The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-11-19
Agricultural.


AZ I'll readers prefer the practical 10 the
theoretical. propose 70 write something
about my own personal experience ca the
farm with sheep. ese. 1 will commence
BY saying that am farmer Of the fourth
generation. and slwsss Was farmer, and
am living on the same acres. Owned and
cultivated by my great grandfather before
the revolutionary var. | vill also say
that an . farmer from choice. because
like II, and Il will pay. The person who
goes into any calling. unless bis whole
heart 10 10 the business. may - well stop.
~ he will never succeed. aud never, IN
der any circumstances advise any Of my
friends TO engage ia any business for
which be is not adapted. to which be takes
no liking. Al said before. am. and al
ways vas . farmer from choice. and have
studied IL out carefully. and prscticed il
! n its detsils, which has given me what
little success have attained in my proies-
sion. Nov, to know what that success
has been, ] will say that when commenced
farming for myself. AZ years ago. on the
same acres where / now reside. ] sold
from % TO 80 tons Of hay year Last
year, sold 1l5 tons. and this year not
withstanding the frost and drought Of last
summer, q little over 100 tons. Could not
raise wheat At oil then. This year. had
from about II scres, $40 bushels. Corn
nubbins only grew then. now ] get the
corn house full way up to the peak. Oats
we're thin. so that they would fall through
the cradlefneers. No respers snd bind
ers then. This year and last. raised II
bushels from thelacre. Other crops, fruit.
ETC.. ditto; all Of which goes to show that
farming when well planned. skillfully con-
Quoted, and energetically pushed, will
pay, and pay we'll land that any young man
who takes the farm, and is willing 10 stu
dy his calling and push his business with
clear head and q good constitution, can
surely succeed.
promised, ! think, to say something
particularly about sheep raising and fat.
tening is one Of the most important branch
Of our American industry, and that il our
state and national Legislators would attend
q little more to the wants Of the wool grow
ers, the farmers and all the other indus
trial classes, and little less to the corp.
orations, the politicians and their own
pockets, our industry would not be in the
deplorable condition it now is. Years
ago, when wool and mutton were high, l
used to 60 to Canada and buy 500 TO 900
sheep, weighing in the fall from 125 to 100
pounds live weight, and bring them home
and feed them all winter, and sell them
10 the spring. Some Of them would go to
New York, and some to Boston, selling
sometime for fabulous prices; 400 were
once sold in New York that Melted me
$40. 60 per head, and two were dressed in
Boston, the carcasses alone weighed 2OS
and I'll pounds apiece.
Many years ago, / showed at the United
States fair at Philadelphia, wether, with
two and half years, growth Of wool on,
that measured "a inches long; aud | once
raised a ram that lost his dam at three
mouths old. and had nothing but grass
until near winter, that weighed ct Is
months old. $50 pounds. His sire was fed
by John Smell OF Canada. Was the first
choice out Of % yearlings. and two 2-year-
old Leicester rams, and be weighed Of the
same age. 2S2 pounds. The dam was
from the importation OF Col. Talbot, (the
kings surveyor in the early days Of Can
ada, and was . good one. ! will stop
here to say that Of the two wethers spo.
ken Of previously, as weighing 20S and I'll
pounds each, that the 208 pound one was
dropped by small eve, that 10 good con-
ton, would not dress over rs pounds,
while the other would have dressed
over $50 pounds. thus showing that
many fine animals can be bred
from inferior females, il the males are good
thoroughbred ones, and venture tho a.
sertion that il the farmers Of our country
would all use thoroughbred males with
their females. be they what they may,
they could increase the value Of their an
finals in Eve years, 40 per cent.