The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-01-21

sheep for any purpose from a poor
shepherd. All manner of sheep dis
eases originate With the careless in
different shepherd. disease OF the
sheep as well as dll domestic animals
is not natural, but is the after birth
of slovenly, careless, shiftless and FL
thy habits. No man ever reported
taat he saw a dead wild or undomesti-
Gated animal of any kind, that did
not come to its death by violent
means from an outside agency. Death
and disease are reserved for domestic
animals. If you start with sheep free
from disease and carefully care for
them they are not likely to contract
any.
The next step is to get a house fer
them. Remember that a home does
not constitute a place between two
fences, any more than two walls con-
Stitute a home for their wne Your
sheep must be contented and their
surroundings and care must be Of
such a character as will keep them so.
Every sheep farm should have an
open we'll lea its center about 81 TT.
square and thirty feet deep. 1t don't
require Of a necessity that there
should be any water In it. it should
only be used as a deposit for dogs that
have a tendency to investigate things
that are none of their business. Hous-
ing is an important point, but the
house should be a suitable one OF one
at all. The sides should have about
the same amount of ventilation as a
picket fence, but the roof should be
complete.
II / were to build a house to suit
me I.would have the sides all doors:
hung with the new roller swing hinge.
and then would keep the side opposite
the wind raised at least two feet. H.
side the doors l would arrange hurdles
or a wire fence, high enough to keep
out dogs and sheep. The feed rack
should be in the center leaving room
enough at each side to drive a horse
and boat through. You will find that
the sheep will lie down the collect
nights with their heads near the open
part Of the building. A year or two
ago while visiting a friend he invited
me to look at his sheep and tell i'll
could why they were doing no better.
His sheep pens were built Of rails and
about two by ten rods square, and in
the lowest part of the barn yard,
where all the wash Of the vicinity
when there was anv had to pass
through its center. The stable was
an old log building, and was complete
as to ventilation. The roof however
was a gem of the first water, in fact
I am quite sure that mere water fell
through that roof than would nave
fallen Cd them on the same amount
of space any where else in the barn
yard. Every time it rained the water
went through the root like the latest
scandal through a sewing circle, and
the poor sheep that was SO unfortu-
nate as to be inside came out drench-
ed to. the hide: The sheep themselves
were a sorry lot CT poor starvlings,
not for want Of food, but for want of
care, and a few lambs about ten
months old we're about the right size
for watch charms. The Value OF
Sheep on the farm" cannot be calcu-
lated in that way. / told my friend
that his sheep were determined to
, have a new owner if they had to die
to get one. l charged nothing for my
! advice. Sheep are verp foolish about
another thing. that is they want
something good to eat occasionally
and they want it bad. In the sum-
mer season if given a chance they will
, take care of themselves fairly well
but l am Of the opinion that sheep
shold. be allowed in the barn during
, the heat of the day and allowed free
dom during the night. If there is
danger of dogs stay up with them
a few nights and got that we'll filled
T up. One summer some sheep were
. pastured in a field that lay within l0C
feet of my chamber window and the
door tinkling Of their bell would wake
me up every night. / found that
: their trips were made at regular time,
: at about ten and two o'clock and they
: never varied but little from that time
| l went out a few times to see how my
own sheep were doing and found them
engaged in the same way. They were
, all taking lunch. For winter feed
the sheep will soon tell an amateur
what they want in the way of rough
feed. The general teaching isto feed
5 corn, oats. bran and a few other items
. in the way Of grain, but / do not be.
lieve that corn should under any cir.