Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-08-24
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AGRlCULTURISTS
Some Up-to-Date Hints About Gull
tivation of the Soil and Yields
Observation-Disclosures viticuiture and
Horticulture.

At the twenty-eighth annual meet
ing Of the Kansas Board of Agricul-
ture, Mr.. j. N. Grau, Of Mitchell coun-
ty, (northern), Kansas, who is large
ly and probably in the sheep BUSH
ness there, read paper prepared at
the suggestion Of Secretary F. D. Co
burn, giving his ideas Of how best to
manage and care for the flock, and
his method of selecting animals for
breeding purposes. For the last Ia
years his flock has numbered from
500 to 1000, and as he has succeeded
by close attention to his business, his
observations should be of no little in
terest and value.
He says in part:
l fatten my surplus stock for mar
ket. In the selection of breeding
ewes l never pay much attention to
the fneness of fiber, but more to the
constitution, good form, no wrinkles
on body, good fleece, or long dense
staple of wool, and good milking
qualities-as this can be had in sheep
as we'll as in cows, and to produce
good lamb they must have an abund.
ant supply of milk. 1 sort out about
one-thlrd to one-half of my eve lambs
Tor breeders at one year old, sending
the rest to market for mutton; al
ways feeding the lambs we'll so as to
get the size of the sheep the first year.
If neglected they will grow smaller
every year. BY this way of selecting
and feeding 1 have increased the av-
erage size of my flock twenty pounds.
In selecting the rams, look for
good constitution, which will repre-
sent a good feeder and always the
best in the flock, of good form for
mutton; shown by we'll sprung ribs,
breadth across the shoulders, a deep
breast, with front legs well set apart;
short neck and erect carriage; short
mead, with broad nostrils, giving
plenty of room to breathe the pure air
OF the range; with three to four inch
staple of dense wool, with only a rea-
sonable quantity of oil, and weighing
from LIS to 200 pounds at maturity.
l pasture in summer on prairie
grass without grain, having my range
divided into three separate pastures
with COMMUNICATIVE fence. Chang
ing from one pasture to another gives
the grass better start; 1t will pro-
duce more feed, and sheep will keep
in better condition than when run in
one continuously.
1 wean my lambs in September
For the last two years I have turned
them in piece Of standing sorghum,
giving them also some cracked corn,
which has given the best of results.
AS soon as the grass gets dry and
poor, which is about the list of Octo-
Der, commence to feed the older
sheep one bushel of corn to the 100
head per day. Sometimes feed corn
fodder with corn on until I get my
corn husked out; then turn them in
the stalk field, and give one bushel
of corn to the 100 head per day. My
breeding ewes run out every day in
the stalk field, from morning until
night, except in severe snow storms,
when I think it is not best to leave
them out all day. Exercise is neces-
sary for good health and constitution,
and for raising strong lambs. From
about the first of March I feed corn
fodder and alfalfa hay until grass
starts to grow.
I have lambs drop in March and
April. I pen my ewes in shed over
night, but never stay up with them;
lamb that will not get up and
rustic, I don't want. In the morning
turn out the ewes, always keeping
separate those that have lambs, exam
lining all to see that the lamb has
had its fill of milk; If not, I keep
it separate until it has; keeping the
ewes with young lambs separate from
the flock for three or four days, then
turn them in to the large herd Of
ewes. If turned in before three days,
and they get parted for twenty-four
hours, the mothers will not own
them.
Years age I sowed rye for early
spring pasture, but Of late have been
raising alfalfa, for hay, which is bet
ter than red clover. 1t is one of the
best sheep feeds that can be grown,
and which every farmer in Kansas
should grow for cattle, sheep, and
hogs.
l shear in April, before turning out
to grass. Having plenty of shed
room, there is no danger of losing
any.
I keep plenty of Kansas fine salt
where they can have free access. to it
at all times, and yard them every
night. When accustomed to the yard
they will come up at night of their
own accord.
Damage to Street Trees.
It gives a horticulturist a nightmare
to see how street stress are treated
sometimes, says Country Gentleman.
Many OF the mutilations are charge