St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-16
WOOL CLIPS.

Sheep, says a writer, are a species of
stock which are naturally as free from
disease as any of our domestic animals,
but when once attacked they give up
easily and do not try to rally In our
own experience preventing disease by
giving the flock common care-neither
c0ddling nor neglecting-we have been
fairly successful, and consider sheep
one of the best paying branches of farm
economy. A hog dies and we have
nothing to repay US for the labor of bur-
ial; from a horse we have an inferior
hide and perhaps his shoes; a cows
hide is usually worth taking off. but
when a sheep goes the way OF all flesh
it never dies in debt-that is, its fleece
will always pay for what has been eaten
since last shearIng. Keep sheep.
Sheep require as little care as any
farm stock, but this care must be time
ly, says &. l.. Gabrllson. If the flock is
allowed to go into winter quarters re-
duced in flesh. getting them in condi-
ton again will be uphill work and this
check in growth also means less and
weaker wool. A cessation of growth in
wool from ill-feeding shows in the fiber.
which the expert buyer is sure to find
If it exists. Therefore. the wise shep-
herd. like the experienced feeder
OF all kinds of stock, begins
early to get his flock in order 10 with
stand the winter. The aphorism i'll re-
gard tO sheep: ''Well NOvembered,
half wintered." has deep significance,
and should not be lost sight of. But
while sheep should be iii good, plump
condition there is danger of mutton
sheep getting too fat, unless they are
compelled to take considerable exercise.
When sheep can have the run of fields
they will find stray bits of grass, ever
if snow covers the ground, by the use
of their hoofs in paving. Tile exercise
and food obtained in this way will keep
them in health and save considerable
hay.
A writer in the American Sheep
Breeder says: If | were a wool-gIower
| should first select my farm or ranch
with a soil consisting of a limestone base
or well charged with lime, coal or iron,
and with lime or iron If possible. Hav-
ing<secured my land, then | should ar
range my grass crops in the proper ratio
for the tiockS intended to keep and
equip it with the proper buildings
adapted to my flock, etc. Then | should
select my ewes, either Merinos or cross
bred Merinos of large. compact frames,
ever plain surface and good, healthy
sheep. Then. if pure MerinoS.
| would buy me a sufficient number of
good Shropshire bucks-good ones
nom of your mean, scraggy. dry
wooded fellows. but good ones. L once
saw a pair of good-formed but I'M
healthy Cotswold sheep, just imported.
l saw the farm superintendent taking
them home to the farm. | said. what
do you call these?" Answering me he
said, "They are LincolnS." / said they
were Cotswolds. Yes" he said. they
were Cotswol DIS. but Lincolns are in
demand and we call them Iincolns."
Having procured my bucks l should
breed them SO | might have
large, early lambs, SO that the males
could be castrated and fed for the early
spring lamb trade, and. when the eve
lambs were large enough to show the
character of the wool, all those of an
inferior quality | would mark and feed
for mutton. Now, what is the result?
The first year L have clip of we'll grown
Merino Ewes wool, with some nice
Shropshire buck feeces. If the bucks
are as | have said they should be, there
is not one out of twenty ordinary wool
growers but would buy them for
Straight Shropshire wool. and those
fellows who buy ''mejum" wool prefer
them.