Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-02-14
THE BEST BREEDS,
CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP.
Paper Read by ". G. Berry, Before The
Farmers Institute, at ST. Glars
vile, February 9Th, 1889.

masters, discuss the care and manage
ment of our tiOcks under brighter pros
poets than for the last few years. The
road travelled by the sheep breeder and
wool growers for the last four years has
been a rough one, and has shaken about
all the poetry and sentiment out of the
business. FlOck-masters of this section
are deeply interested as to how their
flOcks can be made to yield them profit
that will compare fayorably with other
branches of the farming industry. The
clip of 1888 will not, according to my best
knowledge, supply more than 30 per cent.
of the 300,000OO0 pounds, needed to give
our. sixty million people five pounds per
capita This deficiency will, in the mat
ter of home grown wool, amount to about
S65 100000. The United States can and
will produce more than 30 per cent. of the
wool needed for consumption.
The old German farmer who left MS
own cattle on the shortest kind of ratiOns
of dry fodder to look over neighbor's
herd of cattle luxurating in plenty on the
contents of silo, after regarding them
steadily for a short time was asked if he
would build silo. His reply, while more
forcible than elegant, was, 1--WE got to-
and we have, as nation, got to produce
more wool, as the balance is too heavy
| against US.
We shall call attention to the introduc-
/ ton of MerinO sheep into this vicinity,
] xrrbic ich will lacoriIa n .
/ country situated on each side of the Ohio
River, that would take in several of tie
| southeastern counties of Ohio, part
of the Panhandle OF West Virginia,
| and few of the southwestern counties
/ Of Pennsylvania, has, during the past eight
| years and more, been devoted to sheep
husbandry as leading industry, and
might be termed the Upper Ohio Valley.
| In this section but few of what is known
as the mutton breeds or coarse wOOled
sheep have ever been kept. The fine wool
ed or Merino sheep has always predom-
mated. An Eastern wool buyer, Mr. Tay-
lor, called attention recently to this fact,
that nowhere in the United States could
a purchase of 100000 pounds of wool be
made that would be considered fine wool,
except IN six counties, namely: Harrison,
jefferson and Belmont, in Ohio, Brook in
| West Virginia, and Washington and
Greene i'll Pennsylvania. Should this be
accepted as correct, then we would infer
that for years the flock masters of this
section have bred these tlockS with a
unanimity of purpose seldom equaled in
the history of sheep breeding AS to
grass natural conditions of soil, and
climate, but little difference can be
noticed in this section.
The introduction of MerinO sheep
would date from about 1910 or 1872 while
the first fine wool sheep ever imported
into the United States was 10 neighbOr-
ing county in this State in 1901, by Seth
Adams. AS early as Sept. %, 1909, Mr..
MaWkins started flock in Washington
county, Pa, purchasing from either Col
David Humphreys or his son. They were
introduced into Jefferson county, this
State, in 1903. A large number of farm
ers in this section purchased the fOunda-
ton of fiOckS, some from the Mead i'm
portatiOn, others from the James Cald-
well flock, of Philadelphia, Pa, and. many
from the flock of w. r. Dickinson, of
Steubenvllle, o.; others claim the origin
of their flock was from that of BaZaleel
Wells, of the same place.
1t would not seem strange that but
little difference could be found in the clip |
of this section when their origin was
from sheep of similar character.
The breed of sheep that would be most |
profitable for one part of this section
would be best in all. Yet there are |
several recognized breeds that have ar |
dent supporters in this section, and as we |
believe there is room for all, shall aim to |
describe the ideal sheep, and let the audi |
ence draw their own conclusions or name
the child
From the time of their introduction
until about 1854, the mutton quality of |
Merino sheep was of but minor import
ance. A few breeders aimed to improve
the mutton qualities of the flocks, and
sheep breeding and wool growing was the
leading industry. About 1855 or '56 the
Spanish MerinO was introduced into this
section from Vermont. Soon after the
war of the rebellion came on, then any
thing would 90 for wool, almost-let it
be clean or dirty, dry or greasy-as the
scarcity of cotton and the unusual de-
mand for wool to clothe the army caused
a demand for all classes of wool, condi-
ton being a secondary matter. However,
at the close of the war, or soon, after a
reaction came on and the tlock-maSter
found himself compelled to look after the
mutton qualities of his flock, and each
year since has the demand increased for
what is termed the mutton Merino. until
many breeders in this section have been
called upon to supply an ever growing
demand for sheep that will produce the
greatest amount of delaine wool on tie
largest and best mutton carcass. One
member of the Association with which !
am connected shipped 400 fleeces of his
own growing to an Eastern commission
house, which graded 80 per cent. delaine
WOOL
Wethers should clip from 9 to 10 lbs.
of wool, and weigh at three years old.
when ready for market, 125 lbs.
Breeders of Merino sheep should aim
to improve the mutton qualities of their
flOckS, so that the carcass would dress well,
and come to the block with a large per-
centage OF fine meat that will bring the
highest price in the market; or, in short.
to create demand for Merino mutton
as the general farmer must dispose of 95
per cent. of the male lambs to the sham
bleS. The wool on this class of sheep
should be not less than three inches in
length, one years growth. and must be
fine. The tendency of all Merino wool in
the United States is to be course. AS to
density, you cannot get it too close, pro-
vided it is three inches long and over
This wool must have an abundance of
ldtuldi oI vi yeih W pTolect lHe IlOer
from the changes of temperature and
humidity of the atmosphere; and, my
friends, this is most important point,
because on this depends the value of the
fleece, when the manufacturer comes to
work 1t. This oil must be soluble, clear,
white and limpid, and as nature has pro-
yided, must flow freely to the exterior of
the fleece, and as it mingles with dust and
DIRT form that dark crust or black top
The question will be asked, can this black
crust be removed by the cleansing or
securing process to which all wool must
be submitted before being manufactur-
ed? The answer is yes.
A number of times have taken small
sample of wool and cleaned it. and with
soft water and common Soan hyhiie the