496 BOARD OF AGHICULTURE. 



Sheep husbandry is ;i reputable employment, none more so. The shep- 

 herd loves his sheep. The sheep knoAV his voice and do follow him. 



The good character and fidelity of the shepherd was exemplified in 

 that young stripling, David, tliough a youthful shepherd, was valiant, 'and 

 fought the Lord's battles; slew the giant IMiilistine, Goliath, and after 

 more mature years became a man perfect hi heart. While David Avas a 

 keeper of sheep, doubtless by way of amusement, to pass the time of 

 long summer days, he practiced handling the harp or using the sling, and 

 became so proficient in lioth as to handle each with surprising accuracy. 

 There is no account given as to the In-eed of sheep that Able handled. 1 

 suppose, however, that they Avere of the kind that Noah preserved a 

 remnant of, and most likely they were of the broad tail and horned kind, 

 as a long blast Avith a ram's horn Avas made in compassing the city of 

 Jericho. 



Now to come nearer home and up to tins present date, sheep hus- 

 bandry is shamefully neglected in southern Indiana. And can there l^e a 

 better or more opportune time than noAv to start in the business"? The 

 prices of sheep in our market have advanced a little in the last year, and 

 Avool proportionally, and the tendency is still upAvard. Perhaps the un- 

 fortunate condition of the sheep industry in Australia may be one cause 

 of giving life to the market in this country, after such a long slothful 

 condition of the avooI and mutton trade. 



On accoiuit of the extreme dry season of 1!>01 in Australia it caused 

 such a dearth of Avater and food that the stock of about one hundred 

 million sheep has been reduced to less than foi'ty million. It seems that 

 farmers are not fully aAvare of the advantages of a flock of sheep on a 

 pla<?e, the number to be in accordance Avith the size of the farm. There 

 are many places in this portion of Indiana that would be benefited by 

 having a flock of sheep grazing upon them, even though the owner real- 

 ized no direct profit from either fleece or increase. Aside from either, they 

 are such Avonderful scaA'engers, such noxious Aveed-destroying animals, 

 that to credit them Avith the very least benefit, they do rid the field of 

 such an abundance of sore-eyed, and unprofitable growth. Not only that, 

 but on hilly ground they will feed during the day on the loAvest places, 

 and invarial)ly at night resort to higher ground, and if not disturbed will 

 remain until the morning of another day, tliereby enriching the poorest 

 spots, taken from Avliere it can l^etter be spared, converting useless, Avorse- 

 than-nothing, plants and filthy weeds into the very best available plant 

 food. Professor Kennedy, of loAva Experiment Station, says thei-e are 

 six hundred different kind of weeds, and tliat sheep Avill eat 5r)i>, horses 

 eighty-two, and cattle fifty-six of them. There are weeds that sheep 

 seem to relish better than grasses of any kind, and there are very feAV 

 that gi-OAV in this country that if they have access to in time ]3Ut Avhat 

 they Avill keep in check, if the territoi\v is not too extensive for the size 

 and Ji;inge of flock. So not only in tliis i-esiiect is a fiuck of sheen of de- 



