The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-22
PROFITS 100 PER CENT.
kSHEEP RAISING OPENS NEW
FIELD ALL THROUGH THE
SOUTH.
Pasture for Entire Year - Spring
Lambs Bring In Money When Fur
mers Are Most In Need OF IL.


letin on Early Spring Lambs in the
South" strongly advocating increased
attention TO animal production In the
|. South and pointing oui especially the
, many natural advantages OF that re-
gion for sheep ralsing. The informa-
ton given below is taken from. the
bulletin referred to:
The northern farmer must he con-
tented with a grazins period OF ak
|, months or less and FAUST give cariy
<i&mbs expensive hothouse teatnert
during the cold winter months. while
large part Of the south csn have
permanent pastures for 20 mouths In
the year by the use OF Bermuda grass.
bur clover and Japan clover. Tenn
Rporary winter pastures nay be resort
ved Go during the remaining two
months. thus giving the advantage of
pasture IL months In the ysar.
Sheep raising will insrro some re-
turn In case the money crop In total
sr partial failure. should the season
be too We. for cotton. II will very
Dprobably be favorable for the pas
turcs which feed the sheep. and the
wool and lambs will furnish very
acceptable source OF income. The
early lambs will bring returns I'm tho
spring. which ordinarily marks
: time Of low income and considerable
= Hexpenditure for fertilizer. seed. ma
chinery and other things necessary
for the seasons work. Another ad-
vantage is that sheep require most
attention at the time when southern
crops need little or no attention.
: There Is always good demand for
Sthe early OF spring lamb. Should
the local market not demand all
that the farmer can produce. they
can be shipped to the larger cities
Tor prices are oftsn suinciently high
70 Justly the payment of express
charges. The early lamb Is usually
= born In December or early In Janu-
AIRY and ready for market by the
middle OF April I'm Alabama, but In
Tennessee the season IL somewhat
later. According to a court ruling. a
spring lamb there Is born after jan
uary 4. The Tennessee lamb brings
the best price between May 25 and
June 15. after which the Kentucky
lamb becomes a more active COM
petitor and prices become lower.
A good winter range OF canebrake
will furnish ample feed for the ewes
which will require no further atten-
|, Jon under the conditions. save at
iambing time. hut the small framer
does not usually have these facilities.
This does not prevent the sheep from
being specially adapted to the needs
OF the farmer with small capital
Oats. vetch. rye. wheat. burr clover
| and barley pastures may be readily
resorted 10. The Southern eve.
which quite generally prevails south
Of Nashville. Tenn. and Is usually
secured as the basis Of the flock.
may be had at prices ranging from
s2.50 TO $3.50. when crossed with
} Down ram n medium good lamb for
spring market is the result. These
ewes viii increase from a purchase
weight OF so to 80 pounds to 1875 to
$50 pounds when the lamb Is sold
In the spring. However. until the in
crease I'm the spring lamb exhausted
the supply. the Tennessee farmer
usually bought when possible the
native mountain eve. bred largely on
the Cumberland Plateau or the
Highland Rim. This eve is most
common north and east of Nashville.
and is n leggy. heavy boNed sheep.
In some respects resembling the Lei
cester.
At the Alabama Experiment Sta
tion a flock Of scrub and grade ewes.
headed by n Southdown ram. was
handled under conditions similar 20
those OF the average small farm OF
that State. During the summer
months no attention was given to the
shaep on pasture except To see that
they had plenty Of water and a mi:>"
ture OF one part OF tobacco dust and
four parts OF salt at all times TO
keep down stomach worms. When
the worms are troublesome the flock
should he chanRed from oasturc
20 pasture as frequently as possible.
except when on large range. to
prevent or check reintestation by
worms.
The market opens with what Is
known as the Easter lamb, one which
- OF good quality ana weighs from