The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-03-14

the reasons why sheep should be kept
on the farm and the advantage of
sheep culture at the present time to
the papers of Stearns county. This
being Farm Bureau advice from a
farmer who is actually engaged in the
work of sheep production such as Mr..
Saboe of Belgrade is, should be of
value to all prospective sheep raisers.
P. w. Huntemer,
County Agent of Stearns.
In these days of excessively high
priced wool and mutton many people
who have formerly despised sheep are
becoming interested in them. There
are many reasons why sheep should
be kept on the farm.
If we are to continue wearing
wooden clothing and eat mutton,
sheep must be kept on the farms. The
western ranges are rapidly disappear
ing and it is up to the small farmers
to make up the difference. The open
ranges are being broken up by home
steaders and the Forest Reserves are
stocked to full capacity. Australia
and Africa are producing sheep to a
maximum and still there is short
age of mutton. With these conditions
before us there will always be a de-
mand for wool and mutton which will
make sheep raising profitable addition
to the farm business. The chance c
loss is small in the sheep business,
since comparatively little capital is in
vested in the flock even at the present
high prices. 1t takes rather wealthy
man to now stock up in cattle, but
man of limited capital can buy few
sheep and in short time have flock
returning most generous profits.
Sheep return two cash crops per year,
wool from the breeding ewes in the
spring and lambs in the fall. The adj
vantage of cash coming in at different
times through the year rather than
all at once is appreciated by all farm
ers and expensive buildings are not
necessary. Expensive machinery is
not required to take care of sheep
and they can be made marketable
without grain. Sheep require little
care except during the usual slack
period.
A flock of sheep on the farm fur
nishes fresh supply of meat at amp
time of the year. The world has
never been so short of sheep, and for
the past few years they have been
the only general sure meat animal
profit on the farm. Sheep makes
more economical gains than any other
type of livestock. They stand next to
hogs in the amount of gains per given
amount of feed consumed. Their adj
vantage over hogs lies in their ability
to consume roughage, hogs requiring
large amount of concentrates. Sheep
viii not only eat anything that cattle
will and make more pounds gain on
it, but will also eat weeds and brush
on which cow would starve. With
an average price for wool eve will
shear enough wool to pay for her
maintenance for one year besides the
three lambs, which are clear profits.
Sheep are the only farm animals that
can be termed weed destroyers as
other livestock eat weeds only in abb
sence of other more palatable feeds.
Sheep, on the other hand, do not have
to be forced to eat weeds but out of
their own choice a large part of their
ration is made up Of these plants and
thus convert this waste into a highly
marketable product rendering service
and profit to the farmer.
In addition to these reasons, there
is patriotic reason for keeping OF
sheep throughout the Nation and the
world. There is a call for meat and
clothing which cannot be met unless
every one does his part. It is esti-
mated that it takes 20 sheep to
clothe one soldier complete with
clothing and blankets and there is a
shortage of 100000 sheep at the
present time and sheep are on the
decrease every year on account OF the
large sheep ranches IN the west sell
ing off their sheep as their ranges are
taken up by the homesteaders. We
have a very serious condition ahead
of us so we all must do our part and
raise sheep.
Sheep simply mean more livestock
on the farm for they do not limit
lL., I;x,nctccb when kent in small
numbers. as they will eat weeds and
ether grasses that will be left by
other stock. Hence sheep should be
kept on practically every farm. Just
as they have been foremost in the
promoting Of civilization ever since
Biblical times, so will they no wbe
one of the strongest factors in de-
feating Kaiser Bill' and making the
world free for Democracy"
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