1898 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
may  expect  on  all  classes  of  wool.  These  prices  would 
make  it  impossible  to  keep  sheep  for  wool  alone.  In¬ 
deed  at  the  prevailing'  prices  many  farmers  have  been 
going  out  of  the  class  of  sheep  that  are  raised  espe¬ 
cially  for  wool  on  the  high-priced  lands  east  of  the  Mis¬ 
sissippi  and  north  of  the  Ohio.  With  such  a  law 
enacted  it  will  no  longer  pay  to  raise  sheep  for  wool 
alone  here  in  Michigan.  Breeders  who  have  been 
raising  Merino  sheep  for  stock  purposes  and  have  a 
trade  established  with  the  breeders  upon  the  large 
ranches  of  the  West  and  South,  or  those  who  have  an 
Australian  market  for  their  rams,  will  continue  to 
raise  stock  sheep  at  profitable  prices.  Those  who  are 
unable  to  sell  their  Merinos  for  stock  purposes  will  be 
driven  either  to  sell  them  for  what  they  will  bring  for 
mutton,  or  grade  them  with  rams  of  the  mutton 
breeds.  For  some  years  it  has  been  hard  work  to  sell 
what  we  call  Merino  grades  or  the  common  sheep  of 
the  country  for  feeders.  They  do  not  give  good  results 
when  put  into  the  feeding  pen,  and  sell  for  less  per 
pound  at  the  yards.  This  will  discourage  the  sale  of 
a  good  many  that  would  otherwise  be  fed  off,  and  the 
owners  will  be  forced  to  breed  them  to  a  ram  of  one 
of  the  mutton  breeds.  The  change  which  I  would 
suggest  for  the  ordinary  flock  would  be  the  sale  of 
the  culls  and  cheaper  sheep,  and  the  keeping  of  the 
best  ewes  and  breeding  them  to  a  ram  of  one  of  the 
mutton  breeds.  When  doing  this  the  breeder  must  get  a 
strongly  bred  ram.  The  crossing  of  Merino  ewes 
with  a  grade  ram  or  one  that  is  not  very  prepotent,  is 
a  dangerous  experiment.  They  do  not  “  nick”  well. 
It  spoils  both  wool  and  carcass.  Nor  should  they  be 
bred  to  a  ram  of  the  largest  mutton  breeds,  both  on 
account  of  the  size,  which  gives  trouble  at  lambing 
time,  and  because  the  cross  is  too  radical.  I  would 
cross  these  small  ewes  first  to  a  Shropshire  or  South 
Down  and  the  offspring  might  be  bred  to  a  ram  of 
the  larger  mutton  breeds.  However,  I  would  favor 
breeding  in  a  line,  for  the  higher  the  grade  the  better 
the  sheep.  There  is  danger  too  in  the  anxiety  to  get 
rid  of  the  small  wool  sheep  and  get  into  the  larger 
mutton  breeds,  and  breeders  become  too  hasty  and 
want  a  sheep  as  large  as  an  ox  at  once.  The  size  of  a 
sheep  at  a  given  age  is  of  less  importance  than  the 
amount  of  choice  mutton  that  can  be  produced  from  a 
given  amount  of  feed,  and  in  selecting  a  ram  for  any 
class  of  sheep,  get  one  true  to  the  type  of  the  breed  as 
established  by  the  best  breeders.  Do  not  expect  a 
Shropshire  or  South  Down  to  be  as  large  as  an  Oxford 
or  Lincoln.  Grade  up  by  using  a  good  sire  of  the  best 
mutton  breeds  on  these  common  ewes,  and  the  results 
are  sure  to  be  profitable.  One  or  two  years  will  suffice 
to  drive  out  of  the  stockyards  the  small,  wool-pro¬ 
ducing  sheep  that  were  never  intended  for  mutton, 
and  thus  increase  the  supply  of  sweet,  wholesome 
mutton,  which  can  be  produced  as  cheaply  per  pound 
as  pork,  and  when  our  people,  generally,  become 
accustomed  to  eating  it,  it  will  double  and  treble  the 
demand  for  good  mutton. 
Basing  my  judgment  upon  my  own  experience  and 
upon  talks  with  breeders  in  southern  Michigan,  I  do 
not  believe  that  the  changes  which  we  may  expect  in 
the  tariff  laws  regarding  wool,  will  affect  the  price  of 
good  mutton.  Every  successful  farmer  is  obliged  to 
keep  a  few  sheep,  and  others  keep  them  because  they 
are  naturally  fond  of  sheep,  and  are  willing  to  keep 
them,  though  the  profits  be  small.  Some  farmers  will 
be  frightened  out  of  the  sheep  business,  while  others 
will  improve  the  quality  of  the  flocks,  and  the  latter 
will  reap  the  benefit.  There  is  room  in  every  com¬ 
munity  for  at  least  one  good  sheep  man  to  breed  val¬ 
uable  sheep  of  the  best  mutton  breeds;  Tariff  or  no 
tariff,  mutton  and  early  lamb-growing  has  a  promising 
future,  and  while  we  must  yet  look  to  the  English 
flocks  for  our  best  sheep  of  the  mutton  breeds,  making 
the  importation  of  fresh  and  choice  blood  necessary 
until  we  can  raise  as  good  as  the  best  in  England,  still 
it  is  to  the  American-bred  sheep  which  can  be  profit¬ 
ably  raised  for  what  a  good  sheep  is  worth  in  England 
for  the  shambles  ($14  to  $17)  that  the  American 
farmer  will  look  for  sheep  within  his  means,  and  those 
who  first  take  thoroughbred  sheep  of  the  mutton 
breeds  into  any  community,  will  have  a  trade  and 
make  a  reputation  that  will  prove  profitable.  In 
grading  up  the  breeder  must  with  each  cross  use  a 
better  ram,  or  instead  of  breeding  up  he  will  breed 
down,  and  lose  valuable  time,  and  he  who  would  breed 
stock  sheen,  will  find  that  it  pays  best  to  begin  with 
the  best.  geo.  e.  breck. 
More  Meat  on  a  Glutted  Market 
Wool  growing  is  only  in  its  infancy  here,  in  Adams 
County,  Iowa;  but,  judging  from  the  eagerness  with 
which  every  ewe  is  bought  by  farmers  to  start  a  flock, 
the  production  of  mutton  and  wool  will  be  one  of  the 
leading  industries  in  a  short  time.  If  by  putting  wool 
on  the  free  list  the  price  should  be  lowered  to  any  ap¬ 
preciable  extent  the  industry  would  be  very  likely  to 
die  young.  The  Shropshires  and  their  crosses  are  the 
favorites  as  people  are  making  both  wool  and  mutton 
their  objects.  Indirectly  free  wool  would  affect  us 
greatly.  Our  paying  productions  at  present  are  beef, 
pork  and  butter.  If  from  any  cause  the  profits  in 
wool  growing  should  be  made  less  there  is  no  question 
that  the  wool  growers  would  become  our  competitors 
in  the  production  of  butter  and  pork  in  the  States 
east  of  Illinois  and  on  the  plains  west  of  us,  in  the 
production  of  beef  to  a  greater  extent  than  they  al¬ 
ready  are.  No  change  in  breeding  and  feeding  could 
compensate  for  lowering  the  price  of  wool. 
JEROME  SMITH. 
Cheap  Foreign  Competition  too  Great. 
It  would  demoralize  in  a  large  degree  the  wool-grow¬ 
ing  interest.  The  business  now  is  barely  remunerative, 
and  with  the  removal  of  the  present  tariff  the  Amer¬ 
ican  wool  grower  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  foreign 
wool  competitors  who  can  raise  wool  much  more 
cheaply  than  it  can  be  grown  in  this  country.  If  the 
tariff  as  existing  does  not  keep  wool  higher  here,  there 
is  no  need  of  having  it  removed.  If  it  docs  as  I  believe, 
then  it  is  very  necessary  to  the  interest  of  the  wool 
grower  to  have  it  remain ;  for  if  the  producer  of 
foreign  fine  wool  can  pay  the  existing  tariff  and  make 
a  living  out  of  the  business,  how  long  could  the  Amer¬ 
ican  wool  grower  continue  to  grow  fine  wool  if  this 
restriction  were  removed  and  the  foreigner  allowed  to 
fix  the  price  ?  Asa  fine  wool  grower,  I  feel  as  though 
I  should  be  obliged  to  abandon  the  business  should 
such  a  contingency  arise.  Even  the  prospect  of  such 
a  change  has  had  a  tendency  to  discourage  those  who 
have  spent  years  of  toil  and  care  and  a  large  amount  of 
means  in  establishing  and  maintaining  flocks  of  sheep 
Dressing  ttp  Old  Time  for  ’93.  Fig.  315. 
Klug’ti  Jester. 
of  excellent  quality  and  breeding.  In  short,  such  a 
law  as  would  place  wool  on  the  free  list  would  jeopar¬ 
dize  wool  growing  in  the  United  States.  As  to  changes 
in  feeding  and  breeding  in  such  an  event,  I  am 
not  prepared  to  suggest  any.  I  should  feel  like  giving 
the  sheep  industry  a  wide  berth,  for  I  do  not  believe 
the  business  would  pay  in  any  form. 
Michigan.  william  ball. 
HOW  FARMERS  GET  RICH. 
Some  Experience  and  Advice. 
“The  way  we  accumulated  our  little  pile,”  said  a 
wealthy  ex-farmer  to  me  one  day,  “was  simply  by 
spending  less  than  we  made.  We  sold  grain,  hogs, 
chickens,  butter  and  vegetables,  and  we  laid  one-half 
of  the  proceeds  by  and  lived  on  the  other  half.  Our 
farm  was  small,  and  the  soil  neither  deep  nor  rich, 
but  I  cultivated  it  thoroughly,  applied  all  the  manure 
I  could  make  or  get  for  nothing,  was  careful  to  save 
the  best  grain  for  seed,  took  good  care  of  it  and 
planted  it  right  and  at  the  right  time,  and  I  always 
raised  a  crop.  Sometimes  it  was  a  light  one  and  some¬ 
times  it  was  extra  heavy,  so  that  I  averaged  very  fairly. 
“We  never  bought  anything  we  could  get  along 
without.  When  we  thought  we  needed  an  article  we 
always  considered  well  to  see  if  we  couldn't  substitute 
something  we  already  had  before  buying  it.  When  we 
did  buy  anything  we  took  good  care  of  it  and  made  it 
last  two  or  three  times  as  long  as  most  people  do.  We 
found  that  we  could  get  along  very  well  without  tea 
and  coffee  by  using  milk  instead,  either  hot  or  cold, 
just  as  best  suited  us  at  the  time.  That  was  quite  a 
saving.  We  sold  our  eggs,  chickens  and  surplus  fruits 
and  vegetables  to  one  groceryman  of  whom  we  bought 
827 
our  groceries,  and  at  the  annual  settlement  he  invari¬ 
ably  paid  us  over  $100  in  cash. 
“When  we  loaned  our  first  $500  out  at  10  per  cent 
and  it  brought  us  $50  at  the  end  of  the  year  we  thought 
it  was  like  finding  money.  We  soon  had  another  $500 
drawing  interest,  and  then  another,  and  in  a  few  years 
we  were  receiving  more  in  interest  than  we  made  off 
the  farm.  Then  we  eased  up  and  worked  only  to  make 
a  living  off  the  land.  When  our  pile  reached  $10,000 
which  it  did  in  what  seems  to  me  a  remarkably  short 
time  after  we  made  our  fist  loan,  we  sold  the  farm  for 
a  good  price,  moved  into  town  and  have  been  taking 
it  easy  ever  since. 
“Our  income  is  something  over  $1,500  a  year,  all 
from  loans  on  real  estate  secured  by  mortgages.  We 
never  foreclose  or  compound  interest  on  any  one  who 
makes  an  honest  effort  to  pay  up  Everybody  knows 
that,  and  therefore  we  always  have  applications  for 
more  money  than  we  have  to  loan.” 
“  What  do  you  think  is  the  chief  cause  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  discontent  among  so  many  farmers  ?  ”  I  asked. 
“  Extravagance  and  bad  m  magement,”  replied  the 
old  chap,  emphatically.  “  No  living  farmer  can  spend 
more  than  he  makes  and  keep  his  head  above  water. 
Neither  can  any  man  spend  half  his  time  loafing  about 
town  and  run  a  farm  successfully.  Whisky  and  to¬ 
bacco  have  stolen  many  a  man's  farm  from  him,  and 
indulgence  in  needless  luxuries  has  ruined  thousands, 
while  bad  management  has  blighted  the  prospects  of 
still  other  thousands.” 
“Do  you  call  tea  and  coffee  luxuries  ?”  1  meekly 
asked. 
“  Yes,  sir  !  ”  said  he.  “  What  sense  is  there  in  paying 
good  money  for  tea  and  coffee  when  you  have  a  river 
of  good  cheap  milk  on  the  farm  ?  They  are  needless 
luxuries  on  a  farm,  as  are  expensive  carpets,  rugs, 
upholstered  furniture,  fine  lace  curtains,  gew-gaws 
and  knick-knacks.  A  farmer  who  wishes  to  accumu¬ 
late  wealth  should  buy  only  such  articles  as  will  stand 
wear  and  tear  and  save  labor,  both  in  and  out  of  the 
house. 
“A  good,  solid,  oak  chair  costs  less  than  a  flimsy 
cane-bottomed  one,  and  will  last  10  times  longer.  A 
big  plain,  solid,  wood  rocking  chair  with  a  feather 
cushion  in  it  is  much  more  comfortable  and  safe  than 
a  crinkled  and  filagreed  upholstered  one,  and  it  will 
last  a  lifetime,  while  the  other  won’t  look  respectable 
five  years.  A  good  rag  carpet  costs  less  than  half 
what  a  serviceable  ingrain  does,  while  it  answers  the 
purpose  quite  as  well.  Silver  and  china  don’t  make  a 
meal  taste  any  better  than  steel,  tin  and  plain  ware. 
A  vehicle  or  machine  that  is  properly  cared  for  will 
do  better  service  and  last  10  to  20  times  longer  than 
one  that  is  carelessly  knocked  about  and  left  exposed 
to  the  weather.  An  animal  or  fowl  that  is  housed  in 
warm,  dry  quarters  eats  less  than  one  that  is  exposed 
to  cold  storms.  These  are  some  of  the  things  a  farmer 
who  wants  to  get  along  needs  to  look  after.  He  must 
learn  to  save.  To  save  labor,  save  heat,  save  food,  save 
money  !  He  must  study  how  to  do  the  best  thing  in 
the  best  manner  and  at  the  best  time. 
“  There  is  not  a  farmer  in  the  country  to-day  but 
can  do  better  than  he  is  now  doing.  Not  one  but  can 
stop  a  dozen  little  financial  leaks  if  he  will.  Not  one 
but  can  make  more  clear  money  by  studying  how  to 
run  his  farm  right,  than  he  can  by  studying  how  to  run 
the  government.  Not  one  but  can  get  out  of  debt  and 
can  keep  out  if  he  will  learn  his  business  and  exer¬ 
cise  good  common  sense.  I  am  satisfied  that  farming 
is  the  safest  and  most  profitable  business,  considering 
the  capital  invested,  that  a  careful,  sensible,  skillful 
man  can  engage  in  to-day  !  ” 
And  the  old  fellow  walked  off  with  the  air  of  one 
who  is  satisfied  that  he  has  cracked  some  pretty  hard 
nuts.  And  he  had!  fred  grundy. 
Christian  County,  Til. 
A  Young  Negro  Equals  and  Surpasses  the  Old. 
In  reply  to  your  query  as  to  whether  an  industrious 
young  man  could  buy  and  pay  for  a  place  in  a  few 
years,  I  stated  what  an  old  negro,  Tom  Cameron,  had 
done. 
I  now  bring  before  you  a  young  negro,  Sam  Allen, 
31  years  old.  Sam  is  married  but  has  no  children.  He 
commenced  to  work  for  himself  in  1880.  In  1885  he 
bought  180  acres  of  land  for  $1,800,  to  be  paid  for  in 
three  yearly  payments,  but  it  required  four  years  to 
complete  paying  for  it  and  his  two  mules.  Until  three 
years  ago  he  had  only  two  mules,  both  he  and  his 
wife  working  on  the  farm.  By  December,  1891,  he  had 
increased  his  stock  to  five  head  of  mules,  and  then 
bought  135  acres  of  land  for  $900  and  the  assumption 
by  him  of  a  long  loan  on  the  place  for  $300.  We  loaned 
the  $900  to  pay  for  the  land,  and  he  this  Fall  has  paid 
the  long  loan  of  $300  and  interest  $24,  as  well  as  $300 
on  the  account  we  loaned. 
In  addition  to  this  purchase,  he  bought  last  December 
120  acres,  agreeing  to  pay  $1,200  for  tbe  same  in  three 
payments.  On  this  he  pays  $300  this  fall.  Last  year, 
or  rather  the  past  crop  year  he  hired  four  hands,  two 
