THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 15, 
I 12 
SHEEP ON HIGH-PRICED LARD. 
The value of land for live stock pur¬ 
poses, as well as anything else, depends 
upon its productive capacity. The acre 
that will yield 2 y 2 tons of fine clover 
hay is worth 2% times as much as the 
acre that produces hut one ton of hay. 
Rich fertile land will always be worth 
more than sandy, or impoverished soil, 
because it has a better earning capacity. 
Generally that applies all over the world. 
To be sure, some local conditions may 
affect the values of inferior lands, but 
from the agricultural standpoint, my 
proposition is correct. West of the Mis¬ 
sissippi River is a vast territory of un¬ 
settled or slightly settled country. As 
in all new regions land here is relatively 
cheap. There are millions of acres of 
Government land, grazed oy millions of 
cattle and sheep, for which but little 
rental or none at all is paid. Over this 
great region more than half of the beef 
and mutton produced in America is 
grown. The expense of pasture is light, 
the amount of labor employed is reduced 
to the minimum, very few buildings of 
importance are erected, and under these 
conditions the stock, like Topsy, just 
grows. Undoubtedly the production of 
wool and mutton in the far Northwest 
during the past 10 years has been a pro¬ 
fitable business. At least I hope so. The 
foregoing statement is offered, to show 
why sheep are grown in great numbers 
in the West. It does not follow, how¬ 
ever, because this business may be 
made profitable on the inexpensive lands 
of the Far West, that sheep husbandry 
may not be profitable on the high-priced 
lands of the East. It will be well to state 
however, that indifferent sheep hus¬ 
bandry on high-priced land will not pay. 
It will not pay anywhere. But where 
the conditions require the sharpest 
study and competition to bring success, 
the high price of land will not stand in 
the way of success and profit in sheep 
husbandry. 
In 1900, while in England, I was the 
guest of a man who extensively farmed 
valuable land, and who milked 500 dairy 
Short-horns, kept a large number of 
brood mares, and had about 2,000 breed¬ 
ing sheep. I asked this question of him: 
“Taking everything into account, on 
which class of animals that you handle 
do you consider you receive the greatest 
percentage of profit?” After a bit of 
thought, he replied, “The sheep. I 
have repeatedly had stockmen living on 
high-priced lands tell me that sheep 
were the most profitable stock they 
handled, when the money invested was 
taken into account. Of course, it is not 
to be expected that men on small east¬ 
ern farms are to keep no stock but 
sheep, but there should be no difficulty 
in keeping 50 to 100 head of breeding 
sheep the year ’round on a high-priced 
80 acres, and making money. Each 
mature animal should yield at least $1 
worth of wool, on the basis of present 
low prices, and at least one lamb, woit.li 
$ 3 , before July 1, as meat. In fact, the 
shrewd sheepman does much better than 
that, while the breeder of purebred 
sheep, carefully mated, does consider¬ 
ably better. The manure also is worth 
considerable. Sheep rarely get grain in 
Summer when on satisfactory grass, un¬ 
less suckling a large lamb, while in 
Winter plenty of good clover hay and 
relatively small gram feed, carries them 
along in good shape. It is not neces¬ 
sary to give figures to demonstrate 
more than this. The fact is some farm¬ 
ers will make money by their methods, 
no matter where you place them, while 
others never will. The cur dogs of the 
country have done far more to discour¬ 
age sheep husbandry than high prices 
of land. Undoubtedly, if the dog nuis¬ 
ance could be controlled, sheep would 
be far more common on our farms. In 
England cur dogs are very scarce, and 
sheep are extremely common every¬ 
where, from the high-priced lands about 
the large cities, to the cheaper land in 
isolated localities. 
If one would but stop and think, he 
would also realize that not only has 
sheep husbandry declined in the East, 
and on the high-priced lands, but so has 
breeding of all kinds. To-day we look 
west of the Mississippi for our great 
supply of cattle, sheep and swine in the 
markets. The depletion of our soil in 
fertility, and the increase in land 
values, result in reducing the size of 
our farms, and turning to small farm¬ 
ing and special cropping, leaving live 
stock production to those regions where 
grain is grown on an extensive scale, or 
where pasture is abundant. But that 
doesn’t prove at all that sheep hus¬ 
bandry on these higher priced lands is 
not profitable where intelligence is ap¬ 
plied. It simply shows a condition of 
affairs due to a combination of circum¬ 
stances, in which sheep are only a par¬ 
tial factor. c. s. plumb. 
Best Breed for Veal Calves. 
Will you suggest breed of cattle where 
beef is of primary importance and milk 
secondary? Milk is only wanted for home 
use, an animal desired whose carcass 
would cut up into fine large cuts and which 
would raise a calf valuable for veal in local 
or city market, the best for beef and veal. 
State probable amount of milk this breed 
would give, “easy kept” animals preferred. 
Essex Co., N. Y. t>- ». 
The most common type of cattle from 
which high-class veal is made in the 
United States, is undoubtedly of grade 
Short-horn blood. This is for good rea¬ 
son. The Short-horn ranks at the top 
among the beef breeds, while it is also 
as near a general-purpose breed as any 
of the distinctive beef types. A superior 
Short-horn bull, decidedly meaty in 
character, mated on grade cows, should 
sire the most satisfactory of veal calves. 
Any one of the beef breeds, however, 
should produce good veal. While many 
people in America do not associate Hol¬ 
stein cattle with veal, I have never eaten 
such high-class veal anywhere as in Hol¬ 
land, produced from Holstein calves. A 
good general-purpose Short-horn cow 
should give plenty of milk for a calf up 
to selling age as veal, and also supply 
some for the family. I should look for 
about three gallons of milk a day from 
a fair cow for the first three months if 
not on rich pasture, with a gradual de¬ 
cline after that. Such a cow may be fat¬ 
tened if desired, and the butcher will 
pay a good price for her if not too old. 
c. s. PLUMB. 
A TRYING 
POSITION 
“My position is a 
tr~\'ing one” was the 
joking remark 
of the cloak 
model of a 
fashionable 
firm. But 
there is less 
jest than 
earnest in 
the state¬ 
ment. It is 
trying to be 
on the feet 
all day, to 
be reaching and 
stooping hour 
after hour from 
morn until 
niglit. And that 
is a very meager 
outline of a busi- . 
ness woman’s day. With many such 
women the ordinary strain of labor is 
intensified and aggravated by a diseased 
condition of the delicate organs, and 
they become victims of that terrible 
backache, or blinding headache, which 
is so common among business women. 
If you are bearing this burden, bear 
it no longer. For the backache, head¬ 
ache, nervousness and weakness which 
spring from a diseased condition of the 
womanly organs there is a sure cure 
in Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription. 
Half a million women have been per¬ 
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wonderful medicine. 
“My niece was troubled with female 
weakness for about four years before I 
asked for your advice,” writes Mr. J. W. 
McGregor, of 62 d St. and Princeton Ave., 
Chicago, Ills. “ You advised her to take 
Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription which 
she did faithfully for nine months, and now 
we must acknowledge to you that she is 
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Sick women can consult Dr. Pierce by 
letter free. Address, Buffalo, N. Y. 
& FENCE MACHINE 
That combines Simplicity, Durability, Ka^ 
pidity and Economy, The DUPLEX. It 
makes over 100 Styles, 50 to 70 rod a day. of 
lloree-high, Bull-strong, IHg and Chlcken-tlght 
Fence that combines Strength, Uniformity, 
Permanency, Reliability and Efficiency 
AT COST OF WIRE. Machine on Trial, hull 
information free. Wire of every descrip¬ 
tion at Wholesale Prices. Write today. 
1 UT 8 ELMAN BROTHERS, BOxD92 Monde, lad. 
The Middleman’s 
MONEY 
Makes the Fence No Better. 
Then why pay him a lot of extra money? 
Why not save that amount by buying from 
us direct at wholesale prices? We do not 
im-pair the quality to make our fence cheap. 
In fact, we depend upon the quality to hold 
our trade. We couldn’t sell the 
ADVANCE FENCE 
iplya 
tier. 
the dealer. When you buy from us you only 
pay one profit, when you buy from the 
dealer you pay two profits. Send postal 
card for circulars and prices. 
Advance Fence Co., 172 M St. f Peoria.lll. 
Factory to Farm 
at wholesale prices The Best 
Fence on earth. Catalogue free 
THE CLEVELAND FENCE CO , 
Cleveland, Ohio 
Solid as the Rock of Gibraltar 
-r —r . rrr^p :r 
Compared with light woven wire fences containing 
soft verticals with sharp wraps, twists or bends. All 
wires large size hard spring steel. “1902" catalog free 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO., Cleveland, Ohio. 
UB 
LIKE A STONE WALL. 
Our fence will last many years. Contains no 
small light wires. All large and double strength. 
20 to .35 cents per Kod. Wire at wholesale prices 
to farmers. Catalog free. Agents wanted. THE 
BROWN FENCE AND WIRE CO., Cleveland, Ohio. 
WIRE FENCE 
Heavy lateral wires, heavy hard steel stays, coiled 
soring wire. Sure Grip lock. In strength, appearance, 
and durability, the Hard Steel cannot be excelled. 
Wrtl °THif'ii'ffD SSU"™™ FENCE CO., 
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. 
IF IT’S SIMPLICITY OF 
construction you’re after, please see The PAGE. 
PAGE WOVEN WTUE'KENCE CO., ADRIAN,MICH. 
I A MILE A DAY 
Stretch and staple*) rods at a time after your 
posts are set. The ready built 
ELLW00D STEEL WIRE FENCE 
is low in pri?"high in quality. Heavily galva¬ 
nized. If your dealer hasn’t it write to 
AMERICAN STELLA W IKE CO.. 
Chicago, NcwYork, Son Francisco, Denver., 
Wagon World Awheel. 
Half a million of these steel 
wheels have been sent out on 
our own wagons and to fit other 
wagons. It is the wheel that 
determines the life of any 
wagon, and this is the longest 
lived wheel made. Do you want 
a low down Handy Wagon to 
use about the place? We will fit 
out your old wagon with Elec¬ 
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any shape tire, straight or stag¬ 
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loose spokes, no rotten felloes, no resetting. Write for 
the big new catalogue, ltis free. 
Electric Wheel Co., Box 88, Quincy, III?, 
NEW IDEA WAGON. 
There is nothing so much 
needed on the farm as a 
Low-Down, Broad-Tire, 
Wide-platform Wagon, 
with wheels that turn un¬ 
der the load. You will use 
it more than all other Im¬ 
plements put together. We 
sell Metal Wheels for old 
Free Wagon for L4444. wagons. 
FARMERS' HANDY WAGON CO., Sag naw. Mich. 
PATENT GROOVED 
Tire Wheels 
For Farm Wagons 
Any Size to lit any Skein. 
MADE ONLY BY THE 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO. 
Havana, ILL 
We are the largest manufac¬ 
turers of steel wheels and low 
down trucks in the U. S. 
U" Write for Prices. 
THE MIETZ & WEISS 
Kerosene Engines, sizes, 1 to60 H.P. 
Cheapest and, Safest Power 
Known. For pumping and 
electric lighting, grinding 
corn, separating cream, 
sawing wood, and all pmver 
purposes. Awarded Gold 
Medal Pan-American Exp., 
Buffalo, 1901. Send tor Cat. 
A. MIETZ, 
128 Mott Street, New York. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine 
Any Place 
I Srll Any One 
ULUvIz Por Any Purpose 
I Stationaries, Portables, Engine* 
and Pumps, Roisters > 
Send for Illustrated Catalogue and 
Testimonials. State your Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
m 
The WEBER B H. P. 
Gasoline Engines 
for running 
grinders, shred¬ 
ders, cutters, 
threshers, etc. 
Free catalogue 
gives all sizes. 
Weber Gas & 
Gasolino Engine 
Co, Box 102 
Eansas City, Mo. 
EMPIRE 
CREAM 5EPARATDR 
catalogue: rreie: 
U5BUTTER EXTRACTOR CO..BLOOMFIELD.N.J 
WF 5 TERN OFFICE FISHER BLDG CHICAGO. 
Save$ 10 per Cow 
EVERY YE A R OF USE. 
De Laval Cream Separators 
Prices, $50 to $800. 
“Alpha" and “Baby"styles. Send for Catalogue 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO., 
Randolph and Canal Streets, I 74 Cortlandt Street. 
CHICAGO. I NEW YORK. 
The REID Hand 
Separator 
Is the closest skimmer, as 
well as the easiest running 
and mosteeonomical sepa¬ 
rator made. 
Very Simple and Durable. 
Capacity 150 to 350lbs per' 
hour. Prices SCO to $100. 
Hand separator circular 
and illustrated catalogue 
of dairy supplies free 
A. H. REID *SC 
30th and Market St. 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
TheU.S. Separator 
DOES BETTER WORK 
THAN THE OTHERS 
Missouri College of Agriculture 
Columbia, Mo., Oct. 30, 1901. 
The machine (U. S.) did excellent 
work, and, as a rule. I believe it 
skimmed a little closer than the oth¬ 
ers we had in use. The record was 
invariably .02 of 1 per cent, or lower, 
sometimes a mere trace of fat in the 
skimmiik. 
C. L. WILLOUGHBY. 
Instructor. 
Remember that it 
EXCELLED EVERYTHING 
at the 
PAN-AMERICAN 
MODEL DAIRY 
U VT.FARM MACHINE C0..BELL0WS FAILS.VT 
SHARPLES DAIRY CREAM SEPARATORS, 
ALWAYS THH BEST. 
“Business Dairying," a very valuable bookjind Catalogue No. MS free. 
Sharpies Co.. Chicago, Ills* 
P. M. Sharpies, West Chester, Pa. 
B 
