Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-03-19
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPEED THE PLow."

"sPEED THE PLow."
Correspondence on practical agricultural topics
is solicited. Address all communications in
tended for this department to HENRY D
HAMMOND. Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem.
ocrst. Paris, Ne.
The Sheep Industry In the State.
(Adiress given by Prof. P. A Campbell during
Farmers Week. Orono.
Although there has been a general
tendency for some time past towards the
decrease of the sheep industry of Maine,
il does not prove that there is no place
for II or that the profits are so small that
the farmer of to-day cannot afford to en-
gage in the work. The rapid progress
of some of the other branches of farming
has caused the sheep industry to be over
looked. During the ten years from 1900
1910 the farms keeping sheep in this
state decreased from Is, 1851 to II ,060, or
1901. and the sheep decreased from
420,ll6 to 206,4S4, or decrease OF
2lS,6S2 head. indicating that on those
farms where sheep were retained the
number was decreased. In the same
length of time the number of head of
sheep have decreased about ten million
in the United States, and general de-
crease has been shown the world over.
The sheep has often been termed the
golden hoofed" animal and such it may
prove to be when given fair oppor
tunity. 1t is frequently used as the farm
scavenger, and while useful in this re-
80 , h1a 1anroo ahnnlA nf
be forced to gain its entire livelihood in
this manner. Sheep will consume many
more of the known weeds than any of
the other farm animals, and the matured
seeds in passing through the digestive
system of the sheep lose to large degree
their terminating powers. 1t is true
that the sheep-due to its method of
cropping the grass, using both tongue
and lip, is able to crop the pasture closer
than either the COW or horse, so that
they do not pasture we'll with other
animals; however, if the pasture is
weedy the sheep will clear them out, and
will get into many places for feeding that
the cow and horse will leave untouched.
The droppings of the sheep are evenly
scattered over the pasture, thus they be- |
come available for Immediate use by the
land, while those from other domestic
animals are punched to a greater or less
extent and are of but little advantage to |
the land unless they are broken up by
the use of a harrow. Sheep manure is
richer in fertilizing constituents. Ac-
cOrding to Prof. W. p. Brooks, Amherst,
900 lbs. fresh COW manure contains
760 lbs. water. lbs. nitrogen, S5 lbs.
phosphoric acid, and lbs. alkalies which |
includes the potash; while 1000 lbs. |
fresh sheep manure contains $50 lbs. |
water, rs lbs. nitrogen, lbs. phosphoric |
acid, and lbs. alkalies. The urine of
the sheep also is richer than that Of cows. |
About Z per cent of the meat eaten by
the average person is mutton or lamb, 1t
takes about 10000, 900 sheep and lambs
to supply the demand for consumption,
or about one-third the number in the
United States are consumed annually.
This would indicate that there is little
likelihood of the sheep industry being
overdone, when the laws of supply and
demand are allowed to take their natural
course without the intervention of out
side interests.
We are not raising near enough wool
to supply our own demands in this cOun-
try. While l have no definite figures
relative to the average amount imported
from a general review of figures for sew
eral years it would seem that probably a
third of the wool used in the UDited
States is imported in either the raw form,
as shoddy, OF manufactured goods. The
United Kingdom of Great Britain main |
tains on her agricultural lands 600 sheep
per 200 acres, and on the same land 3l4
cattle, 40 horses, and so pigs. Maine in
comparison on her so termed agricultural
land has only 33 sheep, Al cattle, IL
horses, and IA pigs, which makes poor
comparison, but when it is figured from
the actual improved acreage which may
correspond nearer to what would be in
cluded in agricultural lands Of Great
Britain il shows for each 1000 acres 81
sheep, los cattle, As horses, and 81 pigs,
thus showing that in order to equal the
same intensity we would have to increase
our flocks to seven times their present
size. From these figures it would seem
as if there was still an opportunity to in
crease our sheep without decreasing any
other branch of the farming operations,
in fact it would make the acres more
Maine has a situation peculiar to her
self in the sheep industry IL she will but
reach out and grasp it. Her regular
hotels, summer hotels, and thousands
upon thousands of tourists are capable
of handling all the mutton and lamb that
Maine can produce for years to come.
Instead, however, of catering to these
markets to any great degree, more or less
of the mutton and lamb (that is not con
sumed locality is shipped out of the
state. Hotels purchase from out OF the
state, frequently getting the same meat
they might have had if they had pur-
chased of the producer at home. This
alone if followed up might increase the
returns at least so per cent over prices
received. The sheep is in way dual
purpose-she produces wool and she pro- |
duces lambs They fatten economically, |
do not require expensive buildings and
the cost OF labor is not exorbitant.