The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-11-24
Wool or Mutton, Whichl

WVol VI mutton, WniCn'
For some years past sheepmen have
been considering, and many Of them
engaged in the development of a
larger class of sheep than the Merino,
with a view to increase of mutton
value.
The object sought has been accom-
plished, but at sacrifice of wool; and
many have come to the conclusion
that "the game is not worth the cam
die" and are going back to the heavy
feeced Merino, regardless OF it's small
carcass.
1t is simply question which pays
best-wool or mutton? Ii breeder is
in such position as to realize more
for big muttons and early maturing
lambs, than from the wool and NUT
ton of the smaller sheep, then mutton
and lambs should be his object; but as
wool is worth about five times as
much per pound as mutton, and the
mutton of the smaller sheep is worth
as much per pound as the largest,
there may be more profit in the
Smaller heavy woolled breed.
Discussing this subject recently
with one of Williamson coun-
ty's most successful sheep men
VINO has hitherto confined his
operations to the Merinoes, he gave
it as his opinion that weight OF feec @
is of more Importance than weight of
carcass, but think it may be possible
to increase the latter without serious
ly reducing the former. He contem-
plates using Shropshire ram to gain
size and using the offspring with the
Merino, that gives the largest per-
centage OF wool to weight of carcass,
and by repeating the same order of
breeding to establish q sheep that
will yield a maximum of both wool
and mutton.
The following letter from France,
published in an eastern paper, tells
how the sheepmen of that country
view the problem:
"a fact connected with sheep farm
ing in France is the tendency to re-
turn to the poor Merino breed for mutt
ton as we'll as wool. Perhaps the ex-
PLANTATION is to be found in the wo oil
element, for mutton, no matter OF
what breed, sells at the same prices.
Not go in the case of wool. The
coart er breeds are here surpassed by
the Merinos in quality and also in
quantity. This has been my observas
tion for several years. The French
always did like the woolly, blacky
Merino and only took in hand some
of the coarser breeds on trial, and now
they are discarding them. There is
in America real need of only two
breeds-the Merino for general pur-
poses and the Shropshires to cross
upon them for early maturing lambs.
A multiplicity of breeds is too apt to
create a multiplicity of nondescript
g6ngrels.
THE CRY IS, STILL THEY COME.
No sooner is one fraud exposed than
another springs forth to tempt the
sucker. Perhaps the latest attempt
to gull the innocents is the newly ad-
vertised compound for increasing the
yield of butter from given quantity
of cream Everyone engaged in the
manufacture of butter by the ordin-,
ary churn process knows that all the
butter is not extracted from the milk,
and the loss may be anywhere from
ten to thirty per cent, according to
skill used in handling. This fact
doubtless suggested the idea of Sin
ventingn on "discovery' a remedy
for the mischief, and as result we
have this new pepsin preparation,
which "when added to one gallon OF
cream will produce more than twice
as much butter as when churned
without it," The "inventor" claims
that the compound is perfectly
harmless" and that "the butter is
healthier, tastes better, looks better,
keeps better and sells better than
butter churned in the ordinary way"
What gold mine is here opened
for the enterprising dairyman. Think
of it, the butter yield not only in
creased by more than one hundred
Der cent, but the value of the product
raised indefinitely. They must be
very green and grasping dairymen
who are deceived by such an outrage
ous and self-evideut fraud. 1t prom
ises too much.
We know that butter is the fatty
matter contained in milk, where 1t
exists in minute globules floating in
the heavier liquid. These fatty glob-
ules are removed from the milk in the
form of cream. The cream is churned
and the fatty particles are consolidat-
ed and called butter. The percentage
of butter extracted from the cream de-
G pends upon the skill employed in its
manipulation and other causes not
vet fully understood; but chemical
tests have demonstrated that by the
use of the best methods now in opera
tion 81 per cent of butter is secured
from the milk.
The promise of 100lper cent increase
ofbutter is therefore promising an inn
possibility. 1t may be possible by
the use of some chemical compound to
cause the casein and lac'sugar
accompanying the tat in milk to unite
and form mass similar in color and
> consistency to butter, but it would not
ebe butter, but conglomerate more
rearly related to cheese than gilt
edge,n and entitled to new name to
perpetuate its individuality.
1t is within the bounds OF prooaoill-
ty that such mixture may be pro
duced, and that its food value will be
much higher than butter; but If SO, it
might be allowed to stand on It's own