364 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



I bought two ewes at $40 each; one of them paid for herself 

 two or three times, and the other never made me a cent. Just 

 here it might be well to say something about the kind to buy. 

 The ewe that did me no good was shown for two seasons ; she was 

 so fat I could not get her to breed. The other was shown one 

 season. 



It is not good policy to buy show stock or overfeed stock for 

 breeders. I would not advise a beginner to buy very old ewes to 

 start with, unless he is able to give them special care, for they 

 are liable to go down on him and discourage him. Better buy a 

 few, from two to four years old, and take good care of them and 

 breed them to a hig class, purebred ram. I would not buy scrubs 

 at any price. 



Before you begin in the sheep business, acquaint yourself with 

 the different breeds, and buy the kind that suits you best. Do not 

 buy anything that is called a sheep, simply because it is a sheep. 



I read an account of two neighbors who bought of the same 

 flock and of the same grade at the same price. One man made 

 good money, the other lost almost all his money. One took care 

 of his sheep, the other did not. We must keep our sheep clear 

 of disease if we would succeed. I know of a great many instances 

 where men have lost money on sheep. I have a neighbor who neg- 

 lected to dip his sheep, and by so doing, he let the lice damage them 

 very much. Sheep are nice stock to handle, and will make money 

 if properly cared for. Neglect will lose money in any business. 



FLOCK MANAGEMENT. 



(By Edwin R. Stroeter, Kearney, Mo.) 



(First prize article written in competition for the best description of practical flock 

 management. The prize was offered by the International Live Stock Exposition, 19('8, 

 through the courtesy of Woods Bros. Commission Arm of Chicago.) 



My experience with "Flock Management" has not been with 

 pure bred sheep to supply the breeders market, but with the west- 

 ern ewe, bred to pure bred rams, to furnish early lambs for the 

 consumers' market. So under this method of management I have 

 two important objects in view. My first desire is to secure an 

 early, quick maturing lamb that demands a good price when 

 marketed; my second, to get as large a clip of wool as possible 

 under this system of management. 



My breeding flock consists of 100 western ewes, from two to 

 five years old, that show blood from some of the down or middle 

 wool breeds, viz. : Shropshire, Hampshire and Southdown. I 



