Year: 1862




breed according to the size of the
animal. They can be kept in large
aocks, Of thousand, for example, an
important consideration. They date
back to the princely nocks of Andalu,
sia, which were accustomed to he
driven to the distant mountains for
their pasture. Mr.. Grinnell said he
had sample of wool off one of his
bucks which shearcd eighteen pounds
and half. Flocks average from five
to six pounds. He favored the cross
ing Of this stock upon French and
native sheep. ..


American Merinos was a new name,
because it was believed the best
hocks in the world were now found in
this country. He cited Gen. Humph-
rey, Minister q half a century ago to
Portugal. and Mr.. Jarvis, of Vermont,
Consul, who rendered great service to
the country by their importations.
He alluded to General Humphreys
monument at New Haven, bearing the
Latin inscription which tells the read
er that lie was the Jason who found
the truly Golden Fleece. He cited
the case of Frenchman sent out by
an eminent fockmaster of France, in
search of the best buck in the world,
who found in America a buck for
which he offered $1,000, after having
searched throughout Europe for three
years. But American pride refused
to let him cross the water. This ami.
NAL shcared over 20 pounds of wool
He was q model of beauty.


He next discussed the subject of
the adaptation of this country to
shecp-raising. There is here wide
range-room. Forty million acres
enough to keep all the thirty millions
Of shccp in the United States. The
climate is dry-an important advan-
tagc nothing is more fatal to sheep
than winter rain.


In this latitude domestic grass
hourishes-Ncw England and New
York furnishing the data. The eli
mate is cold, and this invites the
growth, as the northern climate in
vites the warmest aud finest covering
for the furrcd animals. Winter is
the time for the growth of wool, and
sheep require abundant and nutritious
food to enable them to support animal
life. Keep on them flesh /; and grain,
especially corn, which is supposed to
throw an oil and yolk into the wool,
which facilitates the growth and
softens the wool Nothing is better
established than the fact that the
prairics are the natural home of sheep
The abundance of water is an impor-
tant advantage.


He advises growers to start with
good blood-from one-fourth to three
fourths Mcrino-and to keep not more
than two hundred in flock, in the
winter, classing those of equal age
and strength together. Have sheds
straw sheds do well. Access to
water is indispensable to health.
Lambs should be weaned the frs of
lie advised that they be
turned into corn-ficlds where rye may
have been sown. His rule is to keep
the bucks up the whole year till the
first day Of December, remembering
the precocious and prolific character
istics Of the country. Sheep should
be yarded with regularity. and if not
10y dogs, it will become as
natural for them to seek their yard as
the fowls their roost.


The speaker next took up the sub
ject of the costs and profits of wool
growing, cited the estimate of Hon.
I. J. Hunt, of Dodge county, found in
the report of the Commissioner of
Statistics-a pamphlet which he had
read with deep interest, as containing
correct views on the sheep question,
and tending to diflnsc information
relative to the State, on points in re-
gard to which there was a prejudice
in Iowa and the other States. 1t was
conjecture that the next volume
would contain more pages on sheep
and wool.


He gave his figures as fifty per
cent. profit on keeping 1000, or a
less number, whether let out at the
halves or kept by the owner. All
comparisons were made to favor wool
growing. 1t costs eighty per cent of
the value of wheat to take it to mar
ket, thirty per cent. Of pork, while
wool could be sent at the leisure OF
the farmer at four per cent. of its
value.


A good cross of lambs would sell
for years at good figures, and we
should, as a. nation, raise our own
wool, and not continue to import, as
we do now, fifty millions of pounds
annually, and much of it like dogs
hair.


Among the encouragements to this
branch Of industry he said that every
man could rent few sheep if he
could not buy. and cited Michigan as
probably the best place for purchasing
sheep. He gave the figures showing
the natural increase of one thousand
ewes in twelve years to be between
fifty and sixty thousand. He said in
cidentally that the Legislature might
protect and encourage the wool-grow-
er in two ways; (D by appropria-
tons to agricultural societies--oifer-
ing premiums for the best sheep and
the best examples of sheep husbandry,
and (2) by taxing the fifty thousand
worthless ours in the State-the OWN
ers of valuable shepherd dogs would
not complain of such taxation-and in
this sort of cur-taa-ment he hoped to
see a multitude OF excisions just be-
hind the ears of the animals.


This is but rough summary of the
points made by Mr.. Grinnell-but
which all interested in sheep growing
will find interesting and valuable as
coming from gentleman of close and