The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1892-02-18
Aerifnliurf.


busbanJry for ,hm century. 10 founded
pon the fac, that I became sheep owner
.bou. 70 years ago. snd bsve never been
sithoul sheep from thst tune
Ssve1iy yesrs sso every iArmer kept .
dock Of sheep 10 supply vool for clothing
.pd lamb and mutton ios The liable beng
the only resource Tor iresh meat durins The
warm season 10 rural districts These
sheep we're . large. bopy'lesged. hardy
race. good mixers snd breedrrs, eflen
bringing ts,ps. With . coarse. light. open
fleece. THIS WOOL made good blankets,
stockings aud .'iulled clcih.
Early In the prsselt century came the
importation OF meriuo sheep a boom
arose, OF rather mania, for these merinoe,
such ~ p,ver before OF iii CO has possessed
the ss,ieuliursl mind. Sborthorns OF 'er'
seys never reached such IN emipenee. Ihe
WOOL OF merinos aud tbtir arsdes Vas
worth one dollsr or mor per pound. They
would live 70 great age aud be produce
tive twenty ye.n. They sere hardy snd
could be kept 10 large 6ocks. When ve
remember the fable Of the golden fleece,
~e should ne. wonder that the stsid old
Yankee farmers got excited like stock
broker, and lay swske nights lest they
should fail 10 securing for Thousand doll
Isrr. representing The savings OF many
wears. the true golden fleece" that would
furnish clothing worn by liogs aud bring
ret urns OF hundred fold on their invest
meut. Merinos and grades multiplied 80
,spidly thst they formed sixty years ego
the leading stock on many OF our New
Euglsnd farms
We call this sheep industry the true
golden fleece" and SO 1t vas. II removed
from The household the heavy burdens Of
the dairy. BY destroying various noxious
weeds aud establishing . clesner pasture
growth. and by their tread on light lands
i'm proviog tbeir structure, the foot OF The
sheep proved its title good as the animal
OF the golden foot. !"
No system or condition Of agriculture is
perfect which fails in its proper recogni'
lion Of the sheep. New England 10 pecu'
Iiarly fitted by soil, climate and location
for successiul sheep culture. There is no
other remedy Of 90 great promise in the
restoration OF our pastures. the rebabi
ls,ion Of our deserted farms. Agriculture
now carries q burden from unproductlye
capital that no other industry could en-
dure. Tue sheep is best fitted Of oil the
means within our power to utilize this un'
productive capital. this Vegetation that is
now worse than wasted but is capable OF
sustaining hocks Of sheep to whiten our
billie.
Why then is sheep busbandy 10 such q
depressed condition. Why is the nun Der
OF sheep regularly declining in New Eng
land2
Close after the great Development OF the
sheep industry before named false prsc'
tees struck fatal blows to its prosperity.
The Saxony. 9 more delicate and refined
class Of sheep. yielding finer wool. were
Introd uced aud crossed with many fioeks.
The doctrine wa taught that hne wool
was beat secured from small, sheep, even
when attained by starvation, thus surely
securing light h-eces OF imperfect wool.
alike Improbable to the grover and the
manufacturer. SO far WIS this carried that
in many large hocks lbe annual increase
only provided for the 'osses from disease
and old sgo. AT this time came = crisis
smopg manufacturers. Taer- was vide
spread failure 10 meet tbeir engagements
and they had bought the farmers wool on
credit.
The farmer found that lie had q sheep
that OF oil breeds WAS most nLftted for his
use. l. wss small. light fsecsd and Of
weak constitution. The sheep farms we're
overlooked and others would not buy.
Their value IS mutton even when fst was
very small. Abundance and poor quality
bred q dis,aste for mutton. which lasted
for more than fifty yearssu families have
such traditions that they have never VEN
tured upon the trial OF good South
Down.
With no sale for wool or mutton, the
far was fsin to rid himself OF bis neg,
lected focks vt one dollar or less per bead
to be slaughtered for their bides and tai.
low. The more sheep in any section the
more complete wss the destruction. All
attempts TO restore sheep raising ave
met this sad memory Of the past Flocks
bred from stock costing one hundred dol
lars sold for one dollar . head and the
mutton was unfit for good living. Then
the dogs csue IN for their share Of
the responsibility Alssys disposed 70 %
predatory 90 the non'resisting sheep. their
relative Lnm bers are now 80 changed thai
only few Of the dogs can be sheep killers.
Where will the end Der have always
kept sheep and have had few Losses from
dogs, but csn see that few rsids on my
hocks, where often the whole ale torn 10
wsniop bulchery. would induce me 10 give
them up aud go over TO the majority who
have relii quisbed sheep busbsndry though
fully aware Of il benefit ill believe
that b proper fencirg sg.inst dogs. yard.
Jog at night, and by feepiDg close stch
over the Il, ok. the dog nuisance can be-
overcome; snd that by the choice Of the
best mutton breeds our LilIsides will assip
be dotted Siih sht.p sud we msy ei Joy
the pleasure 80 farmers Of New England,
''oi seeing our she,p grg aud our lambs
plss." L B. GOLD,
Hama. Ms"tsd.