The silver star., 1898-03-17
pRoElrAsLe sAEEp RAlsINo.
In What Ways Can They Be Made Most
Profitable.


One of the best papers read at the
! recent stockmen's convention NJ Deh-
yer was that by Richard Gibson OF
| Hamilton. ontario, OH "Shcep and
Their Management Under Different
circumstances" He said in part:
when your secretary invited me to
prepare a paper to read Mt this meet
ing. l had no idea of the character OF
the roundup or of the numbers OF
distinguished men that l would have
to address, or might have hesitated
accepting the responsibility; at any
rate must ask you to be lenicnt, ana
IL what describe may not be of value
to you or the plans adopted else
where be such us you can follow; sun
the description of what sheep breed
ers are doing in the other parts OF the
world may not be unintcresting.
"Our own flock is being fed as fol-
lows: The ram lambs for next seasons
trade are having clover hay III racks,
followed with about one bushel OF cut
turnips to ten or twelve head, then
pint of oats, bran and peas; at noon,
shredded corn fodder: mt 4 o'clock roots
and grain as in the morning. with the
racks filed with peas; straw Mt night,
and salt and water always within
reach. The ewes are getting about
four pounds of turnps with pint OF
oats and bran per head per day; fod-
der same as rams, except that when
the weather Is not stormy they are
fed in the yards and not in the barn;
moreover we keep the yards well bed
dcd, and as they are surrounded by
buildings and tight board fences, the
flocks are protected from draughts.
And it would appear strange to those
not accustomed to see them, to be told
that they live out of doors" when
there are comfortable pens to which
they have access.
''Sheep have not only brought vast
quantities of what We're formerly bar
ren wastes into profitable employment.
but without them they would again
be given up to vermn and desolation.
I'm the south of England. on the
chalk formation, the soil proper is but
a few inches deep and so full of flints
that to the uninitiated it would seem
folly to attempt cultivation. on these
thin soils are TO be found the Hamp-
shire in all his glory. To quote Pro-
fessor Wrightson as to the treatment
these Hampshires receive: Take, for
example. a fine midsummer day when
the lambs awake from n fold of
vetches. The shepherd is up betimes
and begins by giving them an allow
ance of cake. He then grinds some
mangels into troughs. which they eat
with great relish. They are next ad-
mitted to n fresh fold of yctchcs, after
which they are walked quietly away
to neighboring piece of rape or cab
bage. After two hours or more. and in
the heat of the afternoon. they are al
lowed to spread themselves over some
old sanfoin or aftermath clover. They
will then be returned to the vetch fold
and, after receiving another feed OF
corn, they lie down to well-earned
reposc. having increased their weight
by about one pound each
II quote this to show the trouble the
Englishman Is at. and the various
crops he grows to force along his
lambs. 1t is case of high pressure
feeding from start to finish. no lct-up
to put on the layer of lean. and when
we note that these lambs often gain at
least three-quarters OF pound per
day from birth to block. then we must
admit their success is surprising.
Great quantities OF linseed cake are
used. not merely as feeding material,
but to add to the productiveness OF the
soil. To me II Is the true way OF ap-
plying artificial mnnures, and II a pa
ternal government looks after the in,
terests of its children 1t will devise
means of keeping the refuse of both
Its cotton and linsecd oil factories Mt
home. The pastoral features OF sheep
husbandry, as carried on by the hill
sheep farmer, IL very much like that
OF the range, with the exception that
you owe no man rent. The bright skies.
the pure air and the green grnss are
yours for the acceptance. neither do
you have your limits circumscribed by
artificial means: nothing but nature's 4
forces, the deep canon or the flowing
river stops your pathway. No tax or
1.-THE collector dare beard YOU on the
trail any more than The Douglas In
his hail.
But take n look Mt the other side
the practical, hard. nineteenth century
requirements. as cxcmplified by the
plodding English shepherd. The poetry
has all been knocked out of II. Shcp.
herdesses. clad in Wattnu vestments,
with crook in hands. died with the
Stuarts. The question of the day Is,
viii II payy In England vast tracts
that Were once given mp to the rabbit
wnrrens and u refuge for other yer.
min hnvc been subducd and made intu
model farms by tenant farmers, who
that they should bc pnid for improve.
mcnts. And while the landlord was
increasing In wealth. the tenant was
not only proving II bcncfactOr to man.
kind hut also making nm indepcnd.
ency for himself. I knew one tenant
Farmer who occupied 2.4OO acres whose
live stock sold by auction after his
denth for $2i6.0s5.
"The world progresses. and the sheen
breeders In nll pnrts nrc awake to tho
necessity OF improving their fiocks.
have Just read the English officials re.
turns, and ! wish to direct your nttcn.
ton to what the breeders In the Ar.
gentinc republic. especially. are doing
~ they are yotr strongest competitor,
In the European markets. No rnm /,
too good or expensive that EngInnd
can produce: hundreds Of the hest
leave British shores ycnrly and thu
price pnid by them seem to us fabu
lima " 1900