The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-08-15
THE MOST PROFITABLE
ANIMAL ON THE FARM

Present conditions have SO magni
fled the value Of sheep on the farm
that there has been q great rush into
this business. However. the reasons
which prompt this movement have
always existed and will continue tc
exist in future.
That sheep are the most profitable
animals kept on the farm in proper.
ton to the net investment and labor
involved is the unanimous opinion
of those who have kept sheep. Sheep,
unlike other farm animals, except
the dairy COW. produce two products
each year, namely wool and lambs.
With an average price for wool, a
eve will shear enough to pay for her
maintenance for the year. Besides
this she will produce one, two and
sometimes three lambs, which are
clear profit.
Sheep and lambs are well adapted
to meat production, as they are per-
haps the most economical producers
of meat on the farm when it is con-
sidered that their ration consists for
ia large part of weeds and roughages
which would not only be wasted, but
would do harm to the crops if allowed
to mature. Sheep thus convert this
waste into a highly marketable pro-
duct rendering double service and
profit to the farmer.
Sheep are the only farm animals
that can be termed weed destroyers,
as other livestock eat weeds only in
the absence 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. Sheep prefer young,
succulent weeds, free from spines
and bristles, but when the plants
are young sheep have been known
to consume even Russian thistles.
Woody, tough weeds are stripped Of
their leaves and seeds. causing death
and preventing thhir reproduction.
Sheep consume practically all kinds
of weeds, and in this respect per-
form an invaluable service to the
farmer which, although often ignored,
itself in the neater, clean
er fields and in increased yields of
crops and profit to the farmer.
Besides cleaning up weeds and con-
verting them into mutton and wool,
sheep play an important part in the
fertility Of the soil. Sheep add no
fertility to the soil, it is true, neither
do they remove much, but they do
fertility and distribute it |
about in such way as to be very
useful. Sheep manure ranks next
to poultry dung in its value as fer
.ilizer. But besides its high fertili-
" value it is in readily available
form, and when distributed over the
fields in a manner as only sheep can
scatter it, larger crop yields result.
There is also less waste in sheep ma
lure, as it is spread directly on the
'ieidis practice practically ~ the entire year by
he animals themselves. One Of the I,
,est evidences of the value Of sheep
IS factor in fertility is to note that
n the Cbeviot hills, where sheep have /
,een herded for centuries. and where
10 fertility has been applied, more
heep are herded per acre than when
he land was in its virgin state.
If we then recognize that with the
mount of capital invested, the labor
the housing necessary, and
he advantage Of clean fields and larg-
j Yields, sheep are the most prof II
table farm animals. There is no /
eubt that the present movement to- K
yard sheep raising will not be tenn
orary, but that there viii come time /
hen a small flock shall beautify and {
id to the profits Of every corn belt Z
arm. i