The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-10-14
Sheep as n Side Issue in South.

S'iSSi' aS ~ DUO ISSUE IN SOutn.
There is hardly farm in the Pied
mont or mountain sections of the
South but that would be benefited oy
having 4 small flock of breeding ewes
10 Sraze on 1t. Sheep, as every one
Knows who has tried them. are great
gieaners. Three-fourths of the weeds
that are so troublesome on our cul-
tlVatcd fields would, within few
years, be killed out entirely were
sheep allowed access to the fields at
diferent times OF the year. This
would require that our farms be
Fenced. However. we believe this
should be done any way, in order
that our hogs could be run in differ
ent sections of the farm. and gather
their feed from the clover, cowpea
and sofa bean fields. There Is enough
iced wasted on half of the farms of
the South each year to feed a good
sized flock of sheep and a good bunch
OF hogs. This matter of waste will
need to be looked after more care
fully as the price of our farm lands
advance. If we are to make interest
on their enhanced value. A GENTLE
man told the writer some time ago he
oeheVed Sunny Home Farm to be the
cleanest farm in North Carolina de-
voted to general farming. However
this may be. large amount of the
credit for the clean fields Is due to
the fact that we keep as a side issue
from fifty to seventy-fve breeding
ewes on the farm at all times of the
year, and there is hardly a square
rod OF land on the farm that doesn't
feel the presence of the golden
hoof." Aside from what they pick up
In the fields, the feed of these ewes
Is only small amount Of clover. pea
hay, and some little corn silage. fed
In severe weather. during the winter.
and a light feed of grain for ewes and
lambs In the late winter, before the
winter grazing crops get their spring
start. The ewes average about l25
per cent. of lambs per year that are
sold to the local butchers for from S.
to sc per head. and are all gone bv
the middle Of August The wool sold
from the ewes averages around 81
per nead. so we receive an income of
around $3.50 per year for each eve
handled. The majority of the ewes
are the common scrub stock of the
country that We pick up wherever We
can find them at around 81 per head.
buying only young ones. AS fast as
their mouths begin to break the aged
ewes are fattened on pea vines or clo-
yer, and sold to the butchers. and
their places filled with new LOT.
only frst-class registered Shropshire
rams are used on these ewes and the
produce is a very good type Of NUT
ton lamb. BY getting the lambs off
the farm during the early summer
we have no losses from stomach
worms. so have not this loss to figure
on. Goinc back to the above, my
readers will see that our little Gock
brings us around 125 per cent. per
year on the original cost of the ewes.
the aged ewes usually bringing when
rat rs much. If not more, than thev
cost when young. AS nine-tenths Of
their feed is what would otherwise he
waste product VIC consider our little
flock pays us very we'll for the troll
Bile they give.
Dozens OF meadows in our section
ere fairly yellow each spring from the
cress that infests the fields. We have
none or this pest. as there is nothing
sheep loves better than this plant
when young and tender. and We pre-
Ter to handle the cress as 4 lamb rath-
er than as hay, az when handled IN
the form of lamb We do not have
the seed to so into the stable manure.
and from there back into the land to
lnfest other fields. The ewes do away
with millions OF rag and other trou-
blesome weeds while the plants are
young and tender. Thus when sheen
are Kept there Is a tendency toward
cleaner fields ell the time. and less
weed killing necessary with the har-
row and cultivator. And we have al
ways found the lamb money to come
In handy during the early summer. Il
advise our young farmers to look into
the sheep business. as keeping a few
breeding ewes is a good habit to get
into. - A. L. French, in Southern
Planter.