The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-11-23

q dollar a head under the most careless
management, but making two or three
times as much If given the best man
agement possible. If all these now bare
fields were utilized in this way, and
other parts Of the farm lands were Cul
tivated as they might be, we need not
60 abroad for one pound of wool. Thou
sands Of mills might be at work max
ing goods used in the South, but which
are now either imported or made else
where. and the millions Of horse power
all the way from the ridges Of the
mountains down to the ocean shore
might be utilizsd fully with a vast
profit to this section, 30 bountiiully
furnished by nature with every source
Of wealth, through the manufacture Of
the home grown staples. IL one con.
Cerned will simply study the statistics
relating to this matter, there would be
great surprise that something is not
done to develop these neglected re-
sources
One reader refers to the rearing OF
early lambs for the great markets OF
the North. This is one of the most safe
and profitable parts Of the sheep indus
try. Lambs may be found skipping in
the fields at Christmas, without any
special care Of the owners. The lambs
come early because the winter climate
ia such as to bring the ewes into breed
ing condition in good time for these
early births. My small flock OF ewes
were all safely in lamb sometime In
August, and by New Year day there
will be several lambs. The whole cost
of feeding the flock has been, since this
time last year less than. so cents for
each, and that in such q way as does
not represent one cent in money. An
old pasture, which has heretofore given
me five good crops Of hay, and asmany
years feeding for the COWS, and the
last year for the sheep, has fed the
flock with the help Of less than $40
worth of corn for nearly 80 ewes. One
bago If salt has been the only real money
purchase in the year. And this is on
the mountains where some little hand.
feeding is needed sometimes during the
winter; while in the low lands below
mountains there need be no hand.feed-
ing at all except a it might be judi
clous while the lambs r growing.
There ia no necessity for any more
shelteFFeF the flock in the low country,
from the mountains to the sea shore,
than there is in England, where the
aocks feed on roots grown specially
for them, and on the coarse fodder
which here costs a mere trife, and may
be grown without the expenditure Of
one cent IN money, a few days labor
only being needed to produce the corn
required and roots may be grown with
the greatest ease for open field feeding
in the winter.
This StRte-North Carolina-may be
said TO be the center of the South. IC
is the Southern keystone State, and is
perhaps especially favored in all things
tnat, make it desirable for this indus
try. Bat what I am writing applies
everywhere, below the Mason aRdDixon
line, or south Of tie north line of Vir-
ginia. And as to all this grand region
down to the southern limit, / am mere
ly stating a few of the many favorable
points of view, which r suggested by
one of the letters before me. Good
stock ewes are scarcely to be bought
here. There are not enough to go
around now, and the brisk demands Of
the cattle buyers are clearing off the
stock to be spared as fast as they can
get common sheep at 2 cents a pound
live weight. Better sheep bring 8 cents
a pound, ard a few hundred g Of ordi
nary sheep were taken hence to ship
to far off Dakota to stock the ranges
there. The SouthdoWn and the Shrop.
shire have been brought here, and the
cross is an excellent sheep for the mar.
kets, while the lambs are just what are
required for the best sale. We have
none of those deadly parasites here
which torment the sheep else where, e.
cept so far as they have been brought
in by sheep from other and infected
localities. In the twelve years I have
been here I have not known Of q single
sheep dying of any disease, except in
one instance, in which the sheep we're
brought into the country and intro
duced the parasite. This climate is SO
health ul that sheep may be able to re,
s'st those ordinary parasites which
might become acclimated, but the pure
water and absence of swamps tend
wholly to prevent such parasites as the
liver fuke and the tape worn.