Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-05-22
AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.
INSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FoR oun
RURAL READERS.
Some Information Of valas to the FArmsr,
stOek-Breedsr. Bee Keeper. Housswiss,
and Kitchen-Maid.
Tux FARM.



Captain Forrest, Of Keokuk County.
Iowa, gave answer to the above at 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 five years ago
We bought $4,000 worth, making a total
OF 1865. In that time we have sold over
$LOOO worth of wool and mutton, have
about Sl.5OO on hand, leaving gain of
about $4,000. We calculate that if we
have $1,000. in the fall that in tine 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
ones and sell for mutton, leaving the
young and most desirable ones. Iknow
man who keeps about 100 sheep, who
says he has experimental by paying SIS
for steer calf and SIS 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. lttook no more feed or grass for
the sheep than for the steer"
D. w. Pollock, an ,Ohio sheep raiser,
argues the following propositions:
l. Ihat more 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. 1.-THE first is proved the second
Will naturally follow. In support of
these propositions submit three rea-
sons: /. More farmers should keep
sheep because it would be profitable; it
would pay. 2. 1t is duty we owe eNch
other. 3. 1t is duty we owe to dur
country; it would be patriotic in the
highest sense for the farmers of this
country to grow sufficient amount of
wool to clothe ourselves. IL is
estimated that about 100000 of our
people are engaged in agricultural pur-
suits, and that there are about 4,600,0O0
farms inthe United States, and perhaps
almost as many farmers or land owners.
Statistics tell US that not more than
1,O2O,0OO or less than one fourth of all
the farmers in the United States, are
engaged in the wool-growing industry,
and that of the nearly 100000 farms
only about e-fourth have sheep kept
on them. Ifsheep were kept in small
focks on every farm the wool growers
would number 100000 instead of 1.OOO,-
900 voters. Instead of docks
being scattered all over the country they
ought to be consolidated all over the
country. My proposition is that we
have more focks and not more sheep
more focks that we may produce more
wool and mutton, and that we may grow
better wool and mutton. The highest
grades of wool and the best quality of
mutton in the world are the products of
the small tlocks in the United States.
As nation we boast of our
ability to feed 6O,000,00O 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
sufficient amount of wool to supply our
own mills, and thus encourage the home
of our American wool.