The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-23
THE ADVANTAGES OF SHEEP.
An Excellent Paper by Mr.. R. NJ Newman
on tho Subject
THEY WILL PAY THE FARMER WE'LL
Hints as 10 the Profits and Costs OF the In
dustry-uow 20 take Proper Care of the
Flool-Therc's Money I'm Them.

every farmer in Virginia and was written and
read by Mr.. X. N. Newman. of Summerset.
Orange county. before the Farmers Institute
at Bedford City August 18th. It was listened
TO with great interest and is worthy of perusal
by any reader. After graceful preliminary
address 10 the Institute Mr.. Newman spoke
as follows:
My mission. by your courtesy. to-day is 10
urge IN an humble way upon every farmer
here TO consider some Of the advantages to be
reaped by making sheep raising part OF his
system. / hope to convince you that amid
the varied issues of success and failure TO
which all other branches OF our work are SUBJ
Ject, there is AT least one that pays, and / APP
pea! with confidence to the experience Of
every farmer who has given reasonable atten-
ton 10 his flock 70 substantiate the statement.
We wish TO present our subject Sheep
HuSbandry'- the light O' an auxiliary fea-
ture in our system of mixed husbandry, and
entitled as such 10 a prominent place on the
farm.
1t will not do on the average farm TO raise
horses TO the exclusion of cattle, nor cattle
without hogs Neither do we recommend de-
voting the farm exclusively % sheep. but by
judiciOus combination of these classes of
stock utilize with one what would DO wasted
by another The lesson, then, we would i'm
press upon our farmers is that they can carry
reasonable number Of sheep without mate
rally reducing the number Of cattle. horses
or hogs. and that in proportion 70 the money
invested and food consumed they will pay
much better than any other class OF stock.
This applies 10 the one hundred as well as
the thousand-acre farm. the size of the flock
in each case being limited by the capacity.to
keep well.
MAKING BOTH ENDS MEET.
Does il not seem little unreasonable, while
we complain of the difficulty of making both
ends meet. that we should fail to utilize
source OF revenue that never fails! We are
very familiar with the statement that raising
wheat scarcely pays expenses that there Is no
money in cattle: that the dairy business in
wolves a heavy outlay and is very expensive.
with serious fluctuations in It's products; that
hogs eas their heads on but did you ever hear
OF flock OF sheep. under tolerable manage
ment. that failed 10 pay expenses? On the
other hand II IS not an everyday oc-
currence 10 hear flock masters say
their sheep pay 100 per cent. on the
investment; Then why in the name OF com
mon sense don't we all keep Sheep What
are some Of the difficulties in the way OF
awaiting ourselves of the advantages Of kee p
ing sheep l. the lack of funds 20 make a
beginning Of the trouble? Admitting that ordi-
nary the farmer should avoid debt as he
would a pestllence, il does seem that in SO
exceptional a case he would be iustifable in
borrowing tho necessary amount for invest
twelve months. In illustration Of this you
Will pardon a bit OF personal experience.
When ! commenced farming, having farm
with the usual proportion of grass but sadly
addicted o. the growth OF briars and sassa-
fras | borrowed 1900 and went 20 Washing
ton county, Pa. and brought back lSS merino
sheep. The following year. being pleased
with the experiment, ! bought 1o4 more cost
ing .4O), delivered. At the end Of four and "a
half years my books showed cash receipts
- Il. 1 4
80, 100. %, ana 672 sheep on the farm, worth
at that time 1926 per head. with the farm
greatly improved both in appearance and fer
tiltY
THE CUR.
Docs the dread Of the rrepressible cur pre-
vent any of Us from keeping sheep; IL Is a
commentary on our civilization that we must
admit the force Of this objection 10 the prose
cution OF q profitable industry, butthe sooner
We all become shepherds the sooner we shall
be able TO secure some measure of relief In
the meanwhile in the absence Of satisfac-
tory law, We have 70 be a law unto ourselves
and II will be much easier 20 protect our
hocks when we are oil animated by fellow
feeling
Does the lack OF ample barns, with conve-
nencos for feeding and sheltering, deter US
from embGTkins in sheep husbandry?
Let us observe that some Of the most sue
cessful shepherds in our section have nothing
DtLttE tlHH open HutOS NONcltQ Win blIhW,
made water light, located on some sunny
slope, and learn that after all success IN
sheep husDandry IS the reward not so much
Of costly barns .and apparent cOnveniences
az of the practical application of an accurate
knowledge OF the needs OF the hOclI-that the
successful raiser Of January lambs IS not the
farmer who. satisfied with the completeness
of his arrangements, INDUCES in the morning
nap-but the one who is In his sheep-fOld last
at night and first IN the morning. prepared TO
lend helping hand At the critical moment.
1HEIR COMFORTS.
Give the sheep dry bed and shelter from
storm of wind and rain. with plenty n pure
alr and wholesome food. and they will always |
show their appreciation IN handsome returns. !
The only objections TO sheep Oh the farm that |
have come under my observation were en- |
bodied in an article IN the Southern Planter |
from the pen Of the late lamonted Colonel II. |
NJ Magruder. whose conservative judgment |
on all agricultural questions entities his ut |
terances 10 the careful consideration OF his |
brother farmers. lie complained that sheep |
would persist IN shading during the summer |
months where be did not want them--in |
fence corners aud on rocky cliffs where their
drOppngs could not be made available, though |
he had taken tho trouble 10 make arbors IN |
the field for their accommodation. indirectly I
admitting the value Of their droppings. lie
also cited the injurious effect OF sheep on |
younger cultivated grasses, but neither of
these objections were potent enough to pre-
vent Colonel Magruder from keeping fine
flock of sheep: hence infer that these COM
plants should be taken more IN the line OF
suggestions than actual drawbacks. We
read between the lines that the Judicious |
farmer will guard against running sheep on
young grass and where the range Is con-
tracted give them frequent change Of pasture
during the summer months.
THE BREEDS
We farmers like 10 exercise our independ-
enco in selecting the breed of sheep we wish
TO handle. and any suggestion in this line may
be gratuitOus. There are however. certain
general principles that it would be we'll TO re-
gard. Our general surroundings of equable
climate. abundant grass and easy access 10
the great markets OF the North point 10 the
rasingof early lambs for market, making
wool incidental, as the most profitable. branch
OF the business. For this purpose We want
the best grade ewes we can get. using full
blooded Shropshire bucks having the lambs
dropped in January and push them from the
start, first by having the ewes in good condi-
ton and keeping them so. Give them all the |
nice hay they will eat and enough grain and
bran TO insure a good flow of milk; then
when the lambs are a week old let them have
all the meal and bran. mixed equal parts. that
they will eat separate from the ewes.
The most profitable lamb is the one we can
get ready for market soonest-hence the i'm
portance of sparing neither food nor atten-
ton during the four months OF his prepare
n t.t t.tt hA n