The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-05-16
SHEEP RAISING
IN PENINSULA.
Colonel Burch Predicts Great
Things for it. Pays Glowing
Tribute to Prickett's Sidnaw
Farm.

Colonel Burch. one of the best autnor-
ity upon sheep raising in the United
States. The Colonel visited the upper
peninsula within the past year and
spent some time looking into the
agricultural possibilities Of this re-
gion, especially as to the outlook for
sheep raising in the peninsula He
paid the Roycroft farm of Walter
Prickett, of Sidnaw, visit and saw
things there that amazed him. Since
that time he has had great deal TO
say about the upper peninsula as
sheep raising country and in the last
issue OF the American Sheep Breeder
he had an article covering several
pages in which he gave glowing pro-
phesies OF what is in store for TINS
peninsula He paid especial attention
60 the Roycroft farm and paid Mr..
PricRett we'll deserved compliment.
We reproduce that part Of the article.
These farms, consisting of 300 feet
of sheep sheds, together with the horse
and carriage barns, office and ware
house. all grouped within the village
limits. are among the leading attrac-
tious of the place and acre first to com
mand the attention Of visitors. These
farm buildings are models of their
kind. constructed with every modern
convenience, regardless OF cost, and
are admirably suited for the housing
breeding. lambing, nursing, feeding
dipping and shearing of sheep aud
goats. The yards and corrals are al
most encirled with clear trout brooks
that afford superb watering pools that
never freeze. and the numberous and
elegant buildings occupy high, dry,
clean, sandy loam elevations exactly
suited TO the successful handling OF
sheep and Angora goats of which
there are now ON the farm about 6OO
heads, exclusive of the young lambs
and kids. The 300 acres OF improved
land from which nearly al the stumps
have been taken, constitute n very
small part of the farm. but in this new
country, with it's far reaching and
magnificent stretches Of primitive
woodland. seem more like the creation
of magic than the work of plodding
human hands From Duluth to
Negaunee there are no farm improve
ment at all comparable with them.
Miles of the finest and most substantial
cedar post and wire fence enclose the
fields and buildings which loop more
like section of some old baronial es-
tate than pioneer farm in the wild
woods of northern Michigan w. S.
PIickett the young master of this
beautiful sheep and goat farm, made
his money in these northern wilds and |
with uDequaled nerve, spirit and
ambition has spent thousands of dol
lars in rescuing these well cleared fields |
from the wide waste OF stumps and |
brush land, and giving them as object
lessons TO the unbelieving lumber
public that for generation refused to
credit this country with agricultural
possibilities. He grows magnicfiient
crops Of oats, barley. peas. turnips
and hay IA an Englishman does for
balanced sheep feeding. and here al
most on the northern boarder OF the
United States has solved shepherd $
problem in the keeping Of thousand
mutton bred sheep successfully in
one flock His courage and tact and
have never once failed
him. Year by year the stumps and
brush disappear from new clearings,
new fields are broken. enclosed and
10 clover. timothy and
golden hoof and fleece, and so far the
great God has smiled approval Of the
work Of this brave, patient. courag-
erous young shepherd and farmer who
is worth more to this beautiful north
peninsula than all the big land syndi-
Gates within its borders. This young
often criticised for the
folly OF spending his money in the
wilds where he made il, has made
many blade of grass grow where
none grew before, and philosophically
the peaceful arts OF the
shepherd and Of pioneer town builder
while his critics have been whiting
dry goods boxes, furnishing bad whisky
or cutting coupons He has put his
stamp the royal crest and arms Of the
pioneer on field an. flock and town.
| lift my derby aud bow low TO this
earnest and inspiring worker of the
woods and fields and hocks, and join
my good friend William Krol in
there were score Of Walter
Pricketts between Lake Gogebic and