Mexico weekly ledger., 1911-06-22
Stock and
~ Farm News


: Houtson. Tex. Juno IS.
The early potato crop of the gu
coast is about marketed. Wharton
simonton. Fulscher. and Eagle Pas
have dumped their offerings upo
the northern markets. Wharton ha
shipped $50 cars. practically all Q
which went direct to the Chicag
markets.
These potatoes brought on an ave-
age about 80 cents a bushel to tn
grower. This means that the farm
ers Of the valley have divided some
thing like 1884. 600 in the last month
The railroads came in for freigh
charges of about 20 cents a busht
or about $4,000 as a result of tn,
crop in the Wharton district.
The other three towns named have
brought the shipments up to 'abou
1900 cars. This means that tht
farmers Of the four potato districts
got about $780, 900 and the railroad,
about $221,00e. From the Wharton
section the "Spud Special" the fast
freight run by the Sunset Central
Texas-Midland'Frisco combination
got about nine-tenths of the crop
more than 800. 600 worth of business
Columbia. Mo-, June 16.
Wheat harvest is on In Central
Missouri. w. L. Nelson, assistant
secretary of the State Board of Agri.
culture, said to-day:
Ordinarily it takes thirty days for
the wheat harvest to cross Missouri
from the southern line to the north
ern, but this year. owing to the hot
weather. the harvest will sweep
across the state in three weeks.
"The what this year is Of better
quality than last year, and a better
yield per acre. Last year the yield
per acre for Missouri was a frac-
ton over thirteen bushels.
Corn is in very good condition at
present, but will have to have rain
by the LIST of July, a first-class soak
err being needed by that time"
This section of the United States
is ideal for the raising of sheep for
furs, according to DR.. G. G. Young,
of Russia, an authority on sheep and
owner Of the only pure-blooded
herd of karlsruhe sheep in the world.
He vas recently a visitor in Colum-
bia.
Il have seen your land and grass
and know your climate, and l don't
know of a better place anywhere for
sheep-raising. 1t is my opinion, too,
that a cross between Karakules and
Longwools would be the kind of
sheep that should be raised"
The Karakule sheep, according to
Doctor Young. is a native of Bokara.
Russian ~Turkestan, and the fifteen
head he brought to Holiday, Tex.
in 1908 we're the only ones known at
that time. The herd has since grown
to f~ifty-eight. The skin of the small
variety of Karakule. he said, is worth
from $1,000 to $4,000.
1t was through his father that he
came into possession of this herd.
When Russia invaded and conquered
Bokahra about twenty years ago, Doc
tor Young's father was a captain in
the Russian army. He found these
sheep around the foothills Of the
Hindu Kush Mountains, but not of
pure breed. Being a s~heepgrower,
he knew their value and set about to
get a full breed. It took him fifteen
years to do this. Then another diff
ficulty confronted him. This was a
sacred sheep Of the Turkestans, and
they objected to their removal from
that country. Finally, a concession
was granted, and the fifteen head OF
pure blood Ksrakules-all there were
were brought to Texas.
The advantage of Karakule blood,
said DR.. Young. is not alone in the
quality of skin-there are special adj
vantages. The large class Of Kara
kules are the heaviest sheep in the
world, and when crossed give an In
crease Of from 10 to 20 per cent in
weight. They are also a hardy va
riety, being able to thrive in almost
any kind of climate. They have not
the sheep taste or smell, and crossed
with Merino give an excellent NUT
ton animal. Further, they have the
faculty Of storing fat in their tails,
which they can draw on for subsist-
ence when it is necessary. This fac
ulty is reflected in graded animals
also.
Doctor Young is enthusiastic about
sheep-raising in the United States.
He said there is no use in this coun-
try spending fourteen million dollars
a year for Asiatic furs, when better
furs can be produced in the states.
In conjunction with the government
and individuals, he has worked out
many experiments in cross-breeding
well known stocks with Karakules.
Doctor Young said he got his
knowledge of sheepgrowing when he
was a boy in Russia.
81 grew up with 1t and received
training under my father. While !
was a surgeon a number of years, |
was not going into something that L
didn't know anything about when |
went to Texas to raise sheep. MY
sisters, also, know the sheep business
we were raised on 1t. My father
makes his home with me now at Hol-
iday."
Inquiries made by a Ledger reporter
at various markets in this city re-
veal the facts that new potatoes are
selling for $40 a bushel, while old
potatoes are $3.50 per bushel. BY
the wagon load in Kansas City, this
week, the new variety vas selling
for S2.25 a bushel. They will be 70
cents before the end of next week
and where the price will soar to be-
fore the summer is over nc n a
tell.
Last year at this time potatoes
were selling for seventy-five and
cirht.. nontr q hushal and that is