1871 ] 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



329 



SHEEP AND MUTTON". 



INCH the introduction of pleu- 

 ro-pneumonia and the foot 

 and mouth disease among our 

 domestic cattle, there has been an 

 unusual demand for good mutton. 

 When the latter disease was an- 

 nounced as existing among us, 

 even though only in a few loca- 

 tions, we were informed that the sales of beef 

 fell off by a very large percentage, and that 

 the demand for mutton rose in about the same 

 ratio. This change has made many people 

 acquainted with the qualities of mutton, who 

 have heretofore entertained a strong dislike 

 for it. 



The benefits derived from the culture of 

 sheep are certainly co-equal with those which 

 we gain from the use of any of our domestic 

 animals — the ox, the cow, swine or the horse. 

 Great as are those which spring from the cow, 

 that is sometimes the principal support of the 

 family, quite as important may be obtained 

 from the sheep, by its flesh, its wool, and its 

 prolific powers. 



For the wonderful advancement of New 

 England, which, in a little more than two 

 hundred years, has sprung from the wilder- 

 ness to one of the most wealthy and intelli- 

 gent district* in the world, we are greatly 

 indebted to the sheep. The element of pros- 

 perity which they have afforded has been 

 mainly their wool for the manufacturer, — not 

 their flesh for the family. The use of mut- 

 ton, however, has been steadily increasing, as 

 our people learn that it is not only a most 

 healthful and nutritive article of diet, but is 

 acceptable to the taste. 



According to the census returns for 1870, 

 there are upwards of thirty million of sheep 

 in the United States. Vermont having 997,- 

 000; New Hampshire 620,000; Maine 501,- 

 000; Massachusetts 119,000; Connecticut 

 118,000, and Rhode Island 31,000. The pop- 

 ulation of the United States in round numbers, 

 is 38,000,000, so that we have a little less 

 than one sheep to each inhabitant. From 

 these facts it would seem that sheep husbandry 

 is inviting for the use of flesh without much 

 regard to the value of the wool. 



It is desirable, however, that a breed should 

 be selected which would produce both wool 

 and mutton. A gentleman who has had large 



experience both in the production and manu- 

 facture of wool, states that in Massachusetts 

 the long wooled English mutton sheep will be 

 found the most profitable. He adds, the 

 Cotswolds produce good combing wool, good 

 imdton and good lambs, and are a profitable 

 breed. If Oxford Downs are preferred, take 

 good care of them and they will make a faith- 

 ful return. The Leicesters are splendid sheep 

 — none better for wool — few surpass them for 

 mutton. The South Downs are famous mut- 

 ton sheep. Mr. Colman, Massachusetts Ag- 

 ricultural Commissioner to England, said, "in 

 point of symmetry, weight, quality of wool, 

 hardiness of constitution, and general profita- 

 bleness to the farmer, he had seen no sheep 

 which equalled Mr. Webb's South Downs." 



The Leicester and Merino, — South Down 

 and Merino, — and the Cotswold and Merino, 

 produce a wool which is in great demand for 

 worsteds and medium cassimeres. The stock 

 from these crosses will fatten at two years of 

 age, and produce a carcass weighing about 

 one hundred pounds, better adapted to the 

 American appetite than the pure Merino or 

 either of the purely mutton varieties. The 

 lambs, if not quite so large as those produced 

 by the mutton varieties, are sufficiently large 

 to give a good profit, while the wool is quite 

 valuable. 



We are glad that the use of mutton has 

 considerably increased among us. This has 

 been greatly owing to the improvement in the 

 mutton itself- England succeeds well in her 

 sheep husbandry, because all the products of 

 the sheep are in quick demand. Her people 

 consume more mutton than beef. Experi- 

 ments show that mutton is not only more nu- 

 tritious, but digests and assimilates with the 

 system more easily than any other meat. A 

 carefully drawn report on the subject says : — 



"When our ftirmers find tfie demand for good 

 mutton increasing according to their exertions to 

 make it good — that they can raise it clieaper than 

 beef, and tliat it is better husbandry to get one 

 hundred pounds of mutton from one sheep than 

 from two, tlien we shall have them cultivating the 

 best breeds of English mutton sheep, to the com- 

 fort, protit, and liealth of the whole community as 

 well as themselves." 



One other consideration which we would urge 



upon New England farmers, is, that wherever 



lands are not too costly for extended pastures, 



none of the domestic animals are of greater 



consequence to the nation and the farmer 



than sheep. They can be reared in situations, 



