The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-02
SHEEP RAISING IN GEORGIA.
COIquitt County Farmers who Make
Money From Sheep.


From the Moultrie (Ga.) Observer.
Annual sheep shearing of this, Colqultt.
county are looked to by sheep owners
and business men alike as one of the
most important of the county's harvests.
For years before the advent of the rail-
road the commercial fertilizer and the
cotton planter. this product was the prin-
cipal staple and money crop of the coun-
ty, and hence the spring months came TO
be regarded as the harvest season. Col
quit has been, and is yet, the banner
stock-raising county of the state. We
could point to number of farmers Of the
county who have made snug little fortunes
at this industry. There are to-day larger
herds Of cattle, sheep. goats and hogs to
be found in the county than any other
county in Georgia, and these herds are
kept without care or attention from any
one save an occasional review by the
owLAr, who takes pride and delight in
riding among them to see II the supply Of
water and grass is sufficient, or IL there
can be seen any sign of dogs or wild
beasts which occasionally get among
them-especialy the sheep, and destroy
numbers Of them. In summer they live
and grow fat on the green grasses which
grow upon tue mis-, ana
winter they take 10 the low lands, islands,
cane brakes and such places as they are
enabled TO find sufficient green herbs to
sustain them through winter. Their only
cover from the cold rains and severe
winds Of winter is the thick growth of pine
timber above them, and their bed is a
combination of pine straw and wire grass,
which is thick enough TO keep them from
the cold ground. Very often when the
sheep owner turns his sheep out in the
spring, fresh sheared, he never sees them
again until shearing time of the next year.
and they are, therefore, not one cents ex-
pense TO him. The lambs come early In
the spring, and sometimes too early, for
they are frequently lost in a late severe
cold. as was the case this year. Some
wears the sheep bring a better coat of
wool than others; this is governed by the
seasons and the supply Of grass.
The number of sheep now IN this county
is estimated TO be about 10000 head. These
yield to their owners, annually, above Sl5.-
600. This Is made entirely without expense
other than the expense Of gathering the
sheep together and sharing them.
The annual shearings come off In May
beginning, If the season Is favorable, In
April Owing to the fact that the sheep
all run together in the woods, 1t would be
almost an impossibilty for an individual
owner to seek out his own sheep and take
them to his home and shear them. This
problem is easily solved by the citizens of
each community coming together and Sc
lecting common penning and shearing
ground Some place is selected where
there are pastures. lots, pens, etc, suffi-
cient TO accommodate all the sheep of the
community. and number of workmen
All the sheep owners set a day for sheep
hunting. The territory IS divided up
among the crowd which frequently in
cludes many volunteers who are not own
ers. The hunt Is made on horseback and
the riders all carry whips. which they
crack behind the ship with wonderful ef-
feet
When the sheep have been penned they
are divided, each mans sheep being known
by the mark on their ears. After the d.