St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-11-24
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL
The Old-Tims Way Of Raising Sheep.

In the agricultural States, whore
land Is $50 to 500 per acre. and wool
st the low prices ruling to-day. the old
plan OF raising sheep Is q thing not TO
30 considered by any thinking man.
such it was in Illinois forty years ago.
when prices Of grain and land were
very cheap. An open prairie afforded
excellent pasturage six months Of tho
year. The price of a sheep was . dol
laN Wool was for many years 80
triaing rs to be almost nominal. The
Few sheep We sold were q cash ar
ticle, as was also the wool. It
came in as a godsend to pay taxes
with in the spring. 10 business pur-
pose or methods were considered. We
kept sheep as our neighbors kept q
look of geese. lust because some body
else did"
Between the dogs and the hogs. and
lambs coming at any and all times,
freezing in winter In an open yard or
around straw-stack, and the few
diseases we had then, we managed to
keep our numbers up and have a few
whethers 10 sell each year. and occa-
siOnaliy a mutton for family use.
The mishaps with the lambs and dogs
and hogs Were of small moment In
summer they had no attention unless il
was to salt them. Sometimes when
The dogs We're raiding the flocks, they
were hunted up by the children and
pcnned AT night with the cows as pro-
lection. In the fall the sheep were
taken up and kept al the farms. not al
ways OF their owners. They were fed
a half ear Of corn apiece once a day,
In some sort of hollow log trough,
and they ran their chances In the
cOrn-stalk fields and at straw-stacks
with the cattle and colts. They had.
may be. a ration of rn-fodder and, at
rare times. hay or sheaf oats.
AT shearing time each farmer got his
cwn sheep, or balanced with his neigh
Dor in number Of heeces, as all sheep
taken up were wintered. The expense
was tribe. and easily arranged be-
tween each other. Two or three dol
lars was big price for ram; four or
five dollars was proof of insanity-akin
to building a sheep-shed. even. There
was one fact about such business: il
We got one dollar out of sheep or wool
1t had not cost us ninety-nine cents.
We considered each dollar We got as
almost clear one. This was pioneer
sheep-raising.
When we came TO using improved
rams and keeping pure-bred aocks.
shearing six, eight and ten pounds of
wool in the dirt, we felt that we were
getting about as far along as we had
any right to hope. We had barns and
conveniences that we felt put US at the
top and in front. We felt that we had
reached the highest point as sheep
raisers. and had a perfect right to
grow rich. There were none doing
better for their sheep than we were.
II : man was making money out of his
sheep. we doubted his veracity or con-
clwied he was taking more pains than
was necessary. and more than We
could. If he paid S25 for a ram or
$40 Cor a eve. we said he was foolish.
and would never ret his money
back. We ridiculed all improvements
and all progress in breeds and methods
Of arrangement. and decided TO stay
wheie We were and wait for boom to
come; it always came, and We got
ahea'i some.
HI. few who have managed to make |
q litt.e money out of sheep every year |
have been laughed at for taking SO |
much pains. Instead of trying to find |
out how they did it. some of us have |
staid ny sheep because others did; be- |
cause .hey used TO pay. we think they |
must egain. Our fathers kept these !
same tort of sheep, perhaps, and they |
were As good as any body's. We care |
for tn IN as well as most of our neigh |
bors. and so We are respectable |
enough. We can not afford the !
outlay for new rams: it will not
pay. We can not see how feeding |
6fty-cs'ut corn. thirty-ceM oats and |
fifteen dollar hay. and buying wheat
bran CT oil-cake to feed. can pay; but |
the gu scr man over the way who does
this claims he has as much money out i
D: his sheep as his wheat or cattle.
We tc not see how feeding sheep for
nuttoa can pay. 1t never seemed TO
US sheep would fatten in the winter.
Mutton lambs sold pretty well. but
thnx y,s.I 70 IA lAs. ~
and eight pounds of washed wool to
he fleece was a pretty big yarn. We
hal as good sheep. and only got three
Or foul pounds, and We did not see how
1t WIS: in fact. We did not believe it at
all. \ fart wether. two or three years
old. tat would weigh l25 to 200
pounds after shearing. and bring Sc or
f.. wa: little too big yarn to be be-
lieved. Any way. il cost too much to
raise il; there could be no money in il.
And % we grow more and more dis
gusied with sheep. and grow poorer
and poorer. We growl and complain.
and find fault with dog laws. and wool
buyers, md WOODEN manufacturers. and
politici ms. and Congress, and swear
We will quit trying 10 raise sheen, even
If mutton is selling for Sc per 100 /,
pounds. and some men getting 81 Der .
fleece * their wool. and mutton lambs !,
IS. IS PEI 100 pounds, and if our farms /,
grow pesr unless We keep sheep to eat ,
up cheaa feeds that would otherwise 90 !,
10 waste and clean up fence corners
and brisrs and weeds. No. We will