80 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



SHEEP AND SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



This subject was selected for discussion at a re- 

 cent Legislative Agricultural Meeting in Boston. 

 We find an interesting report in the Boston Culti- 

 vator. The Chairman, Dr. George B. Loeing, 

 Baid: 



The importance of sheep-hnsbandry -was ac- 

 knowledged by all civilized peo[)le. It had de- 

 clined in Massachusetts from can-es which seemed 

 not to be generally understood. He thought 

 that when communication was directly opened 

 with the West, the competition with which the 

 farmers of this State were forced to contend, 

 produced a temporary decline in agriculture, and 

 sheep, being a kind of stock easily disposed of, 

 were the first to be turned off. This was more 

 particularly the case in the eastern portion of the 

 State. The high price of wool which has lately 

 prevailed, furnish is a great inducement to return 

 to the keeping of sheep. To render the business 

 profitable to the greatest practicable extent, we 

 should, in the choice of breeds, consider well all 

 the circumstances by which we are surrounded. 

 Our pastures are not generally good enough to sup- 

 port the larger breeds of sheep, winch can only be 

 made profitable where good food is abundant, and 

 where there is a demand for mutton. Here wool 

 is the great object, and it is for this that fiiicks are 

 kept. Hence the Merino, including its sub-varie- 

 ties, had been, and, it was thought, wmild continue 

 to be, the principal breed kei)l in the State. No 

 other, it was contended, could return so mucli 

 money in wool. Mutton did not enter into our 

 list of marketable articles to a snfticient extent to 

 render it an object of special attention. It was 

 doulitful whether it could be produced at a profit; 

 but whether it could or not, it was urged that the 

 Mtsrino would give more meat than any other 

 bre«d, in proportion to the expense of feeding.* 

 The Valley of tlie Connecticut and a few of tiie 

 best grazing districts, were thought to comprise all 

 of this State on which any of the English dreeds 

 of sheep could be made profitable. Various ex- 

 amples ot the ])rofit,s derived from the breeding of 

 good Merino sheep, both in Europe and in this 

 country, were cited. The heavy-fieeced sheep of 

 the type represented by the flock of Mr. Ham- 

 mond, of Vermont, were tlionght to be most desi- 

 rable.' In regard to fat lambs for the butcher, the 

 production of which had been ropre.-iented as very 

 ])r(ifitatde, farmers should take care not to be de- 

 luded by advice to engage in the t)UHines->. It was 

 not to be regarded as a legitimate branch of sheei)- 

 liusbandry. 



Sanfoi'.d Howard thought t|e proper question 

 to bo considered by the tanner wiio intended to 

 keep sheep, was Ik.w he c>uld make the most 

 money from his flock in tlie |)articular locality 

 •where he was situated. As circnmstance.s vary, 

 the breed which would give the greatest profit in 



• Is not ihe Do.!lor raisUken on Ihlt point? We have no 

 *>ubt Ihe M«^rino» will produce more voool for the food con- 

 tamed than the Eiifjliih breeds -f elieep. but have never l)cf.T« 

 •een it claimed that th<>y would affoni more mutton. Vr'c think 

 b could easily be nbown that ioch is very far from being the ca»e. 

 Koa. Qbnwu Faiuuk. 



some cflse.s, wouM not do so in all. Where wool 

 is almost the sole object, no breed afforded so nuich 

 profit, in tliis country, as the Merino. That breed 

 also artoi"<-led better returns than others wlien ke| t 

 on poor pastures. But whore good keeping is 

 supplied, and markets where mutton is in demand 

 are accessible, ^ome otlier breeds are more profita- 

 ble. Tlic admission which has been made in re- 

 gard to the suricess of the English breeds in the 

 Valley of fhe Connecticut anil some other sections, 

 was deemed sutticieiit to sliow that the Merino can 

 not be the must profitable every wiie.re. Tho 

 Merino is .'ilow in maturing, and does nut fatten at 

 an early age so well as some of tlie English breeds. 

 Hence, where tat lambs are desired, the latter 

 breeds are preferred. He referred to various per- 

 sons who have made the production of fat lambs a 

 good business. Mr. Tiiokne, of New York, kept a 

 hundreil common and grade ewes which are put 

 to South Down rams, and bring land)s in the 

 latter part of February and fore part of March. 

 They are sold when about three montlis old at 

 from five to seven dollars per head. The ewes 

 which bring these lambs are bought in the fall. 

 Being well fed while suckling their lamb?-, their 

 condition is so well kept up that they soon get fat 

 on grass, after their lambs are taken off, and are 

 sold to the butcher for more than tiieir first cost; 

 so that in less than a year they return tlieir owner 

 their lambs, their wool and their own carcasses. 

 Other ewes are then bought in, and the same 

 course repeated. Various pfrsons in tIii-< State 

 were referred to wjio have t'oi- sevei'al jears pro- 

 duced early fat lambs, which have been sold at 

 about the same pi-ices as th(»*ie before mentiimed. 



Hon. Simon Bkown refern-d to various improve- 

 ments which had been made in the management 

 of sheep within the jn^riod of his experience, par- 

 ticularly in regard to belter siielter in winter, lie 

 thought every farmer should make up his mind as 

 to what kind of sheej) lie could derive most profit 

 from, and then |)rocure the best blood and keej) it 

 jiure. The success of Mr. Campbki.i,, of Vermont, 

 in breeding pure Meiino.s, was spoken of. He 

 thought New England farmers genei-ally should 

 practice mixed liusbandry. They should keep 

 sheep because, in addition to.other reasons in their 

 behalf, they in:prove the land. Mr. Field, of 

 Northfield, had proved this by past iii-ing sheep on 

 land which had run out under liie grazing of cat- 

 tle, but which im|iroved nndt-r slieep. In anoth.er 

 case, sheep were stated to have killci! out l)arb(. rry 

 bushes and other shrubs, and covered the land with 

 good grass. 



Mr. HrBBARD, of Sunderland, would urge farm- 

 ers to keep sheep for the benefit of their land. Id 

 the Valley of the Connecticut the fattening of 

 shee[) is a good auxiliary to the cultivntion of to- 

 bacco, the. manure being best of any tor that crop, 

 Early lami)S are profitalile. An instance was cited 

 where eighty lambs were reared from fifty eweft 

 k man in Hatfield sells lambs in May at six dollnni 

 per head. The ewes and lamlis are fed on turnipi 

 and hay. He (Mr. H.) did not know what breed 

 they were, but they were not .Merino.-*. 



Mr. TowRU, of Lanesboro', thought every farmet 

 should choose his course according to ciicumstanres 

 Lanesboro' was formerly noted for its ficx-ks o\ 

 SttXOQ sheep, of which there were at one time 12,000 



