THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SAV 
il 
§3 
RURAL PRIZE ESSAY-CLASS VII. 
SHEEP—THE BEST BREEDS AND HOW BEST TO 
FEED AND CARE FOR THEM. 
F. K. MORELAND. 
In the neighborhood of cities there are good 
markets for spring Iambs and fine mutton, 
aud here the production of mutton is the 
primary consideration. In wool-producing 
sections, however, the conditions will be 
found very unfavorable to the breeding or 
feeding of strictly first-class mutton sheep. 
Where the herbage is very scanty, water 
scarce and the gaining of a livelihood requires 
agility aud endurance, the sheep that will be 
found most profitable are the small fme- 
wooled Merinoes. On the other hand, where 
sheep are kept as one factor in a system of 
mixed husbandry, as in the older States, the 
methods of feeding and pasturing, and even 
the climate are all favorable to the produce 
tion of mutton, and good markets that will 
pay a good price for prime mutton are con¬ 
venient to all. Under these conditions the 
production of mutton proves more profitable 
than that of wool, and thus mutton is of 
primary importance, and wool only a second¬ 
ary consideration. 
The breeders for mutton very generally re¬ 
sort to the Cotswolds, to improve the smaller 
breeds of mutton sheep. They are very large, 
of excellent form, good carriage, and have 
attained, in this country, a weight of upwards 
of 400 pounds. They produce very heavy 
fleeces of lung and somewhat coarse wool. I 
have bred good specimens whose wool was 
upwards of 12 Inches in length. My objection 
to the Cotswolds is that their wool parts along 
the hack, and thus Is too liable to catch and 
retain snow, rain and dirt of all sorts. Their 
fleece being more open and lacking the yolk 
of the fine-wooled sorts, admits too freely the 
rain and melted snow, causing disease and 
weakness. The Cotswolds are to mutton 
sheep what the Short-horns are to other beef 
breeds of cattle. They are widely dissemi¬ 
nated in this country, and are deservedly 
popular; but it has been found Impracticable 
to keep them in large flocks. 
The Lincoln is another English breed of 
large mutton sheep that have been imported 
and are now bred to some extent. They pro¬ 
duce heavy fleeces of coarse, loug wool, with¬ 
out yolk, but which is very desirable for 
combing purposes. They are fully as large as 
the Cotswolds, and, withal, are a very valu¬ 
able breed of sheep. They lack somewhat of 
the Cotswolds symmetry of form. 
My first experience as a feeder aud breeder 
of sheep was with the Leicester, and after 
later experience with other breeds, I must 
confess that I still retaiu u strong liking for 
them. They have many points of beauty aud 
excellence, which early Impressed me with 
their value. They are vigorous, prolific and 
produce lambs that mature early aud are in 
great demand wherever known. The Leices¬ 
ter is a remarkably flue-boned sheep, and pro¬ 
duces a fleece that weighs from eight to ten 
pounds, and is neither so long nor so coarse as 
that of the Cotswold or Lincoln. The wool 
being shorter, the full-grown sheep has not 
the splendid appearance of depth and breadth 
of form possessed by Cotswolds and Lincolns, 
but the wool does not part on the back like 
that of the others, nor does it so readily be¬ 
come wet In rain or snow. 
These three breeds have been very generally 
introduced aud bred in this country, aud are, 
perhaps, the most valuable sheep we have 
where but few are kept. Under favorable 
conditions of feed, and shelter in inclement 
weather, careful feeding will develop these 
large sheep in the most effective manner, and 
close attention is necessary to prevent their 
deterioration in size, vigor, weight of fleece 
and good feeding qualities, and to Insure the 
greatest profitableness. 
We have a race of black-faced sheep that 
occupy a position midway between the large¬ 
sized, long-wooled sheep aud the smaller-sized, 
fine-wooled. I refer to the South Down, the 
Shropshire, the Oxford and the Hampshire. 
There are other black-faced Downs in Eng¬ 
land, closely allied to the foregoiug; but 
those I have named have been most widely 
imported into this country, and are best 
known. Of these the South Down has been 
bred in the United States for the longest 
period. It is the smallest of all the Downs, 
and is the foundation for the more modern 
Shropshire, Oxford aud Hampshire. The 
Shropshire is next in size; much prettier, and 
is more widely disseminated and popular than 
any of the other Downs. The Hatnpshires 
and Oxfords are larger, and this increase in size 
is due to the judicious use of Cotswold blood. 
The Oxford especially is a made up breed—a 
compound of Cotswold, Hampshire and South 
Down. Breeders are pushing the claims of 
the Downs most, industriously, maintaining 
that the mutton produced is finer than that of 
ary other sheep. These breeds produce a good, 
heavy fleece, medium in length and fiueness. 
Their white fleeces and black faces are rather 
pretty and '‘taking.” 
We have no strictly American breed of 
sheep; even our very common Merino sheep 
were originally brought from Europe; but 
they have been bred and so much improved 
by intelligent selection’and crossing, that in 
fine-wooled sheep there is no question but we 
now lead the world. 
The common stock of this country, and 
especially of the great Western Plains, are a 
mongrel race, which have been bred with no 
particular aim and little or no care, aud with 
an utter ignorance of nature’s laws; and 
such flocks are very liable to deteriorate and 
run out: hut at the samo time they have de¬ 
veloped great activity and hardiness, and are 
well adopted to the largo flocks and immense 
ranges over which they have to feed. 
A few practical suggestions in regard to the 
breeding and management of the common 
sheep of the country will necessarily possess 
some interest to the breeder of pure bred 
sheep, and will thus be of general value. The 
first mistake committed is in the selection of 
a male from some common flock No matter 
how good such an animal may be, or how 
cheap, oven if a present, ho is dear forsuch a 
purpose, and his use for breeding is not a step 
in the right direction. First, determine in 
what respect it is advisable to improve the 
flock, whether in weight of carcass, or length 
or weight of fleece, or quality of mutton. If 
size is desirable, a good Cotswold will produce 
this result in the speediest aud most effective 
manner, and with increase of size will also 
come an increased length of wool, if it is 
desired to increase the density of the fleece 
and still maintain the Bize of the stock 
produced liy the Cotswold cross, good results 
may bo hud from the use of some of the 
larger of the Downs. It depends upon the re¬ 
sults desired by tho breeder which breed will 
produce the result in the shortest time. No 
matter what breed is used to cross upon the 
ewes of common stock, cure should be exer¬ 
cised in selecting the male; he should be typi¬ 
cal of the breed, and be of tho purest blood, 
hardy, vigorous, and at least one year old. 
The lambs of the first cross should be carefully 
examined, and the very best ewes be selected 
—those showing the hest results of the cross— 
for the foundation of an Improved flock. No 
sheep breeder, no matter how few sheep he 
has, should over use other than a thorough¬ 
bred male; such can be procured from reliable 
breeders at a cost much less than its actual 
worth, and it is surprising how rapidly u 
flock will improve. 
It is advisable to know whou owes are to 
drop their lambs. This is very necessary 
when lambs are desired early, as then the 
ewes can be provided with warm shelter, and 
fewer losses will occur. Much of the weak¬ 
ness of Iambs is due to the fact that the male 
is overworked, or the owes are sickly, badly 
sheltered or poorly fed, and it Is generally 
useless to attempt to save such weaklings. 
Nothing but the dictates of humanity could 
ever induce me to take any trouble with weak 
lambs. A ram should not be coupled with 
more than two ewes a day; he should be fed 
grain during the season, which may be much 
prolonged in the ease of a large flock. 
A dry, well ventilated shelter should be 
provided for the ewes, which should always 
he well littered. Protection against wet and 
snow is more essential than warmth. Care 
should he exercised not to let sheep lie under 
or against a straw-stack, aurl not to throw 
straw or hay over them, so as to cause chaff, 
seeds or dirt to get into their wool. Breeding 
ewes should have all the good hay they will 
eat, with a small allowance of roots daily. I 
have never realized any good results from 
feeding graiu to breeding ewes. Sheep should 
have free access to salt both Hummer, and 
Winter, also to fresh water. The most profit¬ 
able management of sheep is that founded 
upon a clear understanding of their habits 
and requirements, aud eveu if wool be low, 
sheep intelligently eared for, will be found 
profitable under most systems of farming. 
St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. 
--■ + 
RURAL PRIZE ESSAY—CLASS III. 
BUTTER MAKING-. 
MRS. JAMES DAVIDSON. 
This locality, though perhaps as well suited 
as any in the country for dairying, is still un¬ 
provided with any other appliances for butter 
making than such as have been in use for the 
last hundred years. Creameries are still in 
the distant future, aud butter-workers are 
unknown, except through the advertising 
pages of the newspapers. The old up and- 
down dash churn still holds its sway, as do the 
long rows of broad tin milk pans in the house 
cellar, and the same old bowl and ladle that 
our grandmothers used—not the same old 
articles, of course, for they do get broken 
sometimes, but others exactly like them. But 
we make good butter, as good as tho best gilt- 
edged in Now York market; aud as, no doubt, 
many Rural readers are in similar circum¬ 
stances ns ourselves, I will try to show how 
this may be done. 
To make good butter requires pure air, 
proper temperature of milk, and the most per¬ 
fect cleanliuess, from the time the milk is 
drawn from the cow-, till the completed article 
is ready for the consumer. It also requires 
tho exercise of observation and common sense 
to kuowexactly wheuto skim, when to churn, 
how much working it requires, bow much salt 
to put in, and how to pack. Particular at¬ 
tention must be paid to the cellar or dairy in 
which the milk is kept: for as milk readily 
absorbs volatile matters, it is of the first im¬ 
portance that tho air of the milk room l>e kept- 
pure and untaiuted. The room should be of 
a temperature of about 50° to A5 g , moderately 
light, easily kept clean, ^ind well ventilated. 
A well drained, dry, porous, earthen floor is 
best for maintaining a pure atmosphere, as 
fresh earth is an excellent absorbent. If it 
can bo accomplished, the hest way is to have 
a “spring-house” as there is no better way of 
preserving the equal temperature necessary 
for the dairy, than tho use of a permanent 
spring of water. The temperature of a spring 
is, as nearly as possible, that at which cream 
rises most rapidly and Completely. Tho odor 
of milk fresh from tho cow, is disagreable, 
and if not dispelled remains in the butter, in¬ 
juring its flavor and keeping qualities; water- 
flowing through a milk-room will absorb this 
odor, besides kenpiug the air moist, so that 
the cream does not become dry and leathery, 
as in dry, airy milk-rooms. 
The skimming should bo douo when the 
cream has all risen, and before the milk has 
thickened; tho exact time will depend on the 
temperature; a little experience will enable 
one to tell. At the proper time the cream 
will he of a rich, bright yellow color, and of 
such a consistency that it can he removed 
almost entirely from tho pan without break¬ 
ing; if allowed to stand too long, both the 
quantity and quality will be seriously affected; 
it will not churn as easily, nor make such good 
butter, nor will the butter keep as well. Yet 
in order to make the largest quantity of but¬ 
ter, care must be taken not to skim too soon, 
for then all tho cream will not have risen, so 
that there would be considerable loss. Tho 
milk should all be skimmed when set tho same 
length of time, winch requires that some be 
skimmed every night, and some every morn¬ 
ing. The cream should be well stirred as each 
skimming is added to it. 
The churning should be done as soou as the 
cream is slightly soured, but before it has 
begun to ferment in the least; it should ho 
brought to a'temperature of about <10 degrees' 
a little more if the churning is done in a cold 
place, aud a little less If in a warm one. The 
churn must be thoroughly scalded and cooled 
before nsing; aud the cream bo carefully 
strmued into it; the churning should be kept 
up, without the least cessation, until the but¬ 
ter has come, which ought to be hi about tf5 
or 40 minutes. It should not be churned too 
long; only ^until the grains are about tho size 
of plump wheat. It should then bo removed 
from the butter milk, and well washed in 
plenty of pure, cold water, or, better still, 
cold brine. Butter properly ehurned requires 
very little working; washing is much better, 
as there is no danger of either water or brine 
injuring its grain or flavor. After the milk 
has been thoroughly washed from the butter, 
salt should be lightly worked in—about eight- 
ounces of salt, to ten pounds of butter—then 
cover aud set away for about 24 hours, or 
until the salt has all dissolved. It should 
then be worked over enough to extract all 
cheesy matter, which would spoil its keeping 
qualities, but not enough to break the grain, 
which would make it look greasy, and com¬ 
pletely spoil its flavor; when worked just 
enough, it will look as if it had beads of dew 
standing all over its surface. 
It is now ready to be put in packages to suit 
its market. Here, where the most of our pro¬ 
duce is consumed in the adjoining f-owas and 
villages, pound rolls and prints meet with 
favor, as being convenleut for retailing to 
customers who only want a pound or two at a 
time. Some, however, prefer it in small 
crocks, as being easier to keep in good condi¬ 
tion, and more suitable for those who wish to 
lay in a larger supply. For shipping, tubs or 
firkins would be required. Those holding 50 
pounds are a good size for an ordinary dairy; 
and are convenient for handling. They should 
be made of white oak, ash, or maple; aud 
they are prepared for the butter by being 
filled with boiliug-hot brine, allowing it to 
stand in them until perfectly cold. Then pack 
the butter firmly and closely to within an inch 
of the top; cover with a thin muslin cloth, 
and fill up with salt: head up closely so that 
not a particle of air can reach tho butter, aud 
ship immediately, as age never improves but¬ 
ter in the least. That made and packed in 
this manner, would always find a roudy sale, 
and command n high price in any of tho large 
city markets whore there is au unlimited de¬ 
mand for good butter, aud this would compare 
favorably with the best creamery made. 
Cambourue, Ontario, Canada. 
T? Atriums. 
WESTERN CANADIAN NOTES. 
(EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.) 
No one can make a greater mistake than to 
suppose that Canada is a cold, inhospitable, 
unpleasant and unproductive region. No 
more beautiful or richer couutrv exists any¬ 
where than that portion of Ontario lying 
aloug tho north shore of the lake of that name, 
and, indeed, the same may he said of the 
whole peninsula between Lakes Erie, On¬ 
tario, Huron and St. Clair, and in many re¬ 
spects the farms and farming are vory 
superior. The barley grown here is of tho 
finest quality, aud commands tho highest 
price in all markets. Fine crops of hay and 
wheat are produced, and better stock can no 
where bo found. 
Yet one can but notice tho utmost entire 
absence of corn as a field crop, and the sub¬ 
stitution of root crops and field peas. Until 
very recently peas grown here wore entirely 
free from bugs, and 40 or 50 acres were grown 
on a single farm; lately bugs have been much 
more prevalent, and fewer acres are grown; 
yet, peas still are an import,ant crop, and this 
year are reported nearly exempt from Injury, 
and magnificent. 
Roots for stock feeding are very largely 
grown; In fact, they are each year becoming 
more popular and more indispensable. The 
hulk of the crop are Swedes, though mangels 
are gradually gaining In populai ity each year. 
There is hardly a farm that has not as much 
as five acres, aud live to eight times that area 
is no rare sight. They are hern raised singly 
iu rows about30 inches apart, and from 12 to 
15 inches distant from each other in tho row. 
They are planted on low ridges, with a one- 
horse drill, (nude especially for the purpose, 
which sows two rows at, a time, putting the 
seed on the highest, part of tho ridge, and roll¬ 
ing the earth compactly over it. The culti¬ 
vation is rather shallow, and done with a tool 
called a “scuffler,” which is merely a sort of 
shallow-working cultivator with three or five 
teeth This is used as loug as it and the horse 
can go between the rows without badly break¬ 
ing the leaves, Tho weeds and surplus plants 
in the row are chopped out with sharp hoes, 
and so expert are the workmen that but very 
little hand weeding is necessary. 
At harvest time, the tops are out from the 
turnips while standing, with a short-handled 
hoe, made very sharp, and the roots are after¬ 
ward loosened from the ground and freed 
from dirt, by having a light harrow, bottom 
side up, drawn crosswise over the rows. They 
are then picked up, thrown in wagons and 
hauled to pits or barn collars, and the field is 
plowed for barley in tho Spring. We in¬ 
quired particularly, but found no one object¬ 
ing to roots as a farm crop because of the 
hand and knee work in growing them. Man¬ 
gels are grown in the satno manner, except 
that they are sown earlier and are harvested 
before the severe frosts, and are never loos¬ 
ened from the ground with the harrow, as 
they are injured by hard frost and by the 
bruising incident to the use of that imple¬ 
ment. No stock feeder here, would dare at¬ 
tempt to fatten either cattle or sheep without 
a plentiful root supply. 
Farm buildings are good; especially is this 
the case with the barns, which are largely 
built with basement stables, for cattle feeding. 
In horses, the large, heavy draft-horse class, 
largely Clydesdale and Hhjro horses, em¬ 
braces three-fourths or all, in eattlo, Hhort- 
horns and their grades nearly monopolize the 
breeders’ attention, und tho sheep are all of 
the long and middle wool class, there being, 
on an average, notone Merino to a township. 
Very many cattle are raised and fattened for 
the English market, and many sheep also 
are fatted for the same, and for this purpose 
groat pains are taken that the stock he put 
in extra-nice condition. Much attention is 
being given to fruit growing in the whole 
western portion of Ontario, and especially 
along the shores of Lake Ontario, from To¬ 
ronto around to Niagara River. The or- 
