The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1886-01-02
Sheep Husbandry in the Cotton
States.

Sheep Husbandry in the Cotton
States.
Thinking that maybe an article
of the above would Interest your
readers, | have concluded to tell
them what | know about raising
sheep in the cotton States.
| believe that it is a conceded
fact that to handle sheep for profit
plenty Of cheap land and cheap grass
are required, with mild winters and
cheap food to put them through the
winter. In the cotton States, bu,
more especially in the old States
east of the Mississippi river, there
are thousands of farms, worn out by
cultivating cotton. which, with
Bermuda grass and Japan clover.
can be made excellent sheep farms.
They can he bought very low-in
fact SC low that one would believe
them entirely worthless. Dnt while
it is true that these lands are much
worn and exhausted, they will
produce Bermuda grass, Japan clo-
yer and the COW pea; and can, by
running sheep on them, be made
rich in a few years. Japan clover
is a e grass of he clover faulty
that vas started near Charleston.
IS. g., in 1865, aud has spread over
the eutire cotton States cas- of the
Mississippi river and partially over
the trans-Mississippi States, as |
have heard of it as far west as the
Colorado river in Texas. 1t grows
we'll on all kinds of land, bears graz
ing well, stands dronth first rate,
aud according to analysis, has the
same feed value as red clover on all
our dry lands, which affords GOOD
grazing. make good hay.
But The great advantage the
cotton States possess to c!eaply
handle sheep is cot,onseed. | have
fed raw cotton seed for twenty
live years, and during that time
| have seen nothing out good
esults. When the seed can be
bought for IS per ION a sheep can be
wintered on it for twenty cents;
and the fact that j; keeps them in
good order, and at lambing the ewes
have plenty of milk, conyiuces me
that it is good food.
l have long been satisfied that
there IS no country in the United
States that can handle all kinds off
stock 50 cheaply as the river bot
'om lands In The South. These lads
Will produce from 40 to 100 bushels
OF corr per acre and four to six tons
of hay. Red clover grows six feet
high, SO does johnson grass.
Bermuda grass will carry four cattle
per acre: hogs do well, and where
'bey have wood land to run on, will
keep growing ali winter and then
can be put on clover and do we'll
until ready 10 feed. This can be
done with peas much cheaper than
1t can be done in the North on
corn. Our mild climate enables us
10 get along with much less grain
than in The North. In fact, wei
need more grain during August and
September than during winter.
Hogs now running in the woods are
fat enough for pork, and have been
since last November.
Now yonr readers may will ask:
IF this is all SO, why does the South
send North for bacon, pork, lard.
beef, and in fact for all we use?"
My answer is: It is all caused by a
disease called cotton on the BRAIN"
for which | know no cure save
depletion, and that is fast coming.
Experiments which have been made
show that flesh can be put on beef
cattle during the winter for two
cents per pound by feeding cotton
seed; yet but few cattle are fed.
We even get beef from the North.
Cor. Sheep Breeder.