The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-13
NUMBER 4.

In order to secure the best prices for
this peculiar type of sheep, they must
be bred and raised with the utmost care.
Sheep of this intense Merino type have
not as much strength and vitality as
those bred for other purposes. The Yer
mont Merino in many instances has been
bred too much for wool and not enough
for size and constitution. Sheep NAV
be divided into two general classes, those
for mutton and those for wool. The
mutton variety have been bred for NUT
ton only; they will grow large lamb in
a short time. Merino mutton is of
slower growth. Lambs from mutton
sheep always sell well. My coarse lambs
sold for Z cents per pound. Mutton
sheep do not flock as well as the Merinos
Do not Ike a sheep of any breed that has
its wool part on its back; the storms wet
them more. The Downs and GRAY faced
Cotswolds have firm wool Think the
Downs are a Ltougher and more quiet
sheep than the Cotswolds. There Is no
better mutton than the South Downs.
Next comes Shropshire. For the food
consumed can get as large a profit from
the South Downs as any. The horned
Dorset are a new breed of mutton sheep
We know very little about them here;
said to be great mixers and to produce
two and three lambs at birth twice a
year. They are very vigorous sheep
but do not think they will take the place
of our Downs or Shropshire. Shorp-
shire have longer wool and coarser meat
than South Downs.
Fattening lambs for the market has
always been good business. They are
taken to market when ~ months old,
and probably sold to the consumer for
spring lambs One farmer in Massachu-
setts feeds 1000 every winter, and makes
good profit on it.
But do not think it best to sacrifice
the reputation we once had for sheep
raising, If our tariff laws were carried
out we could raise sheep now. There is
place for fine Merino wool that no 9TH
rr breed can supply. We can raise
class OF sheep that will make good NUT
ton, and still keep the Merino style OF
wool. We can keep and breed only
large woody Merino ewes that will weigh
100 pounds. Do not believe in crossing
the mutton breeds with the Merino, bu,
by breeding can increase the size of the
Nerino sheep, breed off the wrinkles,
get long staple of wool, and use only
large. smooth, long wooled, heavy
ram. Such sheep are TO day demanded
IN the West, Such sheep will produce
a large fleece of fine wool, and the weth-
ers will make a first class mutton. Nut.
ton is growing into favor to day, both in
this country and in England. The WesI
produces beef 20 cheaply we cannot
compete with them, but we can with
mutton. Beef needs to be kept few
days after killing, but mutton should b.
eaten as soon as killed. 1t cannot be
transported any great distance. We
never need fear the importation OF
iressed mutton. If the farmers should
ievote more attention to a mutton breed
# Merinos it would be the beginning Of
a day of prosperity to us.
Rev, Mr.. Severance.--I was raised on
farm in Addison county, and my
father kept 1000 sheep. The purpose IN
mans mind will determine the charac-
Ter of flock. The idea of sheep raisers
IN early days was to raise fine wool. The
Saxony sheep were Introducei; they
we're very tender. Can remember very
well when the question under discussion
with the farmers was whether we should
axe the French or Spanish merinos to
improve the fiCcks. The Spanish came
o the front and the idea prevailed in
too large an extent of trying TO get the
largest amount of wool from the small
est space. They should have been bred
more for size and constitution. Should
nreed large sheep that can produce
either wool or mutton. l apprehend
that California and Texas will have to
come to Vermont for their stock rams.
We can breed any sheep we want in this
country. Talking with W. r. Sanford.
one OF the fathers of the sheep industry
N Vermont, he says we can breed any
way we choose if we do it intellgently
Too few of us have studied the idea as
carefully as we should. Some farmers
breed up to a very good sheep and by
some iDjudicious cross spoil the whole.
| have Travelled in Europe and noticed
he difference in the taste of different
people. English want beef and the
Scotch want mutton. The best mutton
! ever ate was in Scotland. Any man
who has once tasted mutton in Scotland
will want it in Vermont. l do not think
1t would be wise for farmers outside of
Addison county to try raise this intense
Merino sheep that is wanted in Australia
or South America. The demand is lin
ted and Addison county is the head
quarters for that class of sheep.
Mr.. Winslow in answer to question
The first cross between a South Down
ram and Merino eve makes good
mutton lamb, but they are not good to
breed from. l have very little faith Of
cross bred stock of any kind.
Mr. Chapin.-I keep a few coarse
sheep and make them pay. Wool tariff
does not bother me any; could make
them pay if they did not shear any wool
Major Valentine.-Th interest of the
wool grower and manufacturer are iden-
tIcal We want higher price for wool
and the business of manufacturing cor
respondingly increases. II there was no
wool raised in the United States the
price would Immediately advance.
Wool that is imported as waste at duty
Of 10 per cent. should in many instances
pay 30 per cent. Beef and mutton usu-
ally follow each other in price. Now
mutton is taking a great advance Of
beef.
In answer to question Mr.. Valentine
said: The manufacturer makes more
money when wool is high, then when
low.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON SESSION.
The able address by VIM Caapin Of
Middlebury was we'll received by a good
audience. He began by saying that
Vermont is a state of farmers and
farms" This is as true now as it was
when the first permanent settlements
were made at the close of the French
aud Indian war. He referred to our
early hlst.ry, to the Connecticut yoe-
manry who came up to find farms end
make for themselves home amid the
beautiful valleys and fertile hills and
mountains of our State. They came to
bring civilization with all its wealth of
blessings. where before had been a
bowling wilderness. They built roads
and bridges. schools and churches; aye,
better than all, they built and main
raiped and defended one OF the best state
governments the world has ever known
Truly there were giants IN those days.
not only OF form but Of mental stature
The speaker delighted his hearers with
the recital of Jerry EIstm4n's eulogy on
Vermont. He then followed with an
sketch Of the early history of
Vermont, which has been so often re-
ferred 10 in connection with the build.
ing of the Battle Monument. We have
not space for his sketch of Ethan Allen
"whO died as he had lived a farmer"
Col. Seth Warren. the compatriot Of
Stark and Allen was also a farmer. Re
member Baker, who was always in
cluded with Allen and Warner IN the re-
wards offered by the state of New York
for capture as rebels, was a farmer like
wise. He traced the settlement Of the
State and paid this tribute to the first
President of the Council of Safety. the
father of the State, the Hon. Thomas
that "whst Washington
was to the whole country, Gov. Chitten