep that produced it pro-
duced line, medium or long wool But
we submit that a market which is not
cultivated is not usually much of a
market; and we do not cultivate q
mutton market when we sell the
carcass of a Merino sheep, a good
deal as we sell rags, to get it out of our
way. The Merino is capable of making
a very good quality of mutton if effort
is put forth in that direction, and there
is no reason in the world why mutton
production should not be profitable
wherever and whenever beef produc-
ton is profitable, for mutton can be
made just as cheaply as beef can be
made, and mutton averages in price as
high as beef. There have been some
very cleverly conducted experiments to
determine the relative cost and profits
OF mutton and beef production, and
they have led to the conclusion that one
is just as profitable as the other. Mr..
Lawes' experiments are the best
known. He ascertained that sheen
would save twelve per cent. of dry food
consumed by them, and give an account
OF 1t in additional weight That is
better account than cattle will give of
food Cattle, according to we'll direct
ed experiments, give but eight per
cent. increase of weight upon the |
amount of food consumed; or in other |
words the experiments have proved |
that about eight pounds of dry food |
Will make as much increase in the |
weight of sheep as twelve pounds of dry /
food will in cattle. Now if these ex- |
periments can be relied upon, it will be
seen that sheep will pay as well as cat
tie IN respect to meat, and we then
have the wool as an extra source of
profit 1t IS true that the cow gives
milk, but she does not lay on fat while
she is doing it. The sheep laws on fat
and produces wool at the same time.
But we do not desire to paint the
picture of sheep husbandry in too brill
lant colOrs, though we honestly believe
that the experiments, to which we have
referred, may be relied upon, and that.
II we would give more attention to the
mutton side of the business, we should
always be in position to reap some
profit regardless of the price OF wool.
But, to be conservative, is it not true
that the sheep will pay for it's keep in
its carcass? Or, to be little more con-
sentative. will not all agree that the
price received for wool will not need to |
be drawn upon very heavily to cancel |
all the cost of keeping the sheep?
Then there must be some profit in the
sheep business even vet. 1t is to be
remembered that the sheep does not
make itself debtor to the land. 1t
viii return more than it takes off, and,
Us matter OF fact, it would take worry
title off, if it returned nothing. If the
cost Of a five-pOund fleece of wool is
,stimated, it will be found to be very
title, for it would require the making
# only One-fifth of an ounce a day'
md, certainly, that would require but
title food. The mineral matter taken :
rom the soil by such fleece is little
'ver an ounce and a half If we }
ompare what number of sheep that
viii equal cOw-say a half dozen mutt
on sheep-will cost the soil in mineral
natter, with what a COW, giving four +
thousand pounds of milk during the d
ear, will cost it in mineral matter, we /
hall see how very little the sheep costs C
I that direction. The half dozen will b
axe from the soil not much more than t
Inc and half ounces of mineral mat .
II. The cow will take twentv-six c
ounds, fOrty-three times more. The a
DIV takes also thirteen times more h
ltrogen than the sheep will take. We tt
re, the reader will remember, only | o
what the fleece of the sheep
nd the milk of the cow require. If we a.
D further, and estimate the relative 81
raft upon the soil for bone and muscle u
Id fleece and milk, we shall find that N
e waste of mineral matter is not more ty
an one-third as great in the six s eep b
1t IS in the cow. The sheep improves ell
e soil, as is well understood, and if, oi
addition to that, we have a creator
oft than we have from the COW, we CT
n begin to realize that there is a great W
al in the old Spanish adage that &C
he Sleeps foot is golden" though lie
at originally applied to the improve ST.
ent of She soil. ex
We call attention to these facts. ana
axe these suggestions, because we re
)uld like to get as much light on this pr
TX picture before us as possible. If be
ere is sunbeam anywhere we al ha
lys like to find it and feel it. Some
ople seem rather to enjoy being in the VI
hoF ]
lose who are looking forward to the tn
5tOratiOn of the tariff, are compelled hi
admit that at best that will be q con- let
erable distance in the future. They an
'tainlY can expect nothing from this lea
esent Congress, and may be they will Tut
{ nothing from the next 1t is wise. ito
srefore, to look about and see what
I be done in the present condition of da,
airs, and If the advocates of a tariff pla
'uld get what they want in that di- eve
ton, and can make an additional SOC
mt by devoting more atten- -
n to portion of the bust
IS that they have neglected more Ra
less, it would, of course, be wisdom
10 it. There are hundreds of Merino
ks that might be greatly improved wh
a mutton point of view. No one ex- fall
is to get mutton of as good quality two
n MerinO as he could get from a five
ep of one of the mutton breeds. but. Gig
ertheless, good piece of Merino OF +
ton is good enough for ordinary por
rtals, and will be, until the American less
pie know more about the difference rair
mutton than they now do Mr.. Gar mo;
1 thinks that the Merino can he Nea
lie what we call frst-class mutton whC
ep. We do not. But we do believe seas
if We breed for the largest possible Owe
j, and feed with a view Of MAKING "a COR