The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-20
SHEEP HUSDANDRY
IN NORTH CAROLINA
(By SAMUEL ARCHER.)

We are apt to think that buying
lot OF sheep and turning them loose
| on a plantation is keeping sheep and
perhaps if one half of the farmers
were to do this it would be Sheep IIus-
bandry in the South and we would
then ali have strings of fencing en-
closing pastures, with stacks and
stacks OF pea vine hay and fodder
corn, and long crops Of corn and lit
tie fields of turnipss and rape and
great fields Of rye and winter oats
also sheep barns fitted purposely for
sheep with pens and lots surround
ing.
All this would indeed represent a
great business and would at once as
sumo itself into an important agri-
cultural industry representing mil
hons Of dollars and a real rearTange-
ment Of the present agricultural man
ner Of business. That this will come
about, l have no doubt. It viii require
money and labor and education. or in
teiligent direction. That all this VIII
come IN time is certain. for it is ,Clug
on IN the North and Northwest nov.
The legitimate system Of agricultural
progress involves rotation OF crops.
growth and products, animal as we'll
as vegetable. Must North Carolina trail
along fifty years behind?
one may answer, We'll we have the
Intelligence and he la Dor to manage
sheep on our farms. but we have not
the money, nor can we have it to
buy sheep and build fencing and sheep
sheds for Years to come at the Drcs-
ent rate of getting it unless we mort
gage our farms and borrow"
1t IS at this point that I wish to
suggest and talk about a better way
than the slow way now followed or
than individual mortgages for the
needed money. though that would be
n c.ha
L Wlll commence by saving that
there is no State nor section more
prosperous and contented than one in
which all the industrial people are
fully employed and we'll paid for "a
Dor. There are three things We need;
we need our young people educated
at once, before they OutgroW the time
for it: Tc need a system Of good
roads all over the State upon which al
Industrial people may travel ana
market the products to the best 3d-
vantage. Then we need money with
which to accomplish both these i'm
portant things. incidentally [ say
here that supposing Ihe money =
ready to complete the school and road
systems the rlgnt policy will be t.
employ as far as possible, citizens Of
this State to build all needed school
houses; teach the schools and buili
the roads so that the money thny
cost shall be paid to our industrial
people and pass through the hands Of
our manufacturers. our merchants
and banks before it leaves the stat.
if it ever does.
Now if We can get enough money to
the people to secure both of these
urgent wants, The sheep business Will
surely set part of 1t before it leaves
the state: for | wish it understood |
that [ do not advocate the sheep oiisi- /
ness as substitute for all branches
cf agriculture but only as q very inn
pOrtaat branch of them ALL So say
first; let the State issue bonds-25 i /
so year-to secure money enough to /
build all the school houses needed
ana assure free schools for nine I
months in the year this will bring TO |
the rising generation education or tr- /
tclli@ence enough fer rapid strides in (
progressive agriculture with STOCK +
raising, including sheep husbandry
Also issue similar bonds, State and I
counties perhaps, enough to at once /
set on foot and finally complete the |
building OF two graded, connecting +
stoned roads, North and South, and /
two East and West, connecting T
every county in the State. /
if possible only citizens of /
the State at fixed prices to do the .
work. nave good reason for saying {
that within one year after the COM /
mencement of this work the average +
price of farm lands will advance five I.
dollars per acre and IN five years moro /
they VIII have advanced five dollars
more per acre. Such a system OF pub /
lie schools for ten years Will have dd
vanced the price of lands five dollars
throughout the State That is i'll all |
fifteen dollars per acre more than
our lands Will advance without these
promoters Of manhood ana industry. /
moral manhood should lie j
the highest aim of the body polite;