The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-05-21
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE FARMERS TRUE FRIEND.
Innocence, The Truest Friend
of the Farmer.

| neipieSSneSS IN Danger mas always leu
it to be the willing associate of man,
from whom it instinctively seeks pro-
lection. For this it has never been
willing to feed on the humblest fare,
and to crop that which is of no value
to any other animal, but which, if not
cropped, is hindrancc to the growth
of richer pastures.
1t has given its life as sacrifice and
| its body as food without complaint. 1t
has given its fleece for clothing in all
| ages to all the inhabitants of the
world. Its enlarged focks have con-
stituted the principal wealth of many
OF our most noted ancestors. There is
scarcely want in an unsophisticated
household which it can not lend its aid
to supply. 1t has always and every
where been the profitable companion
OF man, and it will ever remain so, as
long as the wants of man and the fit
ness of the accomplishing sheep to
supply them endures.
The question of feeding sheep is not
therefore, in itself question now to
be decided either by legislation or
otherwise; the growing wool and the
food for the life of man have settled
this question centuries ago. What we
are now after is to know whether after
all the sheep is not burden to the
farmer in this land of plenty and in this
age of the world. Can this patient COM
panion fill our Golfers with gold as
rapidly as we wish? Can it by culture
ever be turned into golden calf? If
so, we are willing to take the lamb to
our bosom and worship him day by day.
But all allegory aside, is not the
sheep still profitable to the man who
properly cares for it both here and
everywhere? The clearly recognized
profits heretofore, in this country,
created class called wool-growers,
which indicates that their interest
in the sheep is an interest for his
fleece, and this is all right if the sheep
had nothing else to give Some of
these wool-growers are farmers s'de
facto," but many of them do not farm
at all, in the true sense of farming,
and only raise sheep for wool by proxy
They have large ranges of land either
entirely wild or at least of little value
for other agricultural purposes, and on
them. through hired herdsmen, they
raise large fiocks of sheep
The owners of these large herds thus
kept are wool-growers, and nothing
else. In their wool product they can
easily undersell the farmer with his
small flock, and yet have an additional
large margin for extra profit. A few
cents pound on wool is to them
very desirable item, and, indeed, may
depend on the tariff schedule. for if
brought into direct competition with
others of the same class in the Argen-
tine Republic or in Australia, it be-
comes doubtful who shall supply the
market. These men advocate high
tariff on wool. They should be pro-
tected as Americans, with what is rea-
sonable, in order that American manu-
facturers may, for the most part, use
American material. But we leave this
to the adjusters at Washington, and
turn to what interests us more-viz.:
The real farmers interest in sheep.
Fortunately the sheep has more than
wool value to most farmers. 1t is,
indeed, important that the wool of his
flock should have price per pound
which should not vary, but should be
reasonably constant, that he may
know how to count on the market
value of his fleece; but to him the
small flock of his farm has other values
which, under any reasonable condi-
tions, will make his flock constantly
profitable. Sheep, on account of the
small investment necessary at first,
and their very rapid increase in num-
bers with but little cost, soon become
flock large enough for the farm with
out any noticeable expense.
The simpleness of their food for the
most of the year and their constant re-
turns in lambs, mutton and wool, COM
pensate literally for the small extra
care which they demand With a lit
tie extra care their flesh, either as
lamb or mutton, affords one of the
readiest means of supplying the mar
ket with healthful food, which only
needs the proper introduction to come
into general use at price above either
pork or beef. The flock has still an
other value to the farmer not to be
overlooked. 1t is always desirable
that the parts of the farm which are
not under direct cultivation should be
kept clean and free from noxious
weeds. No moving or wedding ma
chine has ever been invented which
can equal a moderate flock of quiet
sheep for this purpose. They will do
their work and do it well, and lie down
in the shade contented and happy, ask
ing no further wages.
Properly managed, they will keep
the fence corners and all the by-paths
cropped clean. No farmer should be
without moderate-sized flock of sheep,
and they should be well cared for, be-
canSa for euarir infant or, fho.u -.