The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-09-10

Il
is one that is well adapted to sheep
husbandry, and especially so as a
mutton sheep farm. On such place
it is all the more necessary that the
sheep be provided with ample, dry
and comfortable housing quarters,
and lots surrounding so that any
green crop or other food may be cut
and fed to them in their racks.
Modern agriculture, especially in
production of cotton and sheep hus-
bandry, particularly for mutton, will
readily adjust themselves together
as concomitant industries, thus form
ing splendid trust combine.
To engage in this business, it is
not necessary to buy high-priced
flock of thoroughbred South Downs,
Dorsetts or shropshires, which of
course would be the best, but for
most beginners, buy a flock of good
common ewes or grades. as good as
can be had, say 125 ewes. I would
incline to cross them first with the
largest, well-formed, heaviest-f1eeced
pedigree Dorset ram I could find.
Have him show up the characteris-
tics of his breed as fully as possible.
With single service one ram two
years old would be quite sufficient.
To manage this, do not turn the
stock ram with the flock, but securely
apron a common ram, turn him with
the flock every morning and draw
out to pen by themselves every
eve that he finds in season, then
turn out the flock and keep the teaser
safely by himself during the day till
needed next day again. Meantime,
having the stock ram in a pen by
himself, turn one eve in to him about
every hour for single service only,
until all for that day are served and
turned out in a served lot by them
selves, until fourteen days from the
beginning, when the ewes may all
be turned together and the stock
ram with them. IF the ewes have
been properly fed and tended, there
will not be in two weeks over ten or
fifteen of the flock unserved except
what may come in a second time.
In the Gulf States: and for early
lambs to ship North, have them
come from 10th of January to 1st of
February, as nearly as possible that
is, mate them to the ram about the
10th of August to September 1st,
and be prepared to house and care
for the lambs properly. If the ewes
have been well fed on wheat bran
and cotton seed meal or chopped oats
and cotton seed meal, they should be
in good condition, especially if it has
been mixed with fnely-out or shred
ded clover hay, pea vines, or fodder
corn, and near lambing time have
such feed wet up together for them.
There is only one way better to give
such feed, and that is to steam it for
them.
am writing now of the first cross,
the weather lambs, of which perhaps
may best be sold to butchers of
neighboring cities, without putting
on too much shipping expenses.
Thus home demand would be built
up, for no person who has once tasted
such a fat lamb roast once can re-
frain from buying it again. How
ever, if the lambs have been nicely
fed and are very fat by the last of
March, they can be expressed in neat
light crates 20 Washington, Boston,
New York or Chicago and sold at q
price that should be pleasing sur
prise to cotton grower, If the
lambs are to be sold as ''spring lamb
they need not be castrated or docked.
It is better not. IF the owner has
room and plenty of feed on his plan
tation, he may very proftably keep
them over, stall feed them the next
winter up to an average weight of
$50 pounds and sell them at six cents
pound in early spring.
Such early lambs when kept over
should be shorn the last part Of June,
and it is better for the growth and
health of the January eve lambs to
so shear them. Such wool when put
in the right Eastern market COM
mands a good price. Keep the flock
of eve lambs growing fast as possible
but not trolling fat for three years
and their developments will be COM
plete. Some carelessly allow such
lambs to breed the first fall, but it