The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-03-10

AS q RUE, sGoe p III Ln6 OGAlA 70
ceive very little care or shelter, and
generally grub for their living" the
year round. 4 few feed little cotton
seed in spelle Of cold. stormy weather;
but 1t would pay abundantly to take
proper care Of them. Unless they can
get q sufficiency Of green feed winters,
they should be fed come dry feed, with
a little grain, and be sheltered from
bad storms. They suffer more from
bad storms than any other domestic
animals. Open sheds are the thing for
them in the South.
5 Tney breed once a year as q rule.
The DJrsets may be pushed TO breed
twice a year; but it is said Ia England.
whence they came, that this does no.
pay. They require more grain feed
aud care, and thoevees wear ou quicker
s HIne ewes drop twins; but III general
sheep husbandry ii tbis country the
fl }ckmaSter does we'll to average rails
lug annually as many lambs as ne has
ewes
6 For conditions prevailing in the
S Juth must enphaticaIIy advise the
large French Merinos, known % the
Rsmbouillets They are large, hardy
and grow a large amount Of wool.
Their coats are fine, thick and oily,
and will shed rams that would soak to
the skin thinner wooled sheep.
A wet sheep ie a sorry picture. A
wet coat entails cough, and the ami
NAL is likely to dwinGle away and
finally die. Thick, heavy, greasy coats
are needed to endure rains Of the South
| have been advised by good many
sheep men in the South that all English
breeds do poorly under the conditions
prevailing there They would probably
do we'll if they had English feed and
care; but that is entirely out of the
question at present. 1t must be under
stood that to get good focks in the
South they muet be got by breeding up
from native ewes, crossed by the b, st
males from the North, brought thereat
the time their services are needed, 4 =
then the lambs will be acclimated.
If the males cannot endure the eli
mate then the next season get more
from the North. Lambs of the fourth
cross will be as good as pure bloods for
all purposes, probably but I would be
likely to extend the process a little
further This is all the kind OF "CrCRs
Ing breeds that can recommend
Thi- cr. s. will produce double the wool
that the croes Of any E glish breed
would; which is one great object Of
raising sheep in the South. THIS cross
Is 20 eupecior to others that there can
De no Q nparis0n.
Z. am asked whet foods ere best
adapted to sheep. The answer Is, a
variety Of green garbage and browse
If they can get enough Of thtse 0y run
ming as large they viii DO well, but
fl1cks should te seen eveTy day and be'
protected from the worst etOI ms, and
other harmful things. Irreaponslble
hunters and the half starved dogs Of
''Sr.mb," may have an iiiegiGlm3te
haEkering for mutton once IN a While
These need to be looked after. A sen
tl4man of Walker couaty, Az who
went tl1e ~ from Onio several years
ago and knows what good sheep sec
ton Al sbama il, and who owne 5000
acres, TOLD me the other day in 3 Il TIER
that ne should stock his land wiGh
sheep and now he viii manage.
He will breed up from native ewes
ana Rau byuiIlat males H will fence
his land Into 40 acre fields, end divide
the sheep into C mparatively small
ALSka, and thus be enabled to change
pastures frequently. This Is just wha;
shepp need. He sa< g japan clover
forms q perfect carpet in many places
He Will have some OF the fields IN B4r
mud. graes Tor sUmmer; g M in fail
masdow oat graea, Texas blue grass
and arctic grass for winter and early
aprtng; and IN addition ha will gre"
rape..rye aud barley for pasturag0. Ee
should add crimson clover. Ihase, 10
gyth4r VIII furnish pa3tur.g8 lhe year
around, and tha sheep vii need neither
hay nor grain
FeDcing viii be quite expensive at
frs; but both fenotng material and
| &bor are very cheap. H9 will fence
/ 700 acres at opce. Inave corresponded
with this gentleman several years, He
was a skilled sheep man il OEto.
am glad 20 have him confirm my views
OF the South e. a sheep country, and