396 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. * 



Prof. Grange: A corn is properly a bruise of the sole, though a bruise of" 

 any part of the foot may be called a corn. Wearing a shoe that is too small, 

 having the shoe slip on the foot or wearing a shoe too long Avithout resetting- 

 may cause a corn. 



Question: How long should a shoe be on before resetting? 



Prof. Grange : Perhaps six weeks. 



Question: What will cure a shoulder gall of long standing? 



Prof. Grange: Excision. 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



BY S. C. TARBELL OF KALAMO. 

 [Read at the Charlotte Institute, February 17, '87.1 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:— The first step to be taken^'by 

 him who courts success in sheep breeding is to set up a standard toward which 

 every effort shall be directed. The good old days are gone forever when 

 everything that had avooI passed muster for a sheep. Breed for some pur- 

 pose. 



WOOL OR ML'TTON ? 



If you are far removed from the great central markets for meat you must 

 necessarily invest a large percentage of the carcass in freight charges. You 

 should bear in mind the fact that a pound of wool represents the price of 

 many pounds of mutton, and let your efforts be directed to increasing either 

 the quality or weight of fleece regardless of the effect which such selection 

 and breeding may have upon the carcass. "°f"' 



But, upon the other hand, the farmer who is so fortunate as to be located 

 within easy shipping distance of some of our large cities may have something 

 more than weigiit and quality of fleece in view. The sale of early lambs or 

 fat wethers may prove more profitable than the sale of wool. 



The careful breeder studies the needs of his flock. It is not necessary to 

 Bupport a 200-pound sheep to carry around a five pound fleece of wool, and 

 where mutton does not bring good paying prices it is not advisable to furnish 

 feed for heavy sheep that yield a light fleece. There is far more proGt for 

 such to breed Merinos weighing 100 pounds a piece and yielding from ten to 

 fourteen pounds of wool than to support the carcass of the larger breeds. 



I am not much of an advocate of this patent medicine, good for cvery-pur- 

 pose idea in breeding any kind of farm stock. A little careful study ought 

 to convince any man which of the two, wool or mutton, will yield him the 

 greatest profit, and having made his selection, use every effort to accomplish 

 the purpose in view. 



breeding. 



The farmer who keeps sheep should not be led by any false notions of 

 economy to use anything but a thoroughbred sire in his flock. If he hap- 

 pens to own a flock of the common sheep of the country, the use of a well- 



