20 
THE RURAL, IN fcC\V-YOKKER 
January 3, 
Live Stock and Dairy 
GETTING STARTED WITH MUTTON 
SHEEP. 
Two classes of men are making money 
from farm flocks of mutton sheep. One, 
the man who is gifted with the natural 
ability to select his breeding animals and 
look after every detail that will add to 
the welfare of his sheep—the other, the 
man with a determination and who per¬ 
sistently studies and labors until he ac¬ 
quires a working knowledge of the sheep 
business. Before investing in the sheep 
business a man should have a fixed idea 
of the shape and model of the animals 
he wishes to breed. The ideal always 
comes before the actual. The plan of 
the building is in the builder’s mind, and 
drawn out on paper before the work is 
started. The man is always greater than 
any of his works; and he must have his 
plans clearly defined in his mind before 
he can work to any definite purpose. 
If a breeder does not have in his mind 
what an ideal animal is, he will secure 
it only by accident. Mow to study the 
breeds and get this ideal clearly in mind 
is a question I am going to illustrate by 
citing an incident that marked the be¬ 
ginning of a young breeder’s success with 
Shropshires. 
A few years ago, while making a cir¬ 
cuit of the State fairs, I met a young man 
who was studying the various breeds of 
mutton sheep with an idea of buying a 
foundation flock. Me had examined a 
large number of exhibits and failed to 
The prospective buyer remarked that 
Shropshires and Southdowns seem to take 
right well in New York. They are the 
aristocrats of the show yard and a right 
valuable all around sheep. Size up the 
rams, note their blocky, compact form, 
note the growth of wool. Here is a bunch 
of ewes that are about right, not as well 
conditioned perhaps as they might be. but 
all have brought good lambs, which ac¬ 
counts for their lack of flesh. They are 
fine shaped individuals and possess the 
ideal meat-making form. Such sheep 
ought to do well on your New York farm. 
What about the Southdowns? None 
better, they are very beautiful sheep, 
have mutton quality to spare, but are a 
little small. They are a little short on 
wool in spots, but that is no great fault, 
and can be largely overcome by careful 
selection and breeding. Great sheep for 
their inches, early maturers and always 
fit to sell. Given the right feed and 
treatment they* make excellent feeders. 
Go slow on feeding them too much corn, 
for it frequently injures their breeding 
qualities. 
What do you think about Hampsliires 
and Oxfords? They are fine sheep. Pret¬ 
ty black in the face, good size, perhaps 
if anything a trifle coarse and carry a 
little too much bone. Given plenty of 
feed and they will surprise a man, starve 
them and they are no good. Good sheep 
for the man who keep two or three dozen 
breeding ewes and gives them the most 
painstaking care; make great mutton 
when grown to maturity. Good feed the 
whole year through is what these big 
REMOVING AN OVERCOAT. Fig. 0. 
buy. First, lie wanted to find out as 
much as possible about the various 
breeds of mutton sheep and he asked me 
if I would go about with him and tell 
him. 
He was a wise young man. He did 
not know, and he knew that he did not 
know, and that is about half the battle 
when a man is buying foundation stock. 
It is the man who thinks he knows but 
still does not know who gets the worst 
of it. The large fair is a great place to 
study breeds and type. A man may see 
representative animals of the various 
breeds and types in their best estate. If 
he observes keenly he can note many 
points of excellence and utility that own¬ 
ers and supporters of each breed prize 
highly. lie can compare the breeds and 
individuals at close range, which he can¬ 
not do by visiting the flocks in different 
localities. Comparison of breeds and 
types is of great assistance in enabling 
a man to form an ideal of the kind of 
stock he should breed. By seeing all the 
breeds together, it takes no very positive 
character to form an ideal and decide 
for himself which animals would do best 
in his own locality and on his own farm. 
The breeders and exhibitors are a fine 
set of men to visit with. They are look¬ 
ing for business, and will tell you more 
about the breeds and types than you can 
learn from other sources in years. A 
man does not need to buy until lie has 
made up his mind as to just the kind of 
stock he wants. Going the rounds of the 
various sheep pens and watching the 
work of the judges while placing the 
awards gives a man a liberal education. 
sheep need and must have. Not quite as 
well adapted to New York as to the corn 
belt. If you like them best there is 
little danger of going wrong with them. 
How do you like those long wools? 
Long wools have merit along certain 
lines, produce good mutton lambs, but not 
so good as the Downs. Cotswold and 
Lincolns have never been very popular 
in the East; seem better suited to the 
range. Lots of them in the Far West 
and some valuable flocks in Canada. 
Why did we go into breeding Dorsets? 
We got the flock cheap. If the ewes have 
many more sets of triplets we shall have 
to buy more land. Still these Dorsets 
have many good qualities. There is need 
to go a little careful with the ewes. They 
all have horns. That old buck would 
make a good battering ram; made the 
stable door look like it had been through 
a cyclone, killed a neighbor’s trail hound 
and thrashed our bulldog. Ewes are 
great breeders and give lots of milk. 
They grow twins and triplets to beat the 
band. Excellent feeders, and make the 
best of mothers for Christmas lambs. 
There is great demand for these sheep in 
Eastern States where the hothouse lamb 
business is beginning to start up. They 
are easy to carry along with the swine 
and help to meet expenses on the circuit. 
“Well now, honestly, which do you 
think is the best breed?” asked the young 
man who was looking for information. 
“There must be a best breed among them 
somewhere.” No, there isn’t. The best 
breed is the one you like best and think 
best suited to your farm and neighbor¬ 
hood. w. M. it. 
A BREEDER’S EXPERIENCE. 
Recently I saw the statement by a 
correspondent of The R. N.-Y., that he 
could not afford to buy purebred females 
for dairy purposes, but that breeders 
would make him every inducement to 
buy a bull. Why is it the average farm¬ 
er hates the word purebred? Every¬ 
where the purebred sire, when given a 
chance, even on the most common ani¬ 
mal shows his superiority, be it horse, 
cow, hog or perhaps only a dog. Many 
times I have sent meritorious sons of 
my best cows to the butcher, when all 
around me my neighbors were breeding 
their cows to common animals picked up 
at an auction. These calves could have 
been bought for a small advance above 
vealing value, but they would not have 
them. Right now I am buying calves for 
feeders from dairies using a common bull 
that only average 25 per cent of tops; a 
neighbor using a purebred bull gets top 
price every time. 
One cannot pay too much for a sire if 
one can afford it; on the other hand the 
purebred sire, no matter how low in 
pi ee, if a lit animal to 1 reed from wilt 
improve any common lord. AfL'i* the 
first purchase the next will be more easy. 
When I bought my first bull I had an 
option on two animals, one at .$80 which 
I was using for his keep out of a nearby 
herd and one from a distance at $35. As 
money was scarce and both pedigrees 
looked good on paper, I bought the cheaper 
bull. From my bull I got nothing, and 
the other later, sired a 35-pound record 
cow, and in my herd he sired the best 
two-year-old I ever put a pail under, 
also the best grade cow in a daily of 30 
head. 
My next venture was much as vour cor¬ 
respondent describes. While at a breeder’s 
buying two heifers lie gave me the usual 
song about buying a bull, i said no. and 
continued to say no. lie walked back in 
his barn and brought out a bull calf and 
threw it in the sleigh, then lie said : “If 
you don’t pay for it this year you will 
next.” This bull proved a great breed¬ 
er; his calves were large and straight, 
and nearly all heifers. His first daughter 
at two years made a record of 15.03 
pounds fat in seven days, and every time 
I set a pail under one of them I thank 
the breeder for his persistency in making 
the sale. 
I think your correspondent could deal 
with the small and obscure breeder to his 
advantage; many a good animal at a 
moderate price is overlooked in a desire 
to buy from the top-notchers. These 
same men are good judges of cattle; they | 
pick up an animal here and there at a 
small price, take her home and give her 
a record, and her price goes up to five j 
hundred or a thousand dollars, and her I 
bull calves are in great demand as herd 
headers. If one is versed in breeding 
lines and a judge, or perhaps I should 
says knows what he wants, it pays to 
buy from the original owner. it. 
New York. 
Mrs. K nicker: “Do you have eggs for 
breakfast?” Mrs. I’ocker: “No, but we 
have a phonograph record of a cackle.”— 
New York Sun. 
“Does advertising pay? I lost a five- 
dollar bill ini the street.” “Well?” "I 
advertised, and so far I have received 
three five-dollar bills.”—Pittsburgh Post. 
When you write advertisers mention 
The It. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick 
reply and a "square deal.” See guaran¬ 
tee editorial page. : : : : 
A TREATISE 
on the 
Horse— 
w 
Wo offer free tills book — . 
that tells you about many a j 
of tho diseases nlllleUng W 0 ' ' 
horses and how to treat 
them. Call for it at your . 
local druggist's or write us. 
KENSS&LL’S 
SPAVIN CURE 
is a safe and reliable remedy. It will cure Ringbone, 
Splint and other bony enlargements. It is also a re¬ 
liable remedy for Curbs, Sprains, bruises, Cuts and 
Lameness. It does the work safely nt small cxpcnr.c. 
Itoad what James M. Thompson, Fraeu- Mills, B. C., writes : | 
*'Would you kindly pend mo one of your liorso books? 1 bavo a 
Votorlnarv book which 1 paid 16.00 I- r, but I believe I can get 
more satisfaction out of Kendall's Treatise on tho 
liorso. 1 pave tho book you sent mo beforo to au- 
Otborbara boss," 
And Ikr. Win. Booth, of Gravette, | 
Ark., writes: 
“Your hook Is worth fj.OO If only uc*<l 
tS an aid In locating Inmenras. Shoulder i 
Jomcnosa is tho most difficult lor l.i I 
inexperienced man to locate. It ! 
is easy, however, with tho bolp 
of jour book." 
Kendall's Spavin I 
Cure Is sold at tho I 
uniform prleo of 
(1.00 a bottle, or 
G bottles for 65.00.1 
If you cannot get 
It or our free hook 
at your local druggist, 
write us. 
DR. B. 1 . KENDALL COMPANY 
KENDALL’S 
IS HOUSE 
IXSLliAM E 
Enosburg Falls, Vermont, U. S. A. 
Package^ 
will cure any case cr 
money refunded 
$1 Package 
cures ordinary cases. 
Postpaid on receipt of price. 
Agents Wanted 
Wi ite for descriptive booklet t 
MINERAL. 
'"“HEAVE 
over 1 
50 
years 
REMEDY 
NEGLECT 
Will Ruin 
Your Horse* 
Send to-day for ’ 
only 
PERMANENT 
CURE 
Sale— Certaia 
Mineral Hea^e Remedy Co.. 461 Fourth Are., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Spavins, Curbs, Etc., Cured 
by prompt application of Quinn’s Ointment. 
Money returned if you are not Satisfied. 
is used by most expert ■ _ 
cnccd veterinarians,horsemen and farm- 
Ask your druggist; if he cannot BUI 
. supply 
$1.00, f< 
for 
you, send us his name and address, with 
bottle on trial. Write for booklet. 
W. 8. EDDY & CO.. Dept. R, Albany, N. Y. 
COOK YOUR FEED and SAVE 
Half the Cost—with the 
PROFIT FARM BOILER 
With Dumping Caldron. Empties 
its kottloin one minute. Thesimpleet 
and best arrangement for cooking 
food forstock. Also make Utiiry anti 
Laundry Stoves, Water anti 
Steam Jacket Kettles, liog 
Sealtlers, Caldrons,etc. I#“Send 
for particulars and ask for circular- J 
I). it. Sperry & Co., Batavia, Ilf 
Heesen Feed Cooker 
A money-saver—fat¬ 
tens pigs, keeps Stock 
sleek and weil. Pays 
for itself by doubling 
food value—prevents 
hog cholera, too. 
8trong, simple, quick- 
heating. Low prico — 
write today. 
Heesen Bros. & Co. 
Box 135 Ttcumseh, Mich. 
Every gallon saves a bushel of 
price $7.00 per barrel (56 gallons), f. o. b. 
feeding half a barrel. Order quick. 
gram. Guaranteed pure cane molasses. Cut 
Pennsylvania factory. Money back if not satisfied alter 
(16) 
WATTLES & COMPANY, Box 15- , Litchfield, Michigan 
KNOW HOW MUCH YOU MAKE THIS YEAR 
No one shall pay a cent for L’ickmoro'n Farm Account Book. Mr. Farmer, simply send us your name and 
address. Business farming puts money In (he bank. This book is arranged to keep all accounts In simple 
form—more simple, and certainly more practical than trying to'remembcr them; shows what to charge against 
crop production; has a laborer's time record; and section lor personal accounts. 64 pogos; tor Ink or pencil. 
Not a cheap affair. Its quality is in keeping with 
BICKMORE’S GALL CURE 
Asoothing, healing salve, Die old-time reliable horse remedy. Horses are now too valuable and too high priced 
to take chances of losing their services. Get full value out of yours. Bickmore’a Gall Cure heals and cures 
Harness and Saddle Galls, Rope Burn, Cuts', Scratches, Grease Heel, etc. Keeps them sound 
and in condition for work. You don't have to lay tho horse off. Blckmore’s Gall Cure 
cures while the horse works. Great thing for sore teats in cows. Look out lor substitutes 
ami cheap Imitations. Be sure to ask lor Btekmore’s Gall Cure at the store. T'.J work¬ 
horse trade mark on every box. Farm Account Book Is ready. Send today. 
BICKMORE CALL CURE CO. 
Box 236 Old Town, Malno 
