The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-01
POINTS ON WOOL RAISING.

To TIE EDITOR ROANOKE TIMES:
have read with pleasure your article
on wool and Sheep" published in your
issue OF 22nd inst.
AS am now an interested party in
the development Of the wool and sheep
industry of Virginia, want to call
the attention of the sheep raisers to ono
or two important facts in connection
with the same.
AS the farmers are looking with moro
interests toward wool raising, owing to
the coming among them of WOODEN
mills, where they can obtain an in
creased price for their product, and
hope to receive greater benefits under
the new order of things than they ever
have done before, it is of the utmost
Importance for them to fully understand
the necessity of improving the quality
of the wool they produce, and thereby
increase their revenue. They have tho
finest sheep raising country in all
America, and they should take advant-
age of it. There are very many points
over which they hold an advantage,
which if brought to their notice they
would Instantly recognize, principal of
which is their soil giving them Light
shrinkage" woods.
1 he most important item for them to
consider, however, is the introduction
among their flocks of high-bred merino
rams. The quality of the woods pro-
duced governs the price paid for the
fieeces, and the cost to produce fine
grade is no more than any other quality
raised after first cost is paid for the
high bred animal. Your fellow towns
man, MIR. Charles G. Eddy, is fully alive
to this fact, and he is on the right track
in his endeavors to educate the Virginia
farmer up to this point. The natural
advantages of the soil of the Virginia
Valley makes it an almost sure result
for low shr;nkage woods, which, OF
course, will necessitate less handling of
the wool in the securing process, nat
urally resulting in much loftier fibre.
Then, again. the farmers would not
sell so many of their lambs as they are
now doing. Keep them; increase the
quantity OF wool produced; they will
receive greater benefit in very short
time, and when they have obtained
standard of high excellence in the
quality of the wool produced the in
creased value will more than compen-
SAFE tncm LOT the outlay.
Another very important item is, as
you have already suggested, the enact
ment OF very stringent dog law"
The greatest enemy of the sheep must
be handled without gloves. 1t is most
important that law be passed without
delay covering all the points required.
In the meantime something can be done
by the farmers themselves to help pro-
tect their f1ocks from this intruder. IN
many sections of our country, sheen
raisers put in the pasture along with
their flocks 'horned cattle" in the pro-
portion of one to every eight sheep, but
it is much better to have one to every
five. The cattle Immediately on the
appearance of a dog in the pasture as
sumo the offensive, and while keeping
the dog employed the sheep scamper to
cover If 1t can be found. have seen this
myself in several instances, and it is
employed very successfully. and while
1T is not only protection to the sheep
1T is also source of large revenue to
the farmer by the increase of production
in cattle in the vail, y of Virginia.
| sincerely hope the farmers will be
fully aroused to these facts on sheep
raising, ard the endeavors of interested |
parties will not have been in vain.
More anon. l am most respectfully
yours, +. X. SARGEANT, Jr.,
President the Virginia Blanket Mills Co.
Newark, n. j., April %.