The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-28
FARM AND HOME COLUMN.
THE SWEEPSTAKES THE BEST SHEEP.
A Paper Read Recently Before the Wool
Growers Association by Marion WILL
Jams of MuncIe-Brief Hints TO the
Farmer-Valuabla Recipes


ISOLATION of Indiana at their annual meet
ing at indianapolis by Mr.. Marion Will
Jams of Muncie
Shropshire sheep are SO called after the
name OF the county from which they
originated, aud are a descendent from a
hardy variety found IN Shropshire and
adjacent counties IN England for the past
two or three centuries. They were noted
for their fine quality of wool and mutton;
formerly known as the mOrf-cOmmon or
gray-faced sheep, a horned sheep with
black face and legs. According to the
best authorities these sheep have not
been brought TO their present state
OF perfected development by the
crossing of the Southdown and other
breeds but by the judiciou selection
from that of its own species. The turning
point for the Shropshire was in 1858,
when they were first exhibited in the
royal show-yard at Gloucester, England,
where their general superiority was recog-
nized, and from that time breeders were
awakened to use careful judgment in
their selection of breeding animals, which
has placed them in the front rank. Since
that time they have increased, with a sim
gle eye to quality, and their reputation
has attracted attention from all quarters
of the globe.
The first importation into the United
States was about 1855, into Virginia. Since
that time they have increased TO many
thousands.
As seen in the best flocks of today they
have symmetrical bodies on short legs, a
genteel appearance, we,l-coYered heads,
and every part of the body well covered
with uniform quality OF wool of the most
valuable kind.
They are not adapted 20 merely one par
ticular locality, as some people advocate,
but do equally well in most every part of
Europe and America. They have the
power to thrive where any other mutton
breed can live. They are especially
adapted where close confinement is not
desirable nor practicable. The open air
is their delight. They are not easily al
fected by the storm like some OF the other
breeds we have had some experience with,
and instead of standing with arched backs
shivering from its effects. and fleece part
ing upon the back exposing the most ten
der portion of the body, they are up and
ready to hustle, always with lively ap-
pearance.
They have great power of food assimi-
lation with very strong constitution and
mature early
There are three grand principles the
Shropshires possess that are uneXcelled
by any other breed. First mutton which
is unexcelled by any breed, carrying all
the quality of the Southdown with con-
siderable more size. Carrying a large
proportion of lean meat TO fat, are light
i'll ohal, will fatten at anv age, with from
fifty to seventy days food, ready for mar
ket. Second, they produce an elegant
fleece of wool, not too fine nor too coarse,
what is called medium delain. and bring
ing the highest price in the market. 1t is
used for stOcking-yarns, flannels and COM
mon cloth goods which will never go
out of fashion. Their wool is highly
commended by manufacturers as being
Very strong anu tough in fiber, and capa-
BILE of being twisted tighter than most
any other wool. A flock fairly well cared
for will produce eight pounds per head.
Our flock has made an average OF little
above that Tor the past five years. Third,
they are the most prolific of all breeds
except the Dorset. One hundred and
fifty per cent. is a common return, and
as high as 200 per cent has been
reached. In 1888 we had fifteen ewes
we purchased of T. 5. MintOn that pro-
duced thirty-One living lambs. IL is not
a rare thing Tor triplets, and once in a
while four And not a rare thing TO
find one of three take a good pos ton in
the show ring. The ewes are capital
nurses and are well adapted to the lame
and dam trade in fact it seems to be one
OF their special qualifications, for not only
do they feed their lambs well, but as a
rule they are ready for the butcher when
their lambs 60. In a marked degree they
combine all the characteristics which We're
essential in producing better returns in
wool and mutton with given amount of
nd
as strong constitution as any other sheep
Their ancestry has been noted for a wool
producing breed as far back as the
fourteenth century, showing that
wool from Shropshire command
ed the highest price OF the lot. Some
farmers prefer big coarse sheep on long
legs, but L am quite convinced of the fact
that the rent-paying ass is the moderate
sized sheep of good quality, for he is the
sheep that takes the butchers eye at pres
ent, and there will always be a market for
good mutton. 1t is true everything sells
by the pound, but please dontforget that
quality always regulates the price; there
fore, il is not the weight of fleece or car
cass alone that decides the most profit
able sheep. But the most profitable
sheep for the common farmer is
the sheep that brings the most moneys
worth of mutton and wool from given
amount of feed and care, with a strong
constitution and easily fattened, and
ready for market at any time with the
quickest return. And we do say and af
firm that that is the Shropshire sheep.
have received information from Mr.. John
Benstead, one of the livestock commits
sion merchants of Buffalo, which think
will be beneficial at this point. ! am
told Mr.. Benstead sells about one-third
OF the sheep disposed of in that market,
and that he and one of his partners have
considerable land outside of the city upon
which they annually feed large numbers
of sheep. Mr.. Benstead writes as fol-
lows:
"In regard to what is the best all-round
sheep for our farmers / favor the Shrop
shire. and j will tell you my reasons for
saying so. am here on the largest sheep
market in the world myself. and have
sold over three hundred thousand each
year for the last nine years, and in all that
time / never had a lot that showed
any of the Shrop blood that it did
not help the sale of them, as the
butchers have such a good opinion
of the Shrop that whenever they see a
load with little Shrop mixed amongst
them they seem 10 want therl, and then
it helps the looks of til, m. the dark