The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-12-19
SHEEP IN NORTH CAROLINA


SHEEP IN NORTH CAROLINA
Editor Home and F'Grn1:-I have
just been reading in your valuable
paper DR.. Wilson's letter on sheep hus-
bandry, which has interested me and
hope n any others. AS have been
engaged for over forty years in farm
ing and stock raising, and especially
sheep and hogs, will give a little of
my experience On the subject If you
should think it worth notice, please in
sert for the benefit of your would be
stock raisers. I was born in the year
1922, and, raised in England among
f1ocks and herds, my kinfOlks being
large stock owners, caused me to have
a great fondness for farming and stock
raising. I have taken great interest
in this prof ssion, and especially sheep,
for about forty years. In the year
1874 1 came to North Carolina. Shortly
after. [ came here we imported from
Canada two car loads of thoroughbred
sheep, of different breeds, but chiefly
Cotswolds and leicester, only a few
Southdowns. selected the number 1
wanted and distI ibuted the balance
among neighbors, and after few
years trial I became convinced that
these fine bred Cotswold and LEICESTER
sheep would not suit the Southern
climate. Our heavy rains would cause
the wool to part along the back, leav-
ing the backbone naked and causing
them to take running at the nose,
thus causing them to become consump-
tive. Ny plantation being too small
for both COWS and sheep, sold the lat
ter and advised a judicious cross with
Southdown males, which some have
done and made decided improvement
both in wool and mutton. The South
down being one of the best mutton
sheep, with fi4e, close wool which will
prevent the rains from wetting the
skin, requires less pasture, is much
harder than long wool sheep and is
always ready for the butcher. They
are very prolific and make a handsome
sheep, a specimen of which can be seen
at Mr. Steven Borough's or Mr.. John
McMillan's, near Williamsboro They
have two handsome focks of said cross
wish to say to DR.. Galen Wilson,
Mr.. Covington's line of procedure is
right, but he must be careful in start
ing with the right kind of stock. To
insure success he must remember the
pure breed, long wool sheep in the
North will not thrive in our Southern
States. would advise him to start a
flock of native long wool, common
ewes and pure Southdown or Shrop-
shire Down buck-I should prefer the
former. am writing from my own
experience. He can purchase common
ewes at 50 per head, which will bring
him two sales year; first, the fleece
will bring about 50, and, second, the
lamb 81, so the first year will pay for
his ewes and he will be 50 in pocket
clear.
Some object to keeping sheep because
they want to keep COWS, and sheep and
COWS do not thrive in pasture together,
as the sheep take all the sweetest pas
ture from the COWS. But if any per-
son wishes to carry on dairy he can
do so by pasturing the cows ahead of
the sheep. When the cows have crop
ped the pasture nearly bare change
them, then turn in the sheep, which
will do well on what the COWS leave.
They will eat of noctious weeds, briars
sassafras and all kinds of bushes, and
manure the land. It has been truly
said the Sleeps hoofs are tipped with
gold; they are the most preferred stock
a farmer can keep if he is near a rail
road to ship his lamb North, as he can
ship them early before they are ready
North 1 could say much more but
fear have already said too much.
enclose one of my old bills to show you
what my reputation has been as a
farmer and stock raiser.
GEO. SMERDON.
Williamsboro, n. Q.