Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-04-28

II. NJ. c., st. Lawrence County, n. Y,
writes: II am thinking of going into
the sheep business, and am writing you
for information through the columns oi
The Tribune Farmer. We are located
on an island farm, consisting of 1,20C
acres, about five hundred acres of which
are tillable and the balance rough land
would like to know about how many
sheep we could keep on this farm, and
also where we could purchase breeding
stock of good class, and probable
prices, etc.
ID. A. D., Herkimer County, N. Y,
writes: ~ have a very large farm, most
of which is dry land, although it is well
watered Some of it is loamy soil, yet
is very good grass land. l have been
contemplating stocking this farm with
sheep, and wish you would give me ad.
vice on the project as to whether it
would be profitable or not"
These two letters of inquiry are so
nearly alike in general way that re-
ply to one will give all Information call
ed for in both. | have never known a
time when general conditions through
out this country were causing farmers to
investigate the merits of sheep farming
to the extent that is found this year.
Questions of a like nature have been
propounded at farmers institutes in all
parts of the state the last winter, and
there is evidently feeling among large
farmers that there should be profit from
extensive sheep breeding. In general
way think there never was time
when men of sufficient knowledge of
sheep and sheep management should
realize greater profit than at this time.
Meat products of every kind are in great
demand, and at prices which mean much
profit to intelligent producers, and OF all
meat products none are selling at as
relatively high prices and are in as great
demand as are the various grades of
mutton; and this branch of farming,
profitable as it is at the present time, is
bound to maintain itself in future years,
as the increase in consumption of lamb
and mutton is bound to continue as long
as our towns and cities continue pros
porous. At the same time the wool
markets are more favorable to the pro-
ducers than has been the case in past
years, and conditions throughout all
sheep breeding countries of the world
are such as to justify the belief that for
years to come the growth of wool will
be profitable part of farm management
where sheep are kept.
But the man who will succeed in max
ing profit from large flock of sheep
must understand the general details of
sheep husbandry, and as read between
Al .u f.f
experience in the case of either of these
iDquirers. In any line of work man
should always be little larger than bis
business if he would succeed in it, and
there is no branch of business on the
farm which demands an intimate knowl-
edge of detail more than in breeding any
kind of livestock. The l,200-acre farm
referred TO in the first inquiry should
carry large flock of sheep, provided
the owner is a thorough master of the
whole business. Rough" is a flexible
term, and there is no indication in the
inquiry as to just how rough this seven
hundred acres of land is. AS rule
there is no kind of livestock that will do
as well on rough land as will sheep.
They naturally incline to billy ground,
but in this case the land may be so
rough as not to be available for any con.
siderable pasturage. In the case OF
either of these two men 1t would be
much better to begin with moderate
sized flock of, say, one hundred breed
ing ewes, and succeed with that number
than to purchase as large flock as the
farm would carry if under the control of
a man of experience and fail on account
of lack of knowledge of the business.
The price will, of course, vary largely
as between the best type of heavy NUT
ton sheep and the smaller type of sheep
of the wool producing breeds. 1t seems
to me the better way in either case
would be to purchase about one hundred
thrifty young ewes made up largely OF
merino breed and cross these with pure
bred rams of one of the strictly mutton
breeds of sheep; and, if this crossing is
confined to the one breed and the rams
are of the best type, within very few
years there should result from this cross
a flock of sheep that will be as good for
practical purposes for producing wool
and mutton as the pure bred flock would
be. To both inquirers l would say go
ahead but go slowly; increase the size
of the flock as you increase in knowl-
edge of the business, and your own good
Judgment will dictate as to when the
size of the flock measures up TO the
carrying capacity of your farms.-Frank
d. Ward, Batavia, n. Y, in Tribune
Farmer.