St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1914-03-07

future. Ranges all over the world
are now carrying about as many
sheep as they can support under c
str ct range system, and an increase
in the production of sheep products
must come mainly from farms.
Here, then, is the farmers oppor-
Ttunity to take advantage OF the In
creased consumption OF these pro-
ducts.
While mutton can be produced at
low cost and there is growing de-
mand for it. ficulty in selling may
be experienced in sect ons where the
amount of live stock produced has
not been sufficient to make 1t worth
while for regular buyers to operate.
Slaughtering plants that can handle
carloads are within reach of all sec
tions, and If a suffic. ent number of
ne ghbors combine to have 100 lambs
of similar breed ng, size, and cond :
ion to ship jointly the returns are
assured. 1t will also be possible to
secure visits and bids from buyers
when such a number is prom .sed.
The lamb clubs Of Tennessee, notably
the one at Goodlettsv:1le, have prov
en- very successful in this work.
The same organ Eat on can also be
used in spos.ng of the wool.
In countries where economy Ii
farm management has been studied
a long time, the sheep is consider Ell
to be necessary in utiliz ng vegeta
ton on such waste lands as are moi
wet or marshy. But the sneep can
hold It's place on htgh-priced land a.
a meat producer alone. Compared
W tn larger an mails it has some NJ
portant advantages. First, the lambs
mature very rapidly, beng market
able at four months of age or later,
according to breeding and feeding
This s an economy because a larger
proportion of the total feed goes into
increase of weight than in slower
growing animals. Second, the sheep
consumes greater var ETY. of plants
than do other animals. Many of
such plants are detr. mental to pas
lures and would otherw Sc requir'
hand labor to hold them n check
Third, grain waste in harvesting ca
be ent rely recovered by sheep
These facts prompt some farmers t
claim that the summer food of sheeI
costs nothing, because what they con
sumo would otherwise bring no re
turns.
Compared with hogs the sheep has
an advantage in the wider variety
Of mater ais it consumes Beng
ruminant t makes It's gain with ];
min mum Of gra and expensive con
centrates. This es especially impeT,
tant on some southern lands that are
better adapted to the production O.
forage crops than to grain growing.
Like the hog, the sheep has It's Pc
cul.ar a lments which sometimes re
suit N loss as we'll as d scourage
ment. Unlike the ailments of thu
hog, however, those Of ,ne sheep are
ord narily not contagious, and thu
means necessary to prevention arc
the same as should be adopted for the
most economical productions, even il
health.
The most serious menace to con-
tinuous thrift in the flock is the pres
ence Of internal paras ties. chiefly
stomach worms. The eggs of the
stomach worm 6re dropped upon tbs
ground W tn the feces from infected
sheep. The small worms are swal
IN NIT hn
days after Matching from the eggs
and reach the stomach. Stomacr
frequently present in such
large numbers as to draw so heavily
from the c REGULATION as to cause ema-
citation and finally death to the lamb |
Mature sheep are much less affecte
by thes worms, though they usually
scatter the eggs.
Keeping the flock upon crops sown |
upon plowed land prevents Infection
Such practice also furn shes the |
greatest amount of feed from each |
acre and the kind and variety of |
tood upon VIII oh sheep thrive best |
Flowing the land prevents danger |
rom stomach worm eggs dropped up
IN t. In warm weather the flock !
should be moved to fresh ground |
every ten days or two weeks to pre-
rent infection of lambs by laryae'l
rom eggs dropped from the ewes
I lambs are by themselves. the time
between changes m ght be longer,
tut in most forage crop rotat ons
'hanges will need to be made every
wo or three weeks. Fall-sown rye,
pring oats. and vetches or peas;
ape, cowpeas, soy bans, crimson or
apan clover, planted at proper In
ervals, will furn sh pasturage at
ines desired. Some of the land can
e used twice in year, as by hav ng
ne planting of rape upon the rye
The cult vaticn of the land
estroys all infection from prev Gus
asturnig. Under such q system of
and grazing the land will
improve, as the manura al value of the :
rops IS practically all left upon the !
md and Is very evenly stributed
Ike the boil weev.l, the stomach 5
'orm was considered to be wholly
n ev tn 'ng until it was found that
lie methods of prevention and cir
were also the best meth
is for economical production. II
In NEST parts of the South ewes ?
IL drop Their lambs n November
December. Stomach worms are .
UGH less troublesome in the cooler