Graham guardian., 1911-10-27

A difhculty in mutton production has always been
the scarcity Of stock sheep, particularly sires.
having sufficient merit to I'LL the standard Of ex-
cellence. The ideal sire, 1t may be added, should
be impressive, resolute and Of noble bearing
distinctly the head OF the dock in every sense Of
the word. This requires. Of course, good consti
tutonal and vital powers.
4 It has likewise come to be regarded as essen
tial, as above pointed out, that mutton sheep
should have good fleece as well as a good
carcass. This combination has been proven both
practical and profitable. and It is no longer re-
garded necessary to grow one sheep for fleece
another for carcass and another for lamb. An
intelligent, up-to-date fockmaster combines them
all In one class Some Of the BEST mutton sheep
are producing as profitable feeces as those kept
exclusively for wool and their lambs are decidedly
superior AS is well known. one Of the first es-
sentials in q good fleece Is compactness or den.
sfty. this quality not only insuring better yield
OF wool. but also affording better protection
against storm. This indicates harder animal
and one better able to Withstand exposure It IL
desirable to have close, even, dense fleece with
no breaks. cover all parts of the body including
the head, limbs and under parts and the tendency
In latter day breeding Is toward Carrying the
fleece more completely over the head. face. limbs
and under parts
The farsighted sheep raiser is also coming to
guard against neglect or undue exposure of his
hock, perouS OF sickness, or indeed anything that
will impair the vitality Of the animals, for It has
come to be pretty we'll understood that such In.
fuences diminish both the length and strength Of
fiber and hneness, whereas. length and strength
or hber are essential qualities IN q good fleece
Well-fed sheep always produce the best wool and
the greatest quantity of 1t, and expert opinion ia
to the effect that fleece almost invariably begins
to decline In value after sheep has passed the
age of four years. The best grade of wool ia
Invariably found on the rear part OF the shoulder
and wrinkles or folds of the skin about the neck
or other parts of the body are detrimental mas.
much as the wool that grows within these folds
is unlike other parts Of the fleece and there Ia
consequent lack Of uniformity
The proper feeding Of sheep Is one of the chic,
responsibilities connected with the industry In
some localities the "self-feeder" is extenstvev
employed but In other localities 1t is not in much
favor. Properly cured alfalfa has come nm won
derfully In popularity as food for sheep and
many sheep feeders have purchased extensive
areas OF alfalfa for use in this connection Many
or the large feeders In such states as Nebraska
Colorado and Minnesota have no shelter for their
hooks, but 1t Is generally conceded now that nron
erly constructed sheds are an advantage al
though OF course. involving considerable outlay in
the case OF large feeding yards. Some Of the
most progressive sheep men now recommend
feeding three times day although others still
cling to the old idea that 1t is not necessary to
feed more than twice day. Along with all these
other requisites for In sheep raising there
Is the necessity for the good shepherd OF judg.
ment and experience. Even on the range where
sheep are supposed to be able to shift for them
selves there is tendency to employ a better
class OF men as sheep herders