Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-10-19
SHEEP PROSPECTS.
4 Good Thing Rather Than a Big


4 Coed Thing Rather Than a Big
Thing.
The man at present without sheep
who is not getting hold of few or the
man with sheep who is not extending
his operations, intensifying his man
agement or reducing it to scientific
basis is not living up to his privileges,
says j. McCraig in The American
Sheep Breeder. Prospects never We're
better for sheep business. The general
sweet, juicy. palatable meats is putting
the sheep business on n lasting and
solid basis. Sheep raising is thought
by many to be kind of primitive in
dustry suited to poor lands and unde-
yeloped agricultural conditions. Many
who raise sheep on good lands look on
them as a sort of corner product or adj
ventitious gain that demands no skill
In management and little expenditure
of labor at any time of the year. 1t is
true that sheep will do better than any
other kind of stock on the minimum of
care. They will yield a profit on ordi-
nary or even poor pasture alone, but
they are, on the other hand most sus-
ceptible to generous treatment. Three
hundred sheep to the square mile ON
the expensive and highly cultivated
lands of England does not look as
though sheep were to be relegated to
poor countries or poor pastures. Nei-
Their does it look as though the taste
for mutton belongs to countries IN
primitive state of industrialism or of
progress.
There is every encouragement for a
prospective shepherd to start now.
Wool and mutton are both good and
are both short of the requirements of
the country. There is a strong COM
mercial impetus which will affect la
Dor, the demand for labor; hence popu-
lation and foodstuffs for that popu-
lation. Present prices are not boom
prices, but are such as will enable the
beginner to get stand of stock at a
price that will make 1t impossible for
1t to die in his debt
Sheepmen do not stand much chance
for boom. as their stock multiplies so
rapidly that there cannot be any long
continued failure of supply There is
not much room for the boomster or
Spectator in the sheep business. but
there is always plenty of room for the
steady, consistent and confident mar
ager who Is looking for an adequate
and satisfactory return for moderate
investment of capital and care The
sheep business offers a good thing
rather than big thing. and a good
thing that is safe.
II you haven't been in the business
before, take a part of your available
capital and begin now. If you have
not bred sheepsbefore, start easy and
buy ordinary ewes. but figure on inn
proving your eve flock in the future
by getting Il good ram. The grand
principle of success is to raise each
year youngsters that are better than
their ancestors of the eve flock, and
this is most economically done through
the use of superior males. If it were
=
ing to the character of the coupling,
there would be no such thing as skill
in breeding. Bank on a good sire.
whether your flock is common or Sc
lect.
If you have been breeding before.
you are acquainted with the individ-
uals Of your flock. You know the at
tentive mothers. the good mixers. the
heavy shearers. You know the ones
that breed singles and those that
bring twins. Finally you know which
ones answer to the accepted type and
to your ideal. You know the coarse
head. the heavy ear. the cloudy wool
and dark skin. Hold on to the ones of
tried breeding qualities and that con-
form to your ideal and let the others
go to some less ambitious shepherd
who has yet to learn the expensive les
sons of old experience. A hard old
mistress she Is