EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 689 



Orange County, but the experiment was a failure, and in 1878 there 

 was not a sheep in the county. Other couuties fared as badly. 



But notwithstanding failure with improved sheep in some counties, 

 in others the natives were raised with great profit. In Suwannee the 

 cost of raising them was nominal and the profit on first cost was 100 per 

 cent. In Duval sheep-raising was the most profitable industry until 

 the negroes gave up work and became proprietors of about four dogs 

 each on the average; then it became worthless. The fleece, although 

 light, was fine and clean, and the mutton was thought by the raiser to 

 be finer in flavor than that at the Korth. 



In Leon County, before the war of secession, every planter raised 

 live stock and devoted many of his broad acres to sheep walks and 

 pasture for cattle, but since the war tliis industry has been much neg- 

 lected. Of late years more attention has been paid to sheep, and some 

 thoroughbred rams have been introduced which have made great 

 imi)rovement; sheep do well, disease is unknown among them, and it 

 ii< never cold enough to necessitate sheltering them. They yean in the 

 open fields in December and January with perfect impunity. They are 

 raised without being fed at all on many farms, but left entirely to sub- 

 sist on the natural and wild supply of food, and without being shel- 

 tered one hour from their birth to their maturity. A successful sheep 

 farmer, being within 2 miles of Tallahassee, the capital of the State, 

 gives his experience: 



I began slieep-raising in 1874 by selecting 8 bead out of a lot that I had bought 

 for liilliug and keeping them one year as an experiment. I raised 8 lambs (one pair 

 twins), and as they did well I decided to increase my flock, and in January, 1876, I 

 had 66 head of grown sheep. I then began to keep an accurate account with that 

 branch of my business. I have bought some each year and killed off the inferior 

 ones and kept only the best, until I have now 300 head. I take account of stock each 

 January and charge myself with $2 per head for aU of the grown sheep, and credit 

 the account with all sales of mutton or wool, and have never failed to realize from 

 the flock the whole amount of the account, or $2 per head for the flock, and leave 

 the stock increased each year and a small balance over. 



I have no pasturage except the native grasses of the country for summer grazing. 

 The pasture lands are rather poor and sandy, and when I began raising it would 

 require from 2 to 3 acres to keep a sheep. Now, after five years of constant graz- 

 in<f, 1 can keep on the same fields to 4 liead to the acre. Ihave some nut-grass, and 

 while I would not advise any one to put it on their lands, as I deem it an awful pest, 

 it affords tolerably good pasturage. I have some Bermuda grass, and think well of 

 it. It affords good pasturage, and I believe when I get my land well set in it it 

 will keep from 5 to 10 head per acre, from April to September. This grass will not 

 only afford good grazing, but when the land is made rich it will afford good mow- 

 ings and make a good hay for winter feed. It will also kill out nut-grass. I use 

 very little long feed for my sheep, as the grazing of cultivated lauds affords food 

 during the winter ; yet some hay is very desirable to have and feed in wet, cold, 

 winter weather. Cotton seed at the rate of 2 to 3 bushels to 100 sheep makes a good 

 feed. I also grow turnips, and, by using movable fences, can cut off small pieces of 

 the turnip land and let the sheep eat the turnips out of the land, and while doing 

 80 they manure the land, and as soon as they eat out the turniijs I plant oats or rye 

 on the land for late winter or early spring grazing. Sweet potatoes are excellent 

 and cheap feed, 2 or 3 bushels to 100 head. 



22990 U 



