The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-19
Sheep Farming.

The News and Courier Of last Monday says:
Our Yorkville correspondent, in his letter
printed last Saturday, makes this orief but
interesting and important report on the au-
thority OF the iorkville Enquirer:
"Mr. Edgar Poag. of this county, has tocK
of lS7 sheep. Mr.. Poag says there IL larger
per cent of profit in sheep than any otner
kind OF live stock. and that they pay loi
themselves at least once eacn year IN WIZ ,,
and mutton, and almost again In manure.
We wish every sheepless farmer In the
State would cut out this instructive STATE,
ment and paste IL In his hat, so that ne coniu =!
see and read 1t whenever he taxes on s nis
headgear to wipe his perspiring prov IN tue
resting intervals OF cultivatin2 cheap cotton
Ior living. There is money IN lts perusai
for every farmer who will give II due conslo-
raising on a large scale. He has had consider
able experience of 1t. He does not speak
without Knowledge. He has nearly Two
hundred sheep, and his testimony Is that
"than in any other kind OF stock" They
'pay for themselves" every year In the re,
turns from their wool and mutton. ana
nearly pay for themselves again, wltn0nt
counting their wool and mutton, in fertiliz-
ing the land on which they are raised ~
ought not 10 be necessary To of1er any IuItnei
arguments than these to any intelllgeht Mvo M,
mer to induce him To try the Industry. we
are confident that not few such farmers
will try 1t on the strength OF this showing.
On this showing the Press and Banner
would remark that there is much OF en-
couragement in the above.
The editor OF the Press and Banner, some
ten or fifteen years ago, took the hint from the
publications which he saw, about fine grade
sheep He sent to Major Il. A. Griffin who
lived in the land OF red oats and fine stock,
for three head Of blooded sheep, paying for
the same, as well as we now recollecC, Sl7, and
incurring 81 expence to send after them. We
had read about spring lambs and great piles
of wool, and proposed 10 take in some shek-
els next spring.
The time to expect lambs came. They were
on hand according to schedule.
After while one yeo and one lamb died.
The other sheep lived through the winter and
ate only a wagon load of fodder and a few
other things in proportion. In the spring we
sold the outfit at Abbeville to Henry Moore
for Sc.
About the same time that we went into the
sheep raising business, somebody put into our
hands book on the angora goat, and his var
liable fleece. We thought to make something
by them. Col. Wash Watts, we believe, was
asking high prices for animals but we bought
one blooded animal from Mr.. DuPre, who is
now Professor in Clemson, and had a. spare
kid for which we paid S5. A tribe OF cheaper
animals were bought. The goats, by the book
were recommended very highly for eating
the grass, bushes, briars, etc., which the COWS
refused. These goats in fact had playful ways
and performed many tricks. They ate the
choicest grass of the pasture. The angora,
II he wanted to cross feace, would walk
back from 1t so as 10 get = running start
when he would jump the fence and generally
kicked off the top rail as he went. One re-
deeming quality in this goat was that he was
as apt to jump high place as low place.
We lost money on goats, and disposed OF
our stock. There can be no doubt that people
make little money on sheep, but we made
enough in one year to induce US to go out OF
the business.