The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-03-28
FARM. GARDEN AND DAIRY.
Instructive Reading for AgricuIturists.
PREPARED EXPRESSLY FOR "THE UNIvERSALIsTn

that time they are too slow in develon.
ment for future use in breeding. Early
marketable animals are demanded and
II Is saving to the grower also, to feed
well and literally and sell while young.
More than half the horses now mark
eted are going abroad Prices are not
high, and this has developed the foreign
outlet 80 admirably. In just this way
was the export demand for sheep Gre
ated and developed, by the very low
prices. This vast removal of stock
clears up and materially improves the
home market.
MANY sheep raisers are beginning to
shear their focks much earlier than for
merly. There is gain in the greater
cleanliness of the wool, and in the com
paratlve freedom of the sheep from
ticks. However we'll fed, sheep will NOT
thrive with ticks upon them, and these
insects smultiply very rapidly in the
heavy fleece in warm weather.
Many sheep owners who give atten.
ton to feeding, watering, sheltering and
exercise. make great mistake that
they allow ram to run in the pen until
the lambs are dropped. Even if of a
good disposition, he is a nuisance in the
pen, and, if cross, may sometimes do a
great deal of harm.
Inc lands best adapted to sheep are
high plateaus or rolling fields. Sheep
are more subject to disease on lower
levels, and are not so we'll adapted to a
warm, moist atmosphere as to the rarer
and dryer air Of the uplands. Marshy
ground has tendency to bring on foot
rot and kindred diseases.
We are rapidly becoming lamb and
mutton eating people, and flock masters
may profitably give more attention to
this demand than they have heretofore
been doing. 1t is estimated that we
market 100000 lambs annually, between
the ages of four and eight weeks. 1t is
rapidly growing industry.
Ii the sheep droppings are dry in win.
ter. SO that they do not stain the wool.
it shows that the sheep have too little
water or need some succulent food. If
the food is all right for the sheep to
digest we'll and fatten rapidly, they will
need dry bedding before they lie down
at night. Straw will be tramped down
into compact mass, which will heat
but little.
In addition to the list of foreign ex-
porters on the market there are pumer-
GUS combinations of local dealers formed
with a view of shipping horses to Eu-
rope together. These will make a mum.
Der as large, and purchasing power as
great, as the entire domestic demand
heretofore, giving strength and tone to
the.market.
Breeders have hardly appreciated the
new demand for large, active. stylish.
grade draft horses for family carriages
and for handsome business wagons. too
heavy for small horse. With a hand
some harness and the name of the firm,
no better advertisement can be found
than large. fine horse which attracts
attention and does his work so we'll.
No question but that the sight of
horses is sometimes injured by keeping
them in the dark stable. When brought
out into bright light the pupils of the
eyes are suddenly and painfully con.
tracted, and repetition of such treat
ment cannot fail to be injurious. Give
we'll lighted as we'll as we'll ventilated
stables, and the horses will be better
for it,
The aim must be to breed a horse for
the city, for in SO doing the farmer will
find that he will have plenty of horses
for farm work. To the city contractor
we must defer if we would make horse
breeding profitable. 1t is a waste of
time and capital to breed no higher than
for the needs of the farm.
Grooming is but secondary to diet.
Health is procured by keeping the pores
of the skin open, and this can only be
done by the use of the curry comb and
the brush, for these remove the dead
epidermis thrown off in the form of
pellicles. In addition, do not be afraid
to use soap and water occasionally.