FAEMERS' INSTITUTES. 129 



Mr. Palmerlee. — Lime and other suljstances, if rendered in soluble form, are 

 good for wlieat. Plaster is a stimulus rather than a manure. 



Mr. John E. Day of Bruce was next called upon, who read the following- 

 paper : 



SHEEP vs. cows. — COMPAKATIVE PROFITS. 



The ultimatum of the skill and enterprise of average humanity is money. 

 Prospective of dollars and cents, or the comforts Avhicli they are supposed to 

 command, furnish the incentive and the oliject of our study and toil. Hence 

 the word profits in our title. In the anticipation of the genesis of any new 

 enterprise, the first question which meets the enquirer is, "Will it pay?" and 

 when two branches of industry are brought into comparison, the same question 

 assumes a difference only in form — "Which pays the best?" 



But notwithstanding this, individual taste and preference have much to do 

 with individual skill in any vocation. The man who would willingly walk a 

 mile to kick a sheep will succeed but slowly in the trade of sheep-husbandry, 

 and the man Avho can see no beauty or comeliness in the well rounded form and 

 quiet look of the Avcll-bred cow, will never make a successful dairyman. 



In my remarks upon this subject I shall not deal with excejitional cases, but 

 with the average profits of our average farmers. I have in mind at present 

 more than one sheep-raiser who has established a reputation upon long years' 

 practice as a careful and successful breeder and keeper of sheep, who, under 

 present circumstances, would exhibit the height of folly to even anticipate any 

 change ; and so, on the other hand, the farmer who has made the breeding of 

 cattle a study for years had better maintain the even tenor of his way, unheed- 

 ing aught of change. But these are exceptions. The rank and file of Our 

 agricultural army are ready to take up that branch of industry which seems to 

 pay the best for the time, and to stop it when such ceases to be the case. We 

 welcome change perhaps a little too Avarmly. 



Two aspects of the subject before us have set the public mind to thinking 

 upon the question of comparative profits of them more intently than usual, 

 especially in our locality. First, the dulness of the market for hea\'y wools the 

 past season has dampened the ardor of many an enthusiastic wool-grower, and 

 led him to conclude that if this is to be yearly repeated some other branch of 

 agriculture must be taken in its place. Second, that our farms are in need of 

 more manure than is accorded by the present system of sheep-raising. The 

 attention of our members of clubs and granges has been abeady called to these 

 features of the subject, and so will be better prepared to contemplate them now. 



Theory tells us that domestic animals require one-fiftieth part of their own 

 weight in good hay or its equivalent each day in winter ; and this is undoubt- 

 edly as nearly correct as any rigid rule can be. It will not suit all eases. The 

 average of cows in avoirdupois is about 850 pounds?, and that of sheep 85. On 

 the above theory, ten sheep will equal one cow in cost of keeping. Yet our 

 most practical farmers say that eight sheep will consume as much per day as a cow 

 in winter, and more Avhile at pasture. I shall assume a medium estimate in my 

 comparison, or in other words eleven cows shall bo made to balance one hundred 

 ordinary sheep. And just here, let me remark, occurs the difficulty in making 

 a comparison between any two branches of agriculture, — our practices differ 

 so widely, and we each draw our conclusions from our own stand point, and 

 base our estimates upon the results of our own practices. One farmer loves his 

 cows neither too wisely nor too well, but bestows upon them more care and ex- 



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