The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-26


No Reason why This Should Not
he IA Leading Sheep-PrOducing
State - Some Pertinent InfOrma-
ton on Sheep Farming.
With the view of encouraging the
sheep industry, the state agricultural So
ciety is offering liberal prizes. They
now extend to all the leading breeds IN
the West. Special prizes are also Of
fered for sheep grown in the state. The
object is to encourage those breeders
who may not be able to go to the ex3
pense of importing sheep from other
states or even from beyond the limit
of the United States. The exhibits of
sheep are increasing rapidly at each sue
cessive state fair, and this year 1t is
no eXaggeration to say that the outlook
is better than ever. before The breeds
now included in the premium list COM
prise the following: Oxfords downs,
Shropshires. Hampshire downs. South
downs. Leicesters, Lincoln, Cotswolds,
Dorset. Merino. Delaine and Rambouillet.
The premium list cannot fan to bring
out a splendid exhibit
ing sheep in this state says Prof
Thomas Shaw ARISES from injudicious
feeding in. winter. It ought not to be so.
since we may have food of the best, in
endless variety and in unfailing abund-
ance. Our sheep are often fed on food
with too little variety in 1t and which
has been too much dried in the curing.
In winter clover hay, oats and bran fed
as part of the ration will usually bring
sheep through the winter in good shape.
Great care should be taken to give
large liberty to the flock in winter. One
of the mistakes oftenest made is In
keeping them too closely housed, and a
second is in keeping them too closely
confined to the yards. With plenty of
access to the open air at all times when
storms are not falling and with ample
opportunity to roam over the farms, the
sheep Will seldom become so delicate as
to make any serious trouble.
1t is simply unfortunate for the state
that more sheep are not kept. The con-
ditions for sheep husbandry in our state
are simply almost perfect and yet we
do not possess nearly so many sheep as
many other states in which the condi-
lions are not so favorable. The evidences
are not wanting, however, of a greatly
increased interest in sheep husbandry
While some of those who embark in the
work are proceeding wisely, some are
not, and chiefly from want of knowledge
as to the best way in which the work
ought to be conducted.
Usually there is a desire on the part
of the farmers who take up this work to
launch out too extensively at the outset
and to put money into sheep that are too
costly The man who ought to begin
with score wants to start out with a
flock numbering one or two hundred and
the man who ought to begin with the
commonest blood is to much prone to
invest in costly high grades or pure
bloods 1t would be very much better to
begin with flock small in numbers
and of mixed blood Such a flock could
be purchased cheaply, and when success
fully managed it will rapidly increase,
and will also improve in quality. g If a
beginner, unskilled in sheep husbandry,
invests in pure breeds, he has a large
outlay at the first, and because of want
of knowledge in the work his percentage
of loss is too great.
There is no better method of embark
Ing in the business than to employ a
commission man who can be relied Oh
to purchase what is wanted at the
stock yards. Range ewes will furnish
excellent material as they come in from
the STOCK yards In the tall on their way
to the market, They should be bought
for the price paid for common stockers;
that is to say, for meat prices If year
lings can be bought, they should be pre-
ferred, but oftentimes they are scarce.
Older ewes will answer. but, of course,
they cannot be kept so long. One may
sometimes be able to start with ewes
considered too old to rustic on the
range, and yet they will do very nicely
on the arabic farm a year or two, since
they can be fed more or less of grain on
the same. Such ewes can sometimes be
purchased for $3.50 per head, and even
for less sum than that.
But the sires used must be of a very
different class. They should be chosen
from some of the pure breeds now In
the country. The most common of these
are the Oxfords, the Shropshires, the
Hampshires, the Southdowns and the
Cotsweld. If winter lambs are wanted
Dorset sires should be chosen. Sires OF
these breeds are not so plentiful as thew
ought to be in this state. There is 8
fine opportunity for the breeding of these
and it will continue for many years tc
come The demand for pure sres should
increase indefinitely
Where sheep are kept in large mum.
bers on any farm some green food should
be grown for them for summer pastur.
age. Grass pastures get over dry in the