Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-19

Orono. Me, Nov. 16.-(SpeciaD.-The
following was made public today by
Charles d. Woods, director of the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton a the University Of Maine: =
The Council Of the Maine Agricultur-
al Experiment Station, at its meeting
In April, 1914. authorized the purchase
OF ordinary grade sheep sufficient to
stock Highmoor Farm for the purpose
of studying the question as TO Wheth
er sheep IAN or cannot be profitably
raised in Maine The sheep were not to
be of a fancy type, or he pure bred so
that none of the animals could be sold
at fancy price. Nor were they to be
early bred 10 produce hot house
lambs for the high price of the early
market. They Were to be just plain
sheep such as any ordinary farmer
could carry. While care was to be eX-
ercised in handling the sheep, no high
price la Dor was TO be used. Nor was
special 'shepherd' TO be employed.
There will always ne an expense for
fitting up and maintaining pastures,
buildings, etc, for sheep that will vary
farmers. The overhead charges, such as
interest, taxes, and the like will also
vary with varying conditions In an
experiment conducted by the Station,
where il is necessary to keep individ-
ual records buttons for the ears and
time involved in note taking are ex-
pense items that the ordinary farmer
need not be at. For this reason the
cost of fencing the pastures, erecting
shelters in the pastures, fitting up the
barns for winter quarters, expenses for
piping water. water trouchs. sheep
dipping tanks. shearing machine root
and feed cutters, rent of land for pas
lures and crops for the sheep, while
necessary expenses that must be TAX
en- into account by the practical farm
er, are omitted from the following
statement The items included are
amount paid for st2eep cost of labor
IN care Of sheep and growing crops
for the sheep, cost of purchased food
aud fair allowance for hay and straw
led, the cost Of dips and other ma
chimes. and the cost of the seed for
crops. The - sheep with their 50 lambs
and three pure bred bucks cost. in
Guiding freight, s755.15. These ewes
We're to be two and three wear olds.
Some of them We're eight wears ola.
! Each was TO have at least one lamb.
+ There We're only 81 lambs for the -
\ ewes. At the valuation put upon the
4 sheep at inventory in 1915 these sheep
/ Were worth at time of purchase $515. or
/ SI4p-49 less than We paid. In the fol
1 lowing account this item Of s140.lJ is
\ deducted from the expense account as
! perhaps not being fair charge against
/ the experiment, for possibly another
buyer might have purchased his sheep
( Al our inventory price. The sheep are
credited with lambs, with sheen and
wool sold, with manure produced and
with inventory tJune 80. 1850 Of g.
ewes, bucks, a. eve lambs and 81
buck lambs.
4 The cost for seed, sheep. food. labor
! ana medicines, aggregated $l306 So for
the year ending June so, 1915. The sales
ana inventory aggregated Sl04S.S1. The
Total loss after making ali allowances
and without any consideration of
overhead charges, depreciation of
I plant. rent Of land, interest on invest
ment, or taxes that a farmer weuld
pay, was $251.76 or about s.. As for each
of the old ewes
ne wool ard lambs were sold as
well as the ordinary farmer could ex
2ect. The most noticea BILE leak is in the
value Of the manure. Sheep manure is
/ quite concentrated but il fire-fanps
readily. In l914-15 the manure was
handled as is common, so far as orr
experience goes, with sheep men in
Name. But the plant food in the con-
sumed food was worth more than $50
while we could not valre the manure
Tor use on the land at more than s24. In
l9lo-l6 the manure will be removed
together with the bedding monthly.
and kept under cover for hogs TO WORK
on 1t IS hoped that this practice will
conserve the plant food better than
was the case in 1915.
This is not the place TO give the de-
tails of labor and food consumed. But
these have been tabulated and if any
/ one Is interested copies may be had on
application to the undersigned at
/ Orono. Helpful criticisms and susses-
tons for changes in MANAGEMENT will
be welcomed. The writer would be verv
/ glad Il a way can he found that will
show sheep landry to be profita BILE
! for this State.