The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-11-20
FARM, FIELD AND GARDEN.
SUBJECTS OF PRACTICAL iMPoR-
TANcz TO AcRlcULTURlSTs.

IN. rmp.rsance os sheep HnShandry IN
This country--The sources OF Amman
r,c.m. from sheep-Fattening swine
f,r the Butcher.s Block.
Every farming industry Is subject 70
,,.riods of discouragement. resisting IN
alternating from one crop 10 another OF
10 a change in the breeding OF aninanH
from one kind to another as Temporarily
low price may influence for the titie
being. Probably in no branch ot 'iie
animal industries is this more frequently
econ than In that most useful one. the
raising Of sheep. \ depression IN the
nrice OF wool is almost certain te eiiees
n le.sscning in the number of sheep ana
.;nstances are no: unknown where what
seems 10 have been but little short oi
wanton destruction OF flocks has follower
hecause Of what was at most but tefn-
porary unpretitabienesA
Sinrularlv enough, says the agflcul-
tural editor Of The New York World
sheen raising appears 10 be, at the same
time. the only live stock industry IN TINS
country that cannot produce supply
equal To the demand Wool is the one ar
ticIe tlat has home market. for which
our o~n farmers have never been able 70
produce enough to meet the require
nents and there is no probability OF cur
ever raising enough TO make its export
desirable. This country furnishes as
good a climate for sheep as can be iouna
n the world. and cheap. rough lands
,.,, i,c n,it. TO no better use. and fortunate
" on such sheep often do the best.
Farmers who grow discouraged under
io,v nrices for wool seem TO have Tor
GOTTEN that in other countries, OF Which
England and France may De taken as
examples. mutton has taken the hrst
,,lace. and wool is being considered more
as an incident of the business than rs
the prime object in sheep husband airy.
In England this has been brought about
bv improving the Leicester, CotsTold
and Southdown mutton sheep, ana 10
France the ulerino is more and more be-
coming a fine wool mutton breed. Inc
American merinos are gradually tending
IN the same direction. Their bodies are
LARGER and better sor1ned. they come C
maturity earlier and with longer staple
and heavier fleeces tran the original I'M
nortations. There is also a growing ten
depcv 70 market the flesh, and gooc
feeding improves the coat of an animal
whether IL be hair or wool. so that tb'
disposition in favor Of mutton, wherever
II exists. has increased the quantity
without injury to the quality Of the wool
No other animals take SO little from
tbe land for the amount returned as d'
sheen, and none are SO effective IN free
ing their pastures from bushes an'
weeds. To make the most profit iron
animals designed for food, whethe
sheep. cattle OF swine. full and generou
feeding that will induce rapid growtl
and early maturity is indispensable. BE
sides the increase in the weight of thei
own bodies, sheep afford two sources o
annual income. one from the lambs an
one from the wool. each being abou
equally valuable. English experiment
as 10 the amount of food consumed b.
different animals have shown that shee
can be made to produce as many pound
of mutton from given quantity OF foo
as can be produced of beef, thus leavin
the fleece as an extra profit over cattle
Equally favorable results in this countr
can hardly be expected. unless in IN
older states or in localities where tll
carcasses can be proftably marketed
Il is also true that the dairy COW gives
flow of milk to offset the wool, but III
COW does not increase in flesh while pr
ducing milk as does the sheep while pr
ducing wool. No animal car be change
or improved in so short time as Il
sheep. From the best crossing and fec
ing. the first generation from commo
ewes and high bred males viii show
better development in twelve than the
dams had shown in eighteen month
and the next cross viii show great in
movement on the first. 1t is thus b
iieved that by judicious crossing an
feeding farmers may do very much {
wards making the raising Of sheep ind
pendent Of fluctuations in the price
wool and as uniformly profitable as mo
OF their other productions.