The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-09-17
THE sHEEPFOLD.

When everybody wants to sell Is
an unusually good time for some
body to buy. Then buy sheep.
Good young sheep are good in
vestmeat for those farmers who
have plenty of feed and pasture
one of the best in the line of live
stock.
Do not forget to clean out the
springs and watering places in the
sheep pastures often enough to
keep the green scum of, which col
lects on waterrduring hot weather.
Sheepmen should make an at
tempt to realize a profit from the
feeding and fattenlng of mutton
sheep this coming winter; and If
sheep can be bought as low in the
fall as now there will be money in it
In breeding, aim entirely at one
type or clase of sheep, if the best
results are to be reached, and do
not change from one class or breed
every year or two. By continually
changing no one can build up a
fine flock, as that requires years of
careful breeding.
A Kansas shepherd has flock of
II head of Cotswold sheep that
clipped an average of ia pounds
to the head. These are good sheep.
A flock of their merits on every
sheep farm would make sheep hus-
baudry profitable i'll spite of low
tariff and hard times.
The best means of insuring a
profit from any kind of stock is to
make that stock the object of spe-
cial attention and care, and the
avoidance of frequent changes from
one kind of stock to another as the
markets 90 up and down. This is
very applicable to the sheep bust
ness at the present time.
The time for making arrange
ments for a crop Of early lambs
next year is almost here, and per
haps no better Investment offers it
self at the present time than to buy
nice bunch of young ewes, which
can be done very cheaply now, and
breed them to a ram of one of the
large mutton breeds.
On their summer keep depends
the thrift and consequent profits
bleness of the flocks. When sheep
commence the winter in good con
dition, it is comparatively easy to
maintain this condition throughout
the winter, but if their condition is
low in the fall, very likely their
pelts will be the only thing to show
for large number of tue flock be-
fore spring. 1t is always well, also,
to have the mutton sheep in good
condition 10 commence the winter,
as it makes the finishing off process
much more easy, quick and cheap.
The culling out of the hocks of
breeding ewes should be most
thoroughly and carefully underta-
ken this fall before the breeding
season opens, and no eve should
enter the breeding pens that has
not superior individual merit as a
recommendation In this way and
in the use of none but tirst-class
rams, the improvements of the
fiocks will be thorough, and low
grade sheep will soon give way to
high grades. 1t does not pay in
any sense to perpetuate the quail
ties Of poor sheep, and this Gull
ing should be made close enough
to eradicate all poor animals and
eliminate their blood forever from
the flocks of breeders.
The National Live Stock Journal
thinks that a census of successful
farmers would not include many Of
the class that change from one
branch of agriculture to another
whenever the price of their product
is unsatisfactory. The change
brings double loss--a sacrifice in
the stock sold and loss in high
price gain for new class of stock
purchased. This class are always
changing from one specially to an
other, and thus lose all they make
in the profitable years. But those
, who remain in the sheep industry
through the present year are such
as have an abiding faith in theil
business, and are ready to receive
any suggestions of improvement.