Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-02-26
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"Rzkp Tzs Flow"
Sheep at Eiighmoor Farm In IoI6-I7.

In 1914 the sheep industry In Maine
was at its lowest point for years. The
Council of the Maine Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station authorized the purchase
OF good grade sheep for Highmoor Farm
for the purpose Of finding whether
sheep could be profitsbly kept for the
wool and meat they would produce.
There will always be an expense of
fitting mp and maintaining pastures,
buildings, etc., for sheep that will vary
on different farms with different farm
srs. The overhead charges such as
interest, taxes, and the like will also
vary with varying conditions. The ex-
pertinent conducted by the Station
where it Is necessary to keep individual
records, buttons for the ears and time
involved in note taking are expense
items that the ordinary farmer need not
be to. For these and similar reasons,
the cost of fencing the pasture, erecting
shelters in the pasture, fitting up the
barn for winter quarters, expenses for
piping water, water troughs, sheep
dipping tank, shesring machine, gas
engine, root cutter, rent OF land for
pasture, and crops for the sheep are
necessary expenses that must be taken
into account by the practical farmer, are
omitted in the discussion by the Station.
The only items included are the inventory
value of the sheep, cost of labor in car
ing for the sheep, food purchased, the
value Of hay and straw at the barn, the
cost to grow the roots and the rape used.
The credits are the sheep, and wool
sold and the inventory at the end OF the
year.
The about 100 sheep kept at Highmoor
Farm will make 80 TO IS tons of manure
a year. As pointed out in other letters
in this series the common practice of
keeping sheep droppings under the
animals during the winter is wasteful.
The manure is best removed at intervals
Of about q month and put under swine.
It is difficult 10 at all accurately es-
innate the value of farm manure. From
this number of sheep, handled as indi-
Gated above, the years manure is worth
$3.50 to $500. This Is not taken into ac-
count but goes to offset the overhead
charges which as stated above are not
included in this account with sheep.
When the experiment was begun the
price of wool in the market was very
low and mutton had only limited de-
mand so in consequence 1t had low
price. During the progress of the war.
and particularly since our entering up
on the war, there has been marked ad-
vances both in the price of wool and Of
mutton, and consequently in the price OF
sheep themselves. In the discussion
the market prices are used in the pur-
chase of commodities and the sale OF
products. The marked increase in the
value OF the flock Is not taken into ac-
count because il has no part In the ex-
pertinent.
The first year there was a loss of 1915
and the second year loss OF $500 on the
operation. The year that closed last
October shows q cash profit of Sl35.
The flock averaged Il lambs per breed
ing eve. The clip averaged 6S pounds
per head. The wool sold for 65 cents a
pound or about three times the price
that was obtained the 6rst year. The
gross income for wool and lambs and
sheep sold was s790. This makes no
allowance for the manure. The cost for
food and labor based on prices prevail
ing IN miQ-WtnleE 1910 ~ was SOOos uo
cost for food and care in the first year
was $500 and the second year 1926. The
difference in hay values in the different
years largely accounts for the differences
In cost of food in the different years.
With hay at SIS per ton as 1t was in
1915 l6 the sheep would have about
broken even, in the year that closed
last October. The low price of hay Is
again favorable for the current year.
without taking into account the
profit from the increase in value OF
sheep during the year q man who bad
handled these sheep for profit would
have sold his hay at sl5, kept the plant
food in the hay on his farm, had 20
cents an hour for his time and the
manure As an Offset for rent of land, up
keep of buildings, interest on invest
ment and general overhead charges. Or
il he had figured his hay at market
value he would have received about As
cents an hour for his time.-CHAs. D.
WoODs. Director,