The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-04

places where the plough cannot be
used that they find refuge when
driven from the cultivated fields. But
in their coverts the sheep will find
them, and when they do their eye will
not pity nor will their teeth spare.
The stomach of a sheep in relation to
weeds is like the grave. 1t is ever
crying, Give, give" and with weeds
II is never satisfied. A small band of
sheep on any farm that is reasonably
Wen fenced will far more than repay
their winter keep in the weeds which
they destroy in summer. 1t follows,
therefore. that a small band of sheep
can be kept on any farm under the
conditions just stated without any cost
whatever for the food which they con-
sumo, to say nothing of the return
which they give in wool and mutton.
Sheep never do so we'll as when they
are kept in small flocks and under the
conditions of liberty which is accorded
to them when they are set to work
as cleaners on the farm. Call them
scavengers if you like; some object to
the term, but they are weed scaven-
gers. They are grass scavengers, too.
They will trim off grass in the pad
docks in the fence corners, in the
lanes and amid the stubbles. They will
feed on nearly everything that is green.
And it is the great variety which they
get under these conditions that agrees
with them so we'll. Such sheep are at
all times in good conditions and their
lambs grow we'll.
But, in addition to their tidying up
a farm and keeping down weeds on
the same, they may be made to serve
the further end of supplying the farm
er's table with meats at once fresh
tender, delicious and strengthening.
Where else does mutton ever taste so
we'll as when taken from such pastures
and served on the farmers table? Any
man who would call such mutton any
thing else than delicious must have
perverted taste. Though the entire in
crease from such a flock were served
on the farmers table, the supply of
such food when it's excellence is con-
sidered, would then be too little. The
farmers family who have once Toasted
upon it will long for more. 1t is sim
ply too bad that so little mutton is
used on the farm, when on so many
farms it could be grown for nothing.
There are some hindrances, however,
in the way of growing mutton as de-
scribed. The chief of these are want OF
fencing and the omnipresence of dogs.
The want of fencing does not apply 10
the Eastern states, rs it does to those
of the Central and Northwestern
states If sheep are introduced on
fenced. it will be found that the sheep
have a most marvellous facility for
getting where they are not wanted.
Rut when farms are properly 1enceu,
the sheep can be turned from one field
TO another as may be desired. They
will then have fresh pastures every
little while. and these are very gooo
for them. In the future more FENCING
will be made on farms when nave nov .,.o
hut little of the same, consequently the
opportunity will be more ana more
present for introducing sheep on farms
where but little fencing is found at
the present time.
The ever present dog peril is more
serious than the absence OF FENCES,
Dogs are an increasing menace 10
sheep. The story Of the worrying cone
by dogs is most narrowing one, Couia
n ali be told its recital would almost
cause the shades of departed sheep 70
crv out for vengeance. How long, ~
lawmakers. how long is this menac &c
TO last? because of 1t thousands are
prevented from introducing bano OF
sheen to help them to clean their farms