The record-union., 1891-08-05
FARM AND ORCHARD.
Shipping Live Cattle to Europe
Sixteen Years Ago.

Sheep for Mutton-The Strawberry
Bed-The Cheapest Hog Food-The
Successful Farmer-A New Indus
try-PouItry and Eggs-Farm Notes.
The business of shipping live cattle to
Europe began only sixteen years ago-in
1S75-with 800 cattle. Two years later it
was increased to 11,OO0, and in 1880 it
reached 156,490 oxen and 27,210 sheep.
1t remained nearly stationary, with light
fluctuations, until 1889, when 1t nearly
doubled the preceding year. In lS9O
394, GAG cattle and 1904 sheep were eX-
ported. 1t will be noticed that the ex-
portation of sheep has fallen of, but as
that from Canada has also been greatly
reduced, this falling off may be ascribed
in part to the lower prices prevailing in
South America, as 22,00O sheep reached
Liverpool from the Rio de la Plata re-
gion last year. A part, at least, OF this
increase is due to the laws which compel
inspection at the principal stocEyards and
at the principal ports Of expectation. In
ployed in this business, with tonnage OF
over 100000. The hardy cattle from the
plains bear transportation much better
than those which have been stall-ied, and
especially those fattened on brewers or
distillers' grain; but careful attendants
can not only save the lives OF many cattle
in case of storm, but can also always
save much Shrinkage in weight and
value, and the Captains OF some steamers
get them across in much better condition
than other steamers do, by giving more
attention to the manner OF StoWaSe and
by making such changes as are possible
in the ships course during rough wealth
er to lessen the motion Of the vessel, and
the chance of cattle being thrown off
their feet or against the sides Of the cattle
pens. The loss by death or injuries has
been decreasing, and in 1890 was less
than II per cent, but il is TO be hoped
that even this will be greatly reduced. 1t
has been charged that those foreign YES
sells which bring over animals from Eu-
rope to this country are much less re-
gardful of the lives and condition OF
their dumb passengers than our own yes-
sells which carry out the beef cattle. And,
it is said, also, that the Captains of such
vessels are not amenable to the laws OF
the United States, and, being aware of
that fact, do not take pains to construct
their stalls in a suitable manner, or pro-
vide for their comfort with much care,
and that suffering to the animals and loss
to the owners is a result of their Wanton
carelessness and negligence. If this is SO,
either some law should be passed appli-
cable to such cases, or some pains taken
TO place the business in the hands Of those
who would exercise greater care. And
this seems more important, as the ami
mails imported, are mostly intended for
breeding purposes, and are more than
ordinarily valuable.-Loulsyille Courier
journal.
SHEEP FOR MUTTON.
A Philadelphia writer is authority for
the assertion that we pay more attention
to the product of Sheep-wooI than to the
sheep. He would seem to infer that, be-
cause there is so much agitation over the
wool industry, the sheep are not kept for
any other purpose than to yield heavy
fieeces of wool. In fact wool is the small
est product in value derived from the
sheep. 1t has been repeatedly shown in
our columns that, by the use Of the i'm
proved breeds of sheep, lambs can be
made to pay from s. TO $40 each, while
the increased value of the land upon
which the sheep have been kept is of
itself sum quite large enough to render
sheep-raising quite profitable. Indeed,
some enthusiast has said ofthe sheep that
he could make profit on sheep il they
did not have any wool at all.o This is an
extreme assertion to make on the very
verge of the time when the sheep was
kept principally for the wool that it
yielded; yet the cattle and swine growers
have 10 make what profit there is out OF
the carcass of the animals, and have no
revenue from the exterior covering eX-
cept hide from the beef, and that is OBJ
tanned only at the death of the animal.
Recent experiments of the Canadian
Experiment Station have demonstrated
that sheep may be kept for mutton alone
with profit, but as wool is necessary
adjunct to the sheep, a source of profit is
in that direction also. In the expert
ments made accounts were kept OF all the
items of cost, including the shepherds
care, original cost of the animals, the use
of the mother ewes and the value Of their
feeces, as well as food, shelter and inter-
est on capital, until the sheep were over /
year old. Grades and half bloods Were
used for the experiment. The following
is an extract from the report:
"A half blood Southdown cost S6 and
sheared six pounds Of wool valued at
So 10. His carcass weighed l47 pounds,
live weight, which sold at 81 cents per
pound, or SD 20, which shows profit Of
S. so. A half blood Shropshire cost s.
and sheared nine pounds Of wool, which
sold for s. i0 the carcass weighing loo
pounds, its net profit for mutton and
wool being S3 81. A half blood Oxford
weighed lS7 pounds and sheared eight
pounds of wool, it giving total profit Of
So 02. \ half blood Cotswold weighed
lT9, but as it is not a strictly mutton
breed only five cents pound was OBJ
tanned for il, its wool weighing nine
pounds, the net profit being only 50 rs.
The common native cost only So, sheared
five pounds of wool, weighed $50 pounds
and gave a net profit of So II"
The sheep paid well, even the native
showing a fair record; but had wool been
the object a loss would have resulted.
The experiment shows that mutton pays
far better than wool, but they also dem
onstrated that a half blood sheep win
give nearly twice as much profit as the
native, and that TO raise mutton profita-
bly, the best breeds must be employed.
The Homestead.
THE STRAWBERRY BED.
The straw berry is such an esteemed
fruit that the one who owns the smallest
garden aims to have few plants of them
ut least. The older plan Of forming bed
of them was TO set out runners, either in
the fall or spring, aiming for a crop in
twelve months time. So that the plants
lived il was all that was cared particu-
larry, no care being given TO push the
plants along rapidly. The modern plan
ditlors essentially from this. Fruit is
wanted at once, that is to say, the next
spring after the runner has formed and
everything is done to make this a sue
cess. Where the plants can be obtained
on ones own ground, and can be taken
up with a good ball of earth to them
there is hardly the need of potting them,
but when they have 10 be had from a dis
tance the pot plants are much the best
These pot plants are prepared by setting
pots of soil under the runners, letting
them root into it. The older method of
beds required them to be nearly perma-