Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1903-10-20

sale OF sheep and wool. Just why land
can increase in fertility when pastur-
ed by sheep and not by cattle has not
been explained to the entire satisfac-
tion OF those who are inclined to be
critical. We do not know that there
is any necessity for explaining it
when it is a fact. That it does increase
IS enough to know to all intents and
purposes, says the Iowa Homestead.
Grasses draw on subsoil as well as
surface soil for existence The
grass grazed by sheep is employed to
produce wool and mutton and large
part of the fertilizing properties go off
in the waste. The same maybe said
OF other stock and at the same time
the distribution of manure by sheep
is such as to be without waste so far
as its fertilizing properties are con-
cerned.
We have given this matter much
study and we know no better way to
present it to our readers than to give
few extracts from well known au-
thority on sheep, Professor Thomas
Shaw, as he has given it to the
American Sheep Breeder. The follow
ing are few extracts on this theme:
THE grasses draw food elements
from the subsoil as well as from the
surface soil. The growth resulting
from these is consumed by the sheep.
1t is deposited again on the land in
the droppings hence the available fertil-
ity for producing grass continually in
creases Theoretically, the plant
food in the subsoil decreases, but as
fast as it does, through the action of
various agencies, insert plant food into
the subsoil is transformed into avail
able forms. Theoretically. the
amount of this insert plant food de-
creases, but usually there is so much of
1t in the subsoil that the transforming
process will continue as long as decay
continues in the subsoil, which is
practically forever The surface soil
therefore, continually improves when
it is being pastured by sheep, and
with such Improvement the growth and
decay oil grass roots near the surface
also increases all The while Why then
do not these results follow the grazing
OF cattle? For the reason. chiefly that
the droppings of cattle are deposited
IN way that results in much waste
OF the same form from various causes,
while the droppings of sheep are so
deposited that there is but little
waste
But little experimenting has been
done with view to obtaining infor.
nation as to the influence of such
foods on grazing, or as to the profit
from feeding them. But when these
foods are SO fed by way of supplement-
ing pastures, no statements regarding
the results from feeding them will be
at all complete, which do not consider
the influence which they exert on the
pastures. The renovation of worn
lands could be greatly fastened by
such a process. And here it may be
added that when these foods are fed
it should be possible to
get the full value of the foods thus
fed in wool and mutton.
But sheep benefit pastures in other
ways. Suppose the pastures are grow
ing weeds or brush to considerable
extent. grazing these with sheep will
check such growth, and in the end it
Will completely remove it, with, in
some instances, little aid from man.
There are but few weeds which sheep
will not eat when they are young. But
there are some. These are burdock.
pletely get rid of these 1t may be nee
essary to NOW them or destroy them
otherwise, but with the exceptions re-
ferred to the pastures will soon be
made clear This means that the ele-