St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-08-24
Sheep Shearings.

We clip the following sheep notes from
the N0ti01l0l St0cknaan
The farner'must bear in mind that sheep,
TO be of the most profit, must be well cared
for at all times The demand of the man
ufacturers will likely never decrease and a
ready market will be found at good prices
at all times so that wool growing will be-
one of the most valuable farm industries.
Sheep of the S0uthdown breed perhaps
are the best for wool and mutton. Still
the beginner should remember that wool is
a product the same as fat, ana the flock
should be fed and managed with view to
wool growth, and that of fine quality
there are two reasons for so doing you
have more wool, and you get better prices.
1t is said by some vino profess to know,
that properly raised Sheep between the
ages of three and five years makes the best
mutton. Turnips Me cheap crop and
when fed freely to sheep with their other
feed make the best, juiciest and tenderest of
mutton. There is a great deal in slaughter
ing and dressing mutton to make fine fla
ored meat. The shsap should be well bled
and dressed as quick Is possible.
There is nothing that takes the place of
wool for garments for human beings.
Cancels hair or other material fall far
short of wool; aud yet for one reason or
another the humber of consumers who try
to find q substitute for wool is very
large. Wool is the cheapest in the long
run, the most comfortable and the most
healthful'
good flock of sheep is the best helper,
not only in filling the purse but in keeping
If wi
any extra expense, that is within reach of
the husbandman. One thing sh ould there
fore be remem bered by farmers who have
suitable land at their command that they
make very great mistake and submit to
annual loss Of more importance than they
imagine, in the absence of good flock of
improved sheep browsing upon their hill.
knew man who when he bought his
farm many of the fields were near y worn
out He built good fences around his farm
and also cross fences. One field lay on my
road to town this field, though very poor,
he sowed in grass. He made this his main
sheep pasture for three years. After two
years the field was freed from bushes and
briers. After three years it was planted
in corn which vi lded on an average forty
bushels per acre. His sheep were always
Cltdu dDA Tree IItu DuTS VI any 1iIAS w
injure the wool, and he never lost any by
straying off.
The value of sheep inclearing and re
novating old fields is too great to be over
looked by the farmer, especially when SO
many have poor, briery and bushy farms
had a neighbor after shearing his sheep
he set his dog on them and ran them off
so that they would not bother him any
more that summer The woods not afford
ing sufficient food for them, they were
generally preying on some neighbor's crop.
The consequence was his fields grew up in
briers and bushes every summer, until his
farm in many places was wilderness
the fences rotted down and the land worn
out. His sheep, what few could be found,
were brought home so full of burs that
their feeces were of but little value. His
sheep were an expense to him, for they
were never fat enough to make good NUT
ton, and their heeces were never worth
more than the trouble of shearing and
preparing them for home use or sale.