River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-23
The Most Profitable Breeds Of Sheep
for the St. Croix Valley.


Farmers Institute held in River Falls, Dec. LIST.
The committee on program while cast
ing around for persons to write on differ
ent subjects of interest to be read at this
Institute, unluckily for you, asked me to
write on the important subject of Sheep
husbandry. My first thought was to re-
fuse, but when l came to think all Of us
should do something toward making this
Institute a success l consented to write
these few lines.
The farmers in this section, as a gen.
eral thing, have been a wheat-growing
people, but think the most of us have
come to the wise conclusion, that it is
useless for us 20 keep on raising wheat
year after year, for if we do, it wont be
long before starvation will be staring us in
the face, for great many farmers depend
solely on wheat for an income, and the
merchants, shoemaker, and many others,
are kind enough to let them have what
things they need if they will only pay
for them after they have threshed.
Well, they have threshed, but what have
they got for their hard years work? From
3 to 10 bushels of wheat to the acre, worth
from 40 to go cents per bushel, after the
millers have locked it several pounds for
wild oats, cookie and pigeon grass! Now,
this is rather hard show for them TO
meet their obligations that they made in
good faith. But in order to change this
order of things we have got TO change our
tactics. The question arises, what shall
we do? l say, seed down our old Guilt
waited fields to clover and give them a
rest while we try raising stock. And
while you are making up your minds
what kind of stock you win raise, don't all
Of you overlook the timid and innocent
sheep, for consider the sheep the best
animal ever created for man. 1t is the
farmers frienj-I should say of all, fol
its wool gives us the best material fol
making good warm clothes, which is Q
very important article, and its flesh gives
us a good, nutritious food, which is within
reach of both rich and poor; and if We
raise wool enough, perhaps the strictly pure
all wool goods that our merchants sell III
! may have a little more wool and grea
| deal less cotton in them; and the sheer
pelt is used quite extensively in making
buck-skin gloves. l don't think therei
any kind of stock that can equal then
| for putting onto our farms, for they no
| only enrich the soil but forage largely OF
weeds and briars THAT are pest to ;
| farmer) which other stock would leav'
unmolested to flourish. The most of u
have a good deal of waste land that w
| derive nothing from, except the right 4
pay taxes on, that might be utilized anC
be made to pay us dividend instead o
being harbor for wolves and wild cats
if we kept sheep. l allude TO our side
hills, which, when cleared of brush, max
the best of sheep pastures, for the shee
likes high, dry land.
| think that man with limited mean
can work into a stock of sheep cheaper ant
quicker, and receive a revenue sooner thai
he could with any other kind of stock
for he has the wool to sell in early sum
mer and his surplus lambs to dispose of
little later, and good fat sheep is saleabl
at any time; and when he gets his none
so often he can pay for what he buy
instead Of getting trusted, thereby dom
away with the credit system, which is tn
ruination Of us all. And if you have
nice flock of sheep your family are nc
obliged to live on salt chunk the yea
round because you are not able to Inv
out of the butchers cart the most eS
pensive bill to pay if you follow it), to
YOU can furnish your own fresh meat an
have the choicest cuts at your own figure
instead of paying for the coarset, an
eating what the butcher sees fit to sen
YOU; and only think how much anxiet
and worry would be saved, when tn
minister arrived to dinner unexpected,
YOU only had a lamb to kill. Why,
would save the life of the much covete
pullet ia source Of revenue to the GOO
housewife), or it might save the sma
boy from long and tedious hunt aroun
the wood-lot after the much-neoded art
Gle Of food, fresh meat
The sheep will thrive on less grain tina
other stock, for, in fact. if it has a war
dry place las all stock should have) it vi
DO well on plenty of good clover ha
which every farmer should have, for
class clover with sheep as the best frien'
a farmer has; for if he cannot resto
his fields to their former richness Wit
clover and sheep, shall say they a
past redemption. When you plow up {
old sheep-pasture you have field tn
YOU need have no fears what to SOW
plant on it, for should not be afraid
iuqrrant you a fine crop; and when VI
gaze upon it while it is growing you "
say, 'NYhy did l not sow clover befo
and keep flock of sheep instead of IL
T poverishing my land by trying to raj
T wheat for chintz bugs"
Now the question arises (Which Of Il