1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
347 
Woolly Backs. 
"MUTTON CHOPS." 
IMPORTANCE OF SHEEP BREEDING 
Mutton Coming Up. —No branch of 
agriculture is of greater importance to 
the farmers of this section of the United 
States than the raising of sheep, and 
none that brings quicker or surer re¬ 
turns for the capital or labor invested. 
Our large, nearby cities, with their 
thousands of prosperous business and 
professional men, are annually demand¬ 
ing more and better supplies of the very 
best meats that can be produced. The 
consumption of mutton is rapidly in¬ 
creasing, and is bound to increase still 
more in the future ; but the rate of in¬ 
crease will be governed largely by tfce 
skill which the farmer applies to his 
breeding and fitting for market. 
There has never been a time when as 
rapid improvement has been made in the 
quality of mutton sent to market as with¬ 
in the past 20 years. I have driven many a 
day buying Merino wethers three or four 
years old to feed. But the importation 
of the improved mutton breeds of sheep 
from Great Britain, and crossing rams of 
these breeds on our native and Merino 
flocks, have given usatypeof lambs which 
are ready to goto market at less than 12 
months old, weighing more than the 
four-year-olds we used to feed, and worth 
twice as much per pound. No wonder 
people are learning to eat more mutton. 
But, great as the improvement has 
been, it is not one-half as great as it 
should have been. The demand for mut¬ 
ton of the best quality is unlimited, but 
too many of our farmers have failed in 
producing the quality demanded, through 
a lack of proper methods of feeding and 
care. 
Breeders Wno Fail.— Every large im¬ 
porter or breeder can remember many a 
man who has come to his farm, or to his 
pens at the State fairs, with a pocket full 
of money, and enthusiasm which was 
boundless, and bought a flock of high¬ 
bred sheep of some one of the English 
breeds, and after he had shipped them 
home, was never heard of again. Or, 
perhaps, he bought only a ram to cross 
on a fleck he already owned, and the re¬ 
sult was a failure. We all have such old 
customers in mind, and while regretting 
their failure, we are impressed more 
than ever with the necessity of adopting 
proper methods in caring for the flock. 
The improved breeds of sheep are not 
the result of accident, but rather of 
years of intelligent, persistent selection 
and breeding, which has always been 
accompanied by the most liberal methods 
of feeding. Any farmer who will be 
successful in breeding sheep of this 
kind, will find that success will be found 
only by adopting methods in feeding and 
caring for his flock, which are similar to 
the methods under which the breed has 
been brought up to its present type and 
excellence. As well might we expect a 
family of children brought up in luxury 
on Fifth Avenue to thrive in a Dakota 
dugout on a diet of corn bread, salt pork 
and molasses, as to look for success from 
keeping any of the breeds of British 
mutton sheep on a Timothy pasture 
without water in Summer, or a ration of 
straw, Timothy hay and corn in Winter. 
Genesee Co., N. Y. frank d. ward. 
SHEEP IN KANSAS. 
BOW TO MAKE THEM FAY. 
In ordinary business, a net yearly in¬ 
come of 10 per cent is considered quite 
a good thing, and 25 to 33 per cent an 
extra good thing ; but if a man should al¬ 
ways average 100 per cent clear profit, he 
is thought to be a dishonest dealer, or else 
special favors go his way. I do not con¬ 
sider that I live in a very good sheep 
country, and every one knows that wool 
has not been very high in price of late 
years, yet my sheep have netted me 100 
percent on an average, for several years, 
and I see no reason why they will not 
continue to do so. 
While this is a problem to many, it 
seems to me to be the ^simplest thing in 
the world. I have a good breed of mut¬ 
ton sheep, graded up from common stock 
by using choice registered Shropshire 
rams for eight generations, and as I have 
always culled very closely, have kept 
only those of a certain ipdividual type, 
all my flock look exactly alike, and by 
using good judgment in the selection of 
the ram, my lambs all look alike. Dis¬ 
ease and accident have killed four per 
cent of the old stock per year for me, 
and I think the most careful shepherd 
should expect to lose at least this 
amount; yet with this loss, the flock 
has always averaged a lamb each for the 
full number, and there are always some 
lambs lost and some young sheep that do 
not lamb. But enough lambs are always 
raised to maturity to equal the numbers 
of the old herd, or 50 lambs for 50 old 
sheep. This is as large a flock of ewes 
as should be wintered on a 100-acre farm, 
and every 160 acre farm should have that 
number. 
It is a fact that the wool and manure 
will pay all cost of keeping the sheep 
the year around, and this leaves the 
lamb crop to represent the net profit 
If they are raised and fattened on pas¬ 
ture, and sold in the Kansas City mar¬ 
ket about September 1, they will average 
70 pounds each, and sell for $6 to $6.25 
per 100 pounds at that date, or a net 
profit of about $4 each. If all the lambs 
are sold at these figures, and the old 
sheep are worth only about $4 each, it 
will be seen that the net profit is 100 
per cent. Here is how a bunch of 50 
ewes and one ram has averaged for me : 
50 ewes at $1 each cost.$00.00 
1 ram. .00 
4 per cent loss. 8.00 
Cost of keep. 100.00 
Total cost. $333.00 
40 lambs sold at $4.$160.00 
8 ewe culls sold (80 pounds at 5c.)... 32 00 
460 pounds wool at 14c. 64.40 
Manure value. 50.00 
50 ewes, left much improved.210.00 
1 ram left. 25.00 
Total income. $541.40 
Net profit...... $208.40 
After several generations’ breeding to 
good sires, the $4 ewes are worth $10 
each, and it cost no more to breed this 
way than any other way. A ram is ex¬ 
pensive, but he is half the flock as far as 
mutton is concerned, also half the flock 
as to wool, and is really of more value 
than all the 50 ewes Then why should 
one object to paying $25 for an animal 
really worth $200, or even more ? 
I have never yet failed to have a good 
ram, and his get has always sold him for 
me at cost or more. It would be a fear¬ 
ful disappointment to me to have a poor 
ram. I would lose money on the lambs 
sold for mutton, and would be obliged 
to sell them all, not keeping any ewe 
lambs, and thus not being able to cull 
out the flock ; in fact I would not only 
lose money, but take a step backward, 
as the ewes are one year older. My ewes 
are now worth $10 each, and I fully ex¬ 
pect their lambs to sell for breeders at 
$10 each. 
The 10 lambs I retained in the Fall of 
1897 I can now sell for $10 each, as a 
close observer could not tell them apart, 
and every one of them now has twins. I 
can pick out 10 ewe lambs from them 
that cannot be told from their dams 
when grown. This is “individuality”. 
Moran town, Kan. j c. N. 
The U.S. Triple Current Separator 
is noted for its 
THOROUGHNESS OF SEPARATION* 
EASE OF OPERATION, AND DURABILITY. 
Never Been Out of Running Order in 3 Years. 
Gerry, N. Y., April 14th, iSqg. 
I bought a No. 3 Improved U. S. Separator in the spring of 
V>, have made as much as 5,000 lbs. of butter per year, separat¬ 
ing as high as 800 lbs. of milk per day, and during all this time 
it has never been out of running order. I have expended for 
repairs the amount of 50 cents for rubber rings. I used one 
ring over a year. I have tested the skim-milk from time to 
time without detecting scarcely a trace of butter fat. 
E. S. OSTRANDER. 
Write for large illustrated catalogues. Free. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO., Bellows Falls, Vt. 
CREAM MATO, 
Would you know 
all about them? 
The best, the 
cheapest, and the 
reasons why? 
Send for new 
1899 catalogue. 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO., 
Randolph and Canal Sts , 74 Cortlandt Street 
CHICAGO. NEW YORK. 
Save the Skim-Milk 
Farmers are beginning 
to realize that practically 
allot the fertilizing value 
of milk is in the skim- 
tnilk, and none of it in 
the cream To kerp the 
skim-trilk at home use a 
Safety Hand Separa¬ 
tor. To is skim-milk is 
worth 22 cents a 100 
pounds for feed. Better 
save it. This plan saves 
all the fertility on the 
farm. You can’t af¬ 
ford to sell your 
fertility. Catalogue 
No 25, free. P . M> SHARPLES, 
Branches: West Chester, Piv. 
Toledo, O. St. Paul, Minn. 
Dubuque, la. San Francisco, Oal. 
Omaha, Neb. 
Top Price Butter. 
The kind that a fancy private 
trade demands, is colored with 
Thatcher’s Orange Butter Color — 
the color that does not contain 
any poison. Send for a sample. 
THATCHER MFG. 00., Potsdam, N.Y. 
THE BEST 
results in handling milk or cream, 
either for direct sale or for mak¬ 
ing butter ami cheese can only bo 
obtained by thoroughly cooling 
and aeratimr the milk. For this 
purpose nothing equals this 
ELECTRIC 
Milk Cooler 
and Aerator.... 
It take, out ull bad odor, 
and and makes the 
milk sweet, pure uud lout; 
keep!lit;. Kasy to use, easy 
to keep clean and will last indefinitely. Anybody can 
operate it; it Is not a complicated machine blit a simple 
device that performs the most efficient service. YV III 
pay for itself in a short time. Made in a number of 
convenient sizes from one cow up. Send for Milk Cooler 
and Aerator circulars, prices, etc.—J?' JrtEE. 
Electric Wheel Co., Box 309, Quincy, Ills. 
TRUE DAIRY SUPPLY CO., 
CONTBACTOB8 AND BUILDERS OP 
Butter and Cheese Factories, 
AND MANUFACTURERS OP 
Machinery, Apparatus and Supplies for 
Cheese and Butter Factories, 
Creameries and Dairies. 
303,305,307 and 309 Lock St., Syracuse, N. Y. 
References: First Nat. Bank of Syracuse; 8tate Bank 
of Syracuse; R. G. Dun & Co.’s Mercantile Agency; 
The Bradstreet Co.’s Mercantile Agency, or any Bank 
or Business House In 8yracnse and adjacent towns. 
Never Varies in Strength. 
W., It. & CO'S TMPROVED BUTTER 
COLOR ALWAYS THE SAME 
The Last Drop is as Clear and 
Strong as the First. 
Nothing is more essential In a butter color than 
uniformity of strength, and this is impossible in the 
old-fashioned annatto colors. Wells, Richirdson & 
Co.’s Improved Butter Color Is a scientific product, 
and never vari03 in strength or shade. It does not 
have to be shaken before using, and the last drop in 
the bottle is as clear and as strong as the first. 
The highest dairy authorities both in the United 
States and England Indorse this co.or in the strong¬ 
est terms, and it is to-day used in over 90 per cent of 
the butter made In this country. 
IP” If you are not using this co.or, send four cents 
fur postage on a free sample, to the manufacturers, 
Wells. Richardson & Co., Burlington, vt. 
SUCCESSFUL DA I It Y.U EN use 1 cent s worth 
SHOO-FLY 
Saves 3 quarts uiilk daily if used in time. 
NO FLIES, TICKS, VERMIN OR SORES ON COWS. 
Thousands duplicate 10 gallons. lJeware of imitations. 
“ I have used several so-called "Cattle Comforts 
none equal to 'SHOO-FLY. It is effective and 
cheap. Used 100 gallons.” H.W. Com port. Falls- 
ington, Pa., President Pennsylvania Dairy Union. 
Send ‘35c. Money refunded if cow is not protected. 
SIIOO-FLY MFG. CO., 1005 Fairmomit Ave., PHILA, FA. 
Losing the Cow. —I can weTT under¬ 
stand your feeTings in Tosing LittTe BTos- 
som. I have been there severaT times. 
A few years ago, I bought an oid im¬ 
ported cow, and was fortunate enough 
to get a heifer from her. Last Summer, 
the young cow (aged five) died of milk 
fever, and aithough she Teft two heifers, 
it was a hard blow to me. She was 
worth $200 in money, but to me she rep¬ 
resented more. You can imagine how 
pleased I was when she came, how I had 
cared for her, and the gratification I had 
felt as she developed into a grand dairy 
cow, until last Spring, I planned to test 
her for a butter record so she could go 
into the list of tested cows. In prepar¬ 
ing her for this test, I overdid the thing, 
and her death was the result. I actually 
cried when I buried that cow, and I 
shall be very careful with the next 
one. dairyman. 
lJmi Ti .uI ll■— iii'ii i 
ntfuc no*', 
F«.u, .»!»»,,rJ AIUOU 
1 lu> rcttrvi.it ol 1. 
l- 1 1. im 
<>'*» U t* Draw.I 
•>»-k Hit pttfun r»d 
*1imi 1 be Fuc ritre w ,i 
n,, ”» * *'Oe »pra« I 
rr. 4 L. 1 rr* only a Ire «n.. 
•“* 1 '* lp'-*v 4 he. 
«h!ftv «*• Mil 
VVbrn fn»i itmtuir ,1 
'»* “ '» 0* ,UiMf 1 . 
*’ic ...«• omr i 
i.iy jI 'J if >i. r , 
KILFLY. 
More Milk, More Money, More Comfort 
for Cows and Milkmen. 
A Liquid Mixture of Untold Value. 
Applied with Childs’ Electric Sprayer. 
Protects cows from the torture of flies, thereby increasing the 
amount of milk. Absolutely harmless to man or beast. 
Put up in one gallon cans. 
Once Tried, Always Used. 
ELECTRIC SPRAYER 
Convenient and Practical in Every Particular. 
Throws a \cry fine spray of any of the liquids and mixtures usually 
used for destroying insects, hugs, etc . and for keeping cattle free from flies 
during the summer weather. Can he thoroughly cleaned after using a poisonous mixture, 
which is conveniently done by removing the cover. Kspecially recommended for spraying potato vines 
with Paris green, also ail kinds of plants, hushes, vines, trees, and interior of henneries, with any desired 
formula. Sample Lot One gallon can KILFLY and one Sprayer, securely packed, expressed to any 
address (except in State of Maine) charges prepaid, upon receipt of $2.00. Special prices for quantity 
Agents Wanted Everywhere. CHAS. H. CHILDS & CO., Utica, N. Y. 
