Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-10-06
Daflp kenneber Jnurnal.
Don't Sacrifice the sheep.


Farmers are very likely to shift their
stock whenever change comes in profits.
If sheep 60 down the flock is sold. and
horned cattle and horses put upon the farm
and in year or two the thing is reversed
again. A correspondent of the Michigan
Farmer exhorts wool growers to hold
onto their fiocks. He says:
Before sacrificing their focks farmers
should consider all points of the question
bearing on the case, and then act consider
ately in the premises. Never in the his
tory of American farmers was there SO
much interest manifested in the production
of wool Politicians are compelled to
consider the question. and if Legislation is
the cause of the depression in prices oil
the product of the farm. Legislation can
and will cure it. 1t is not wise to accept
defeat and explode our magazines until an
effort at least is made to recover lost
ground. A few cents on pound OF wool
is not the only factor in the question
farmers who have such number of sheep
as the farm will conveniently carry, can
not sacrifice them without doing injustice
to the fertility of the soil, and its capacity
to produce other staple articles to take
the place of wool and mutton.
The question of manure cannot be ig-
nored. If 100 sheep can permanently i'm
prove FIVE acres year, so that it will pro-
duce one-fourth more bushels of grain,
the absence of sheep in the economy of
the farm will be felt to greater or less
degree than can be we'll determined until
an attempt is made to get along without
them. From the statistics furnished from
the Office OF Secretary of State it is clear
" demonstrated that the yield of wheat
is guaged by the number of sheep kept on
the farm.
A present decline on few cents per
pound on wool, with no indications that
lat sheep for food will be less remunera-
tive for food than for years past, is not
sufficient for selling off sheep at sacri-
! flee, nor for any less attention bestowed
upon the flock.
To those who are out of sheep the pres
ent season will be favorable time to in
vest some money in a good flock, as there
will be plenty of farmers who will be
anxious to sell. For those who have
determined to dispose OF a portion of their
flock by sales or by fattening. it will be a
good time to use good judgement, sharp
ened by experience, to select for the home
flock only such as come up to the ideal
sheep. The very best time for such a Sc
lection is when shearing, and to mark such
as are desirable to keep.
| There are some sheep in every flock
that are really worth double the value of
the average lot. The average number of
pounds of wool per head, for the State, is
little more than five and half, and not a
township in the State will average seven
pounds; while there are plenty of grade
flocks that will shear seven pounds of
washed wool per head. By judcious
selection, taking out the light shearers
and short staple woods, not only can the
average be greatly increased, but the val
lie and reputation of wool can be advanced
to par with the best woods in the mark
ct.
Growing more and better wool on less
legs should be the motto. rather than
keeping a less number OF sheep on a farm.
Wool is product that does not take fer
tility from the soil like the growing grain,
but actually adds to the value of the farm
for grain growing purposes Buyers are
talking about paying fifty cents to one dol
lar less per head for feeding weathers, land
interested parties are talking down the
prices of store sheep but as yet, no sales
have been made to fix values.
Feeders will fill up their yards if they
have to pay last years prices, and it is
folly to sacrifice fine flock OF sheep on
account of temporary shrinkage OF wool
values. The best way for farmers TO help
to advance the price of wool is for each
one to buy a new suit of clothes while
they are cheap, and thus help manufacture
ers an outlet for their goods, not forgetting
the war cry of the restoration of 67' tariff
rates.