The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-02-10

This was partly due to the fact that
the Agricultural Conservation Pro-
gram allows a payment for this
! type Of work We feel sure that
they will carry out this practice to
a larger extent after examining
the results of these experiments. I
Rural EIectrifcati0n
Rural Identification for Ashe
County is not dead yet. "a few in
terasted citizens, however, cannot
keep it going, or get the necessary
work done to assure us Of project.
Several meetings have been held
in order to get more people aroused
80 that one of the best opportunities
to bring the delights of the modern
day to the farm will not slip.
Sheep
The April LIST census figures of
1885 show that Ashe County is the
leading county in the State in the
number of sheep grown, approx
mately $1,000 being listed. Wheth-
! er or not there are as many sheep
in the county now. as then is not
known. But it is evident that there
are still several thousand sheep in
the county.
Since sheep are so important in
the county it is very appropriate
that considerable amount of time
be spent in promoting the interest
of sheep growers. During the. past
year IT. days were spent in sheep
work. 1t is anticipated, however,
that even more time will be devot-
ed in the future.
A sheep shearing demonstration
was given in May. This demonstra-
ton was given by Mr.. L. l. Case,
Specialist in Animal Husbandry of
North Carolina State College, and
Mr.. E. S. Bartlett of the Chicago
Flexible Steel Shaft Company.
A great deal of interest was man
ifest in this demonstration. The
publishers of the Sheep Breeder
Magazine offered a free subsc~rip-
ton to their magazine to the boy
that did the best steering that day.
This subscription was won by Rog-
er B. Waddell Of Grassy Creek,
North Carolina
At the suggestion of Mr.. L. I.
Case, purebred Hampshire ram
was bought by and placed on the
farm of Mr.. J. r. Phipps Of Silas
Creek Community.
Sheep and Wool Pooling
Following the lead of adjoining
counties many Ashe farmers, for
the first time, shipped and sold
their lambs and sheep comparatively
on a graded basis. The method en-
ployed was that the farmers
brought their lambs to central
/ point where a qualified man graded
and marked each farmers lambs
separately. Each grade was weighed
/ and each producer given scale
ticket for his lambs. The lambs
were then shipped to market where
they were sold according to grade
by the Eastern Livestock Coopera-
tive Marketing Association. After
| all expenses were pro-rated, each
farmer was mailed a check for his
lambs. At this time they were al
so mailed letter suggesting meth
ODDS for improvement Of their flock.
Farmers in Ashe County who
have tried this method of selling
lambs seem to like it. They not only
learned that their lambs brought
as good or better prices than they
would have selling in other ways,
| but they also learned what it takes
to produce top grade lambs. Thus,
| we believe that beginning has
been made toward a general i'm
provement in the quality of lambs
produced in Ashe County.
Three different shipments oil
lambs were made during the sum-
mer of 1887.
! The first shipment was made on
July Z, 1887 and consisted Of 1T
lambs. This shipment sold for
$148216.
The second shipment was made
on August IL, 1887 and consisted of
232 lambs. This shipment sold for
$1711.20.
The third shipment was made on
September Z, 1887 and consisted of
! ia lambs. This shipment sold for
$754.33.
On June 10, 1887, 3940 pounds Of
wool was sold for $1655.55. TWEEN
ty-three farmers participated in this
pool.
Swine
Ashe County is reported by the
1895 census as having approximate
ly 1000 hogs. This is approximate
ly one hog to every four people.
This may be enough for home con-
!, sumption. However, it is known
| that some hogs are produced for