French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1919-01-30


tlonably prove of great value to Hen
derson County is in progress on d
part Of the Barker Tract owned by
h. G. Clarke and P. F. Patton abou:
2 miles out the Upward road where
between five and six hundred pure
bred Lincoln and Rambouillet sheep
were landed from New Mexico lasc
September. The proposition had it's
inception last spring when an expert
sheep man from the west was here,
his visit resulting in a meeting of bus
mess men to discuss the possibility of
starting sheep raising here on some
thing like big lines, and demonstrat-
ing to Henderson County farmers
that there was a whole lot of real
money in it. Some two years ago
three local business men, R. C. Clarke
J. Mack Rhodes and BroWnlow Jack
son took notion to give hog-raising
a boost in this section. They went
west and purchased several cars of
grade stock and sold them to local
farmers at cost with the result that
today good hogs are being raised il:
practically every section Of the cOun-
ty, and that many pieces Of high
priced meat are hanging in Henderson
County smOkehOuses (and many dol
lars tucked away in the local banks)
which otherwise would not be there.
Doubtless the success Of this eXper;-
ment was largely responsible for the
entry into the larger undertaking o.
starting a mans size sheep rantu.
A few OF the sheep have been lost
through one cause or another, and
many have been sold, so there are now
about four hundred in the wire en-
closure This is about one acre in
extent and fitted up with long lines of
feeding troughs, hay racks and ample
shelter sheds. A smaller enclosure
adjoining is the ''sheep hospital
where sheep which do not appear to be
coming along quite right can be care
fully watched and given an extra feed
each day.
Hard Luck at First.
The present good appearance Of the
outfit gives one little idea OF the trou-
bIes that we're encountered when the
sheep first arrived. They got here
lust at the beginning Of one Of the
longest and hardest rainy spells this
section has known; a period OF over
a solid week when it poured down day
and night with practically no let
Owing to failure of the mill to deliver
lumber there was no shelter for the
animals which had just finished a two
thousand mile railroad trip-there was
no shelter even for their feed, and the
bottoms which were counted on as the
best part of their feed range were TN
der water and the greater part or the
forage destroyed. 1t was a tough pro-
position, with nothing to do but try 10
hurry up the lumber, and in the mean
time to let the unfortunate ANIMALS
stand it as best they could; and tneT
ystood it for eight days, Instead OF los-
ing half the flock not one sheep died
fron the long wetting and exposure.
(which fact speaks for itself as to the
fouality of the breeds selected. OI
course there have been losses. a Tai-
uable Hampshire ram came to sud
den and violent end when he. challens-
ed another ram for supremacy and gos
his neck broken the first crack out OF
the box; more were lost through beng
foundered after getting into hela
wheaoA Acre was a quantity OF corn
dow q S1 the ground and sodden and
rott 10 rom the long rain, but the tact
remaany that out Of the entire focK
not one animal has died from disease
and many prophets of disaster must
ha c1assed either as bum forecasters
or n1ain liars. Mr. Clarke has appaT-
emily sized the situation up about
tight when he says that, taking II bJ
ond large. a section which is notably
!, 1tbv for human beings is more than
ant to be healthy for stock
A Local Proposition !,
The death of Mr.. w. F. Brown en-
barrassed the conduct of the expert
wont for a time. In fact the lack OF
,is aid and advice will continue TO DC
fo1+ as he had a thorough knowledge
of the subject, was deeply interested
in this experiment, and was counted
ON to give it his personal attention.
Mr.. Clarke has had to shoulder most
of the duties OF direction and has de-