The Columbus journal., 1890-05-28
AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.
INSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR 0UD
RURAL READERS.
Stock Breeder. Bee-KeePsf, Housewife
and Kitchen Maid.
The FARM.
Will sheep Raising Fay:

Captain Forrest, of keokuk County,
Iowa, gave answer to the above at q re-
cent agricultural institute. summing up
his experience as follows: Sheep rails
ing mas been more profitable than cattle
in the last six years. Six years ago last
spring We bought $465 worth, and in the
latter part of the winter i've years ago
We bought $1,000 worth, making a total
of 1856. In that time We have sold over
Sl,MV worth of wool and mutton, have
about 81. 800 on hand, leaving a gain Of
about 5000. We calculate that if We
have 81, 200 in the fall that in the year,
in two installments, We will get our
money out, leaving us the next fall with
as many sheep to start in again. You
should always cut out the old and fatter
M and sell for mutton, leaving the
yOung and most desirable ones. l know
a man who keeps about 100 sheep, who
says he has experimental by paying SIS
for a steer calf and $l5 for ewes, and
when the steer matLred and was ready
for market he had cash enough from
sale of wool and mutton to buy the steer
and his SIS worth of sheep left as clear
gain. Ittook nc more feed or grass for
the sheep than for the steer"
J. ". Pollock, an Ohio sheep-raiser,
argues the following propositions:
l. That o wool ought to be grown
and more mutton produced by the farm
ers of the United States; and 2, that
more of the farmers ought to engage in
these legitimate and profitable indus
tries. If the first is proved the second
will naturally follow. In support of
these propositions 1 submit three rea-
ons: 1. More farmers should keep
sheep because it would be profitable; it
would pay. 2. 1t is a duty We owe each
other. 3. 1t is q duty We owe to our
country; it would be patriotic in the
highest sense for the farmers of this
country to grow a sufficient amount of
wool to clothe ourselves. IL is
estimated that about 9,OOO,OO of our
people are engaged in agricultural pur-
suits, and that there are about 1900, 900
farms in the United States, and perhaps
almost as many farmers or land owners.
Statistics tell us hat not more than
1,O2O, OOO, or less thar o%ne-fourth of all
the farmers in the United States, are
engaged in the woOl-grOwing industry,
and that of the nearly 5000, 900 farms
only about one-fOurth have sheep kept
them. Ifsheep were kept in small
on every farm the wool growers
would number 5000, 900 instead of l .OOO,-
900 voters. Instead of fiOcks
being scattered all overthe country they
ought to be consolidated all wei the
country. My proposition is that We
have more flocks and not more sheep
more hOcks that We may produce more
wool and mutton, and that We may grow
wool and mutton. The highest
grades Of wool and the best quality of
in the world are the products of
the small lOcks in the United States.
= As q nation we boast of our
to feed GO. Co., 900 Of people and
have a surplus for the foreign trade.
Why not clOthe our own people as we'll
as feed them? The farmers of this
country ought by all means to grow a
amount of wool to supply our
OWL mills, and thus the home
manufacture of Our American wool.