Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-11-30

10 the immediate future, and the animal
with the golden hoof should play au Inn
portant part In that increase. But the
man that would 20 half mile out OF his
way to kick sheep had better let them
alone. Love for the business and faith
la the same are essential factors In this,
as In all other callings, and would make
the difference between success and
failure. a happy combination Of NUT
ton and wool would seem TO be bes,
adapted TO this locality, ss lambs alws, Z
sell readily at good prices and wool has
doubled la price within three months,
aud ~ill doubtless 20 higher.
A. h. Z. GooGINs.
DENMARK.-My experience with sheep
has been, that they require good range,
where they can have variety OF food,
aud pleaty Of pure water. think moi
sheep should be kept Ia Maine, aud 10
every locality adapted to them, believe u
good profit can be derived from them.
sheep At present are used as scsvrngers.
They have to live where no other stock
can, are hsmpered, hxmstrung, and fee,
pared till they are painfully lAmed, all 10
make them live on next To nothing. No.
this Is all wrong financially, and wicked
morally. The Southdown seems well
adapted 10 this section, aud u given good
feed, good fence, and good care, will
give sgood credit entry every time. As
Tor markets, every man must be his own
Judge aud salesman, as generally the
best goods marketed In best style sell
best. CHAs, Il. SMITH.
PoRrER.--l believe sheep can be
raised on many OF our farms at n profit.
would prefer the Sou,hdosn. Have a
warm and dry place for them In winter,
aud have the lambs dropped la March,
and with little extra feed for the sheep
the lambs will be fit for the butcher oy
the first OF July, possibly the last OF
June. Sheep will get their living rs
long as the ground Is bsre 10 the fall,
and same 10 spring. I believe IL would
psy 10 turn our orchards into sheep
pastures as the sheep would destroy AL
of the bad or diseased apples aud in time
we would get more perfect fruit.
JOHN SEAyEY.
PARIS Tho future looks more fzvors-
bic for sheep. lf n farmer has n good
pasture near home where he can look
after his fiock and keepA sharp lookout
for dogs, perhaps no stock on the farm
sili pay better profit than sheep, u he
has good luck and rsiscs his lsmbs. The
wool alone will not pay, At the present
prices, for keeping sheep, but II you
r.tan lar .sunl uhA.,, a
year you are sure Of = profit unless you
let your f'ock run down. I think the
South or oxford Down are the best for
this section, as they raise lambs OF good
weight and shear good feeees. Early
lambs sell the best. They should be
ready for market the last Of June. We
had a sheep few years ago that raised
five lambs In one year. We kept one,
which vas good one, and sold the other
four for sl2. Who has done better! A
small flock generally does better, or re
ceives better care, than large one.
II. ID. HAMMOND.
BUCKfIELp.-I have been keeping
upon an average twenty-five sheep per
year, and believe they have given me
more profit than anything else have
kept upon the farm. believe In breed
ing both for wool and mutton. The
wool from my sheep the past year
averaged over seven pounds per fleece
and from twenty-five sheep ] raised
tnenty-six lambs which | sold for s3
per head In June. think the best time
for lambs to be dropped Is In February,
although mine last year were not drop
ped until March. l find cotton-seed
meal and bran good feed for lambs and
also for the mothers. Lambs must be
kept growing from the time they are
dropped, aud sold as soon 10 the spring
as suitable. prefer the Southdown.
tind them TO be good mothers, with big
dow Of milk, aud breed that stand our
winters well. V. Y. DECosTER.
EAST HiRAM.-The sheep business Is
looking up q little. The prospect for
the future Is looking better than last
year. | think the business should be
and extended. Wool will
sell better In years TO come and lambs
will sell for better prices. The South
down and the Oxford Down are the best
breeds can keep. They are good for wool
and lambs. Our lambs sell for good prices
In this vicinity; we have them come In
February and March and sell them In
June and July and that gives our sheep
q good long time TO get 10 good condi-
ton for winter. We like u large mount
ain pasture for our sheep. They do y
great deal better than In q small low
ground pasture. l never tried soiling
for my sheep. do not think that would
pay very well. My method OF feeding
and caring for sheep ID this: they come
TO the barn when the snow comes, then
feed them good English hay, and short
time before they drop their lambs give
them oats and shorts, keeping this up
until they 20 TO pasture. When the
lambs are two or three weeks old they
will eat shorts, and then l feed them all
they will eat. In this way l get very
good lambs, that bring fair price.
CHARLES RANKIN.
SuMNER.-I think that sneep can be
made TO pay more for the feed consumed
than any other stock. One must have 4
good mutton breed. My favorite Is the
Shropshire, and l got the most money
from them when l had the lambs
dropped from the 20th Of March to the
middle Of April and sold the lambs In
July. But the sheep must come to the
barn In good flesh and be fed well enough
70 furnish milk for their lambs. The
easiest way ever fattened sheep was to
SOW one and one-hslf pounds fiat turnip
seed per acre In my corn after the sec.
ond hoeing. IL they do well they will
furnish feed enough to put twenty-five
sheep In good trim. Then always feed
something from the barn as soon a. they
will eat II, and II Is better TO do 30 than
to see how long they will get their OWL
living. generally feed the best OF hay
with one pint Of bran day per head foi
the first month, then commence TO feed
Door hsy until one month before lamb
Ing time; then give good hay or more
bran. Wool must be the secondary
crop in this state, but it makes great
difference ia the amount OF that whether
the flock Is we'll cared for or not.
II ~