Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-04-07

CWC 4VC ROuhucs w SNoASS
show sheep of this breed go far above
these weights. The lambs mature very
rapidly and make great weights at an
early age.
Owing to careful breeding the shape
of the Dorset Horn Sheep can now
favorably compare with that of any of
the Down breeds. The rams have good
heads and countenanceS, with bright
eye and splendidly curved horn, con-
stituting one of the grandest heads of
any breed of sheep in the world. They
have good necks and shoulders, straight
backs, wide loins, and are as fine in the
bone compared with the weight of NUT
ton they carry, as the best Downs.
They are excellent nurses, good folding
sheep, and the mutton is well Favored ;
although they have been so much i'm
proved they nevertheless retain their
hardness and fecundity. 1t is not too
much to say that this breed excels all
Others in fecundity and early maturity
and the power of adapting itself to all
localities and varieties of climate.
While the Dorset is said by American
writer's to thrive on rough land, they,
like most other British breeds, will re-
turn larger dividends on good lands and
with skillful management. No breed
will respond to good treatment more
readily than the Dorset. They will
breed at almost any time of the year,
and twice at that, although such a
course is by no means to be recommend
ed, and it has been proved very dis
astrous in some instances.
Another feature in favor of the Dorset
is that the possession of horns has made
them more fearless and less liable to
attack from dogs, which has led to their
being called the "dog-proof sheer"
Several times | have seen my DorSets
when stray dog would come into the
pasture, without an exception, imme-
diately turn and face him instead of
running as most sheep will.
Their wool is of medium length and
fibre, nice crimp, strong, soft, and sell
ing at the highest prices. As shearers
they may be classed as Downs.
The most important characteristic OF
the Dorset is that they will breed in the
spring as well as in the fall of the year.
This makes them unrivalled as early
lamb producers. By having the lambs
come in the fall they can be put on the
market in competition with dollhouse
lambs without the expense of the hot
house, and such lambs bring more than
double the price of the average lamb.
Dorsets might be called a dominating
breed i. e., breed that has been bred
pure for so many years that when cross
ed with other breeds the resulting
crosses take after the Dorset rather than
the other side, and in almost every case
we see white faces and good milking
qualities in the grades, and if the eve
used in crossing is grade, and by that
mean a eve that is mixture of several
varieties, the more surely will one OBJ
tain the desired qualities. By continu-
Gus crossing one can breed up a flock of
Dorsets that while not entitled to regis
try as thoroughbred, will be practically
full blooded and possess all the money
making qualities of the breed.
MY reason for choosing the Dorsets Is
that believe the fall lamb is the one TO
raise for the most profit. Ii you have
YOUR lambs come the first of November,
they come at a time of the year when
the farmer, as a usual thing, is not SO
busy but what he can give them the re-
auired attention, and it is the experience
of those who have raised them that they
are easier to raise than the spring lambs.
Coming as they do when the ewes come
to the barn, they escape all danger from
internal parasites which lambs are sub
iect TO when running on pasture. You
can feed the little fellows what grain
they will eat and the way they will put
on fat is surprising, and the cost OF the
grain they will consume is very smal.
compared with the extra price they will
bring when they are ready to go to mar
ket. For instance, here is a clipping
taken from the American Sheep Breeder
of March Is, 1907, written by W. c
Whitman il Son, South Turner, two
very successful farmers and prominent
Graugers of Androscoggin County;
I'VE send photo of early lamb car
casses dressed Feb. Is. The nearest ont
in the picture was eighty days old
weighed 75 pounds, and dressed, hot
weight, 40 1-2 pounds. Four lambs sent
to Boston Feb. 10 brought $4,000 with
out the pelts. The pair hanging to
gether brought $500 each. These
lambs were sired by Southdown buck
and from grade Dorset ewes. We have
the best success with early lambs from
Southdown sire, as they stand feed vel
and take flesh readily, making PLUMP
Carcass for the market"
This is an example of what | hope II
do in the future. have erected BARI
this last year 40 so feet, which is to b'
used entirely for sheep, and it is my
purpose to breed up flock of one hun
dred grade Dorsets, and also to keep
small flock of pure bred Dorsets tha
will equal any in New England. The,
saw that experience is the best teacher
and | believe that is about right, al
though it is little expensive some
times. | very unwisely went OIL ant
bought sixty native grade ewes yea
ago last fall, and although l got SOM
good sheep, got some that have prove'
20 be a poor investment, whereas, ii
had gone to Canada or got some rang
ewes from the West, it would have bee
much better, as | believe that most
the sheep that we have here are wha
YOU might term "badly run out"
do not expect to accomplish all thi
in one year or three, but l know 1t
being done in other places that have n
better market for early lambs than Bos
ton, and that the demand for them
steadily increasing, and am convince
that the state of Maine is just as We
adapted to sheep raising as any OF tn
other states, and as the range bushes
in the West is steadily decreasing cor
sumers will have to look more to th
East for their sheep products.
Nv. l.. Mitchell, the sheep breeder
New Haven, was telling group OF farm
ers short time ago how to make none,
He said: You farmers have much "
to learn. was down in Aroostook CouI
ty in Maine short time ago and foun
that the farmers could think OF nothin
but potatoes. They are simply waikiki
ON one leg. II that crop fails they tun
bic over. Now, If they would rails
sheep to go with their potatoes the
Icould throw away their crutches and