Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-12-18

the SOuLnQOWnS are, perhaps, tHe uloSG
popular. The HamshIres have size,
though q Lincoln ram was the largest
sheep of which I have seen a record,
one weighing 1872 pounds and dressed
260 pounds. Of course this is extra
ordinary. Rams of any breed in En-
gland average 200 pounds. The Cot
wolds have taken to our climate kindly,
and are hardy and valuable breed.
The Shropshires are deservedly very
popular in the west and in Canada.
They are hardy, healthy, black-faced
sheep, and III every way very attractive.
The Downs have medium wool, but
the changes in fashions have made a
change in wool, and garments are now
fashioable made of the wool from the
Downs. In selecting breed under ex-
listing market demands / surely would
not leave out of consideration the NUT
ton quality of the breed, and would
raise early lambs for the spring market.
The Oxfords are later family of the
Downs. They fatteu curly, are large
and good mutton, with medium wool of
good quality. I now use a full-blood
Oxford ram weighing 25G pounds. I'm
der all circumstances meyer use any but
full blooded ram at the head of your
flock.
If you propose to establish a flock
economically, purchase good average
lot of common young ewes (be sure that
they are young, and then get the full
blooded ram of the breed you propose to
raise. Change the ram every year, and
you will be surprised at the improve
ment of the flock. To show how this
improvement goes on, let me state that
in 1850 the average fleece in the United
States weighed only p pounds; 1870, 81
pounds; 1880, less than pounds; in 1887
they averaged 6 pounds. To-day, 1
think the average will reach Z pounds.
I have brought mine from 6 pounds to 8
in few years, and expect to reach
much higher average.
The climate, the soil and the very
grasses favor sheep culture in Mime
sofa 1t is the history of wool that it is
affected by climate and soil, and in as
marked manner as are grapes. Yer
mont wool established a character, and
Minnesota wool will do so when breed
ing and culture are more fully estab-
lshed. This is already show in the
beauty, texture and finish of our Mime
apolis blankets, which have q world
wide reputation.
When you make your clip, do not
wash the wool. Not over one-fourth of
the clip in the United States is now
washed. 1t does not pay to wash it, and
the best wool growers have abandoned
the practice. The woods of the terri
tories are generally washed for the rea-
son that the dry, sandy, dusty soil
thoroughly permeates the wool, and full
ly 80 per cent. in weight is washed out,
making quite question in transporta
ton. But the conditions in Minnesota
do not affect us in that way. If you eX-
pect success and profit, do not think
that sheep can get along without care,
shelter, feed and good water. If you
intend to let them be scrimped and grub
for living, don't dishonor sheep Gull
ture by engaging in it. Your flock will
be like Pharaoh's lean kine," and you
will be disgrace to the business. The
growth of sheep culture in our state has
not been commensurate with the value
of the product, nor the special induce
ments to its careful attention by our
farmers. In 1875 we had but 176, 900
sheep; in 1878, 100000. We reached
our maximum in 1881, when we had 3d.
$50; we then slowly lost till in 1885,
when we had 272, 700, and we now claim
but 288, 800. The field of Minnesota is
therefore open, wide, and almost illimit-
able, with every favorable condition in
viting and encouraging our farmers to
engage in sheep culture. 1t is an in.
dustry which is worth nearly $2O0,OOO,-
600 annually to the farmers of the
United States, and Minnesota should
have her share of that income. We i'm
ported, last year, 12G,OOO,00O pounds of /
foreign woods, so that the home market
is not supplied. Michigan carries an
average of over 100000 sheep, Wiscon-
sin over 100000, Ohio $500, OOo Min
nesota, in justice to her advantages,
should carry at least 100000 My
1eeces have averaged over 80 cents per
pound for several years, or over $3.50
per head. The increase has been worth
Is much more. Nothing on the farm +