THE GENESEE FARMER. 



23 



SHEEP ON THE PBAIBTES. 



TnE keeping of sheep on the prairies, has thus 

 for, wlieri uiidertakeo, been conducted in a slovenly 

 and uufarmerlike manner. Wool growing has not 

 yet received that attention which it deserves as a 

 distinct branch of business, at the hands of the 

 prairie farmers. Tiie same inconveniences exist 

 here that do in other places in the same latitude, 

 escept the dithculty of providing food, wliich, in 

 any tolerable locality here, cau be done with little 

 expense. Sheep will be subject to the same degree 

 of winter's cold, rendered more severe on the open 

 prairie by the unbroken wind?i — which no animal 

 can well endure. The summer is usually hot and 

 dry, being well suited to the wants of the sheep. — 

 Well sheltered from the winter winds by sheds, and 

 as carefully tended as at tlie East, the raising 

 of sheep cannot fail to succeed as a business, with 

 jess expense than at the East. 



The keeping of sheep on the open prairie, is ren- 

 dered more dirticult than it otherwise would be, by 

 the existence of a law, in this and other Western 

 States, all(»wing cattle and horses to run free, but 

 obliging sheep to be kept in fenced pastures or 

 watched if running on the open prairie. This is in 

 consequence of the grain fields being generally sur- 

 rounded with a fence which sheep could go under 

 without difficulty. But many ample sheep pastures 

 could be selected where no expense for fencing 

 need be incurred yet for many years, by the flocks 

 being guarded at night and taken to theii* pastures 

 early in the morning. 



In consequence of ihe law above mentioned, few 

 sheep are kept by farmers, as it is difficult to carry 

 on a mixel husbandry, embi-acing grain growing — 

 the great business of the Western farmer — and cat- 

 tle growing, at least enough to supply the farm, 

 with the high prices for and scarcity of help which 

 has been experienced for the last few years. 



To keep sheep in large numbers upon the open 

 prairie, a shepherd Avould be necessary to keep un- 

 der his supervision the ditlfcrent flocks, and see that 

 each was cared for and in its proper place. 



Winter sheds can be constructed at no great ex- 

 pense, of posts, fence boai'ds and prairie liay of the 

 coarser kinds, or straw, of Avhich an abundance 

 can be had for the drawing. Large pastures can 

 be enclosed with wire fence at no great expense. 

 which is amply sufficient to stop sheep, and is 

 coming into more and more general fovor for com- 

 mon farm fence. 



AV'e consider the reasons why sheep growing has 

 not been entered into as a distinct branch of busi- 

 ness more extensively than it has, to be — First: 

 That money has been lu-inging such high rates of 

 interest as to give little promise to capitalists of 

 anything paying better. Second : The speculation 

 going on in real estate, has served like the "ignis 

 fatiuis" to blind all eyes to any other source of 

 gaining wealth; and — Thirdly: That the growing 

 of grain has been so remunerative as to satisfy the 

 desires of the farmer, and attract all his capital and 

 attention. These, and no lack in the profit of the 

 investment, are the causes wliy farmers here have 

 not made of sheep and wool growing a distinct 

 business, as we hold they might, with as good or 

 better results to themselves than from the growing 

 of grain, where it has to be transported at half its 

 ^alue to a distant market. 



Sheep growing, thus far, 1^ not developed any 

 stubborn disease to which the sheep is more subject 

 in this locality, than at the East. They need not 

 be obliged to run upon low, swampy ground, any 

 more than there. The u[»land prairie, when closely 

 fed with sheep, sooli grows white clover, of which 

 it produces quite luxuriantly. 



The Avool and mutton markets are usually quite 

 brisk, and, from inadequate supply, frequently equal 

 the Eastern prices. jxo. sanfield. 



Out West, Koc., 1S.5T. 



KEEPING DAIRY COWS THROUGH TSE WINTER. 



Ix keeping dairy cows in cold weather, the first 

 thing is to provide proper shelter from the frosts and 

 storms of this inclement season. We all know that 

 it is poor economy to feed cows from stacks in the 

 oi)en field, and leave them exposed to the storms 

 and winds of Avinter. It will take nearly one-third 

 more hay to keej) up the animal heat, besides what 

 is Avasted by l)ehig trampled under foot: This 

 makes (piite an item in economy ; but feed them as 

 you will, they will come out poor in the spring, and 

 consequently Avill not give more than three-fourths as 

 much milk as if in good condition. But many that 

 stable their cows do not gain much in consequence 

 of croAvding them too thickly together, and fasten- 

 ing their heads tightly between upright stakes or 

 boards, or by having poorly constructed racks or 

 mangers, and suffering them to lie in their filth. 



If cattle are fastened too closely together, they 

 liO(jk and tease each other, besides robbing each 

 other of their food. They should have sufficient 

 room to stir. A stable thirty feet long, will make 

 nine stalls ; it should be twelve feet Avide, hicluding 

 mangers. The mangers should be made of plank, 

 twelve feet in depth and Avidth. The stalls should 

 be what I call half-stalls, dinding the mangers and 

 reaching back to the middle of the cows. This 

 will prevent their hooking or scaring each other, 

 aiul leave room to milk them. Behind the coavs, 

 the floor should drop tliree inches. Tlie mangers 

 should be scooped out Avhere the coav's necks come. 

 In front they should be boarded up tight, except a 

 space eiglit inches Avide six inches from the floor. — 

 The floor should be Avide enough to alhnv of feed- 

 ing tables, three feet Avide, made in sections of ten 

 or tAvelve feet, and fastened Avith hinges at the bot- 

 tom and let doAvn to a proper angle, for the hay to 

 slide doAvn, as the coavs puU it through. When 

 not needed, the tables can be tipped up and liut- 

 toned. This plan succeds AveU. The coavs pull tlie 

 feed through as they eat it, and Avill not hook it 

 about and waste it. One can put in straAv and 

 they will eat it very well, thinking that something 

 l)etter is beyond their reach. The cows should be 

 fastened by a strap, rope, or chain, around their 

 necks or horns, and fastened to tlie manger. 



So much for stables; and the reason why I say- 

 so nmch about them is because they are so often 

 poorly constructed, if made at all. As for feed, I 

 think that in a dairy country, hay is the cheapest 

 for principal food, although some roots may be 

 raised and fed to advantage. If one has a large 

 quantity of straAV, it is good economy to feed it to 

 coavs; they Avill not eat it up clean, but what is left 

 Avill make good litter; and the coavs Avill need some 

 grain to do Avell. After nil, hay is the main thing 

 to depend on, and should be fed in small ^quantities 



