The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-04-05
FATTENING LAMBS.
A Paying Industry in Michigan, the South's Natural
Advantages Would Make it Much More Profitable
Here.
Progressive Farmer:

North State as portrayed in The Progressive
Farmer, it does seem as though growing lambs for
the markets of the great Eastern cities may be
made an industry quite as important as tobacco
or cotton. How many months can you pasture
sheep in Carolina, say on johnson or Bermuda
grass?
Compare your advantages with this outline
sketch of Michigan conditions, and see if you
cannot compete safely.
Originally the 40 and so acre land owners were
in the majority. They are disappearing, and the
100 to 400 acre farmers are increasing. The Sta
t~istical Abstract for 1902, a publication issued by
the United States Treasury Department (you
may have one free by applying to your Senator or
Congressman; it is a mine of knowledge), cred
it's Michigan with an area of 81 ,43O square miles
of land and 1885 of water, North Carolina with
1850 square miles of land and 1910 of water.
The Year Book for 1902, the Department of Agri-
cultures great annual (ask your Congressman
for a copy credits Michigan with 2,465, POI sheep,
January 1, 1903, and North Carolina with 22O,682.
What ails you people? The Michigan sheep had
an average value of 1926. The Carolina sheep
had an average value of $1.79. What does all you
and your sheep?
Throughout the southern and middle tiers of
| Michigan counties you will find the 200 acre
| farmer here and there; yes, the 100 acre, 80 acre
and even the 40 acre farmer, keeping a flock of
sheep, it's size proportional to his ability to pas
ture them in his system of mixed husbandry. An
80 acre farmer may keep from 20 to 80 ewes. His
land may have a cash value of $40 to $75 per
acre. He isn't a specialist. His little flock will
fare we'll on what isn't available for other stock.
He may have a small wood lot. And they are be-
coming small indeed. Plenty of 80 to 200 acre
farmers haven't a tree left! During the great
coal strike many cut apple trees, and even the
shade tree at the door, for wood! The sheep will
run in the wood lot and lane; in the pasture with
the COWS, in the meadow after moving, in the
stubble after harvest, shifted around and tucked
| away anywhere during the summer. In the long
July and August days you may find them curled
up by the fence painting like lizards, with an oc-
casional cry to their lambs. Many a flock have [
seen on pasture as brown and bare at this season
as though grass would never grow again. Very
seldom does the farmer here think it necessary to
provide water for sheep in summer! How they
must suffer from thirst. But they survive and
bring one, often two, lambs to good growth and,
in September when the rains come and grass is
raised from the dead-looking pasture lands, how
they do lay on fat! The lambs may be taken from
their dams at about this season, before the juicy
pasture causes greater milk secretion which makes
weaving more trying tor the ewes. The lambs VIII
be put on the best pasture, often new seeding af-
ter wheat, or oats. AS cool weather approaches,
the better class of shepherds put a V trough in
the pasture and feed the lambs Il daily grain ra-
ton, usually oats. In October the buyers will be
seen h~ustling around to contract for the lambs.
These buyers may be farmers from the East,chlet1y
New York, stocking up with lambs to feed on their
FARMS; or they may be shippers; every little rail
road station, or village, has one or more local
shippers who buy cattle, sheep and hogs to ship
to Buffalo,, Detroit and other markets. Or the