!?3€HEU> RAISING JA g
fe y lin America i {ML \
v HEEP raising is one of the chief ac
tivities of the American rural do
main, and it is one that has shown a
constantly expanding scope year aft
( \ er year, seemingly without much
VJ Mi j regard to the good years and bad
S ' many of the other occupations of the
( g*...a farming community. It is interest
ing to note that sheep are associated
with man in the earliest records of
the human race. They were first
used only for milk, and later the skins were used
for clothing. Up to about a century and a half ago
wool was the primary consideration in sheep rais
ing, but about the time mentioned an Englishman
began the first systematic and intelligent improve
ment of mutton sheep and it Is a question whether
this is not now the most Important branch of the
industry both at home and abroad.
The mutton sheep was rather slow r In invading
America. The wool-producing Merino (which came
originally from Spain) was monarch of all he sur-
BU // XX
a >X xV
A —
veyed on this side of the Atlantic for many years
and many a farmer paid almost fabulous prices
for sheep having no adaptation to anything except
wool production. Perhaps this state of affairs was
due to the impression that so long held sway that
the American people were pre-eminently a nation
of pork eaters and had little appreciation for good
mutton. Whatever justification there may have
been for Ihls in the past It certainly ceased years
ago. A depression in the price of wool some
score of years ago was very influential In
bringing about a change of conditions, and
once started the new movement in behalf
of mutton sheep swept all before It. In
deed, In some years a single market, such as
Chicago, has shown a gain of fully a million sheep
over the twelve months preceding. Canada
sends great numbers of mutton sheep to this
country as well as considerable quantities of wool.
The experience of later years has proven that
the rich lands and abundant feeds of the United
States are well suited to the economical produc
tion of superior mutton and the furthermore mut
ton sheep if properly selected can grow a large
part if not all of the wool demanded for Ameri
can manufacturing. Experts declare that there is
no greater error than the impression on the part
of many people that sheep are suited only to in
ferior land. To be sure, sheep, unlike some other
animals, can get along on scanty vegetation, and
consequently will graze profitably on semi-arld
land, but on the other hand they render an es
pecially large return for a liberal ration of good
foods. As showing how much more appreciation
of this fact there is in other countries than In the
United States it may be cited that recent statis
tics showed that there were not to exceed 25
sheep per thousand acres of land in our leading
agricultural states, whereas in England the high
priced agricultural lands sustain an average of
680 sheep per thousand acres, and in Scotland
there may be found as high as 1,380 sheep re
thousand acres.
The champions of scientific agriculture In the
United States are just now striving earnestly to
Impress our farmers with the fact that It would
be better to convert their surplus grain products
lto meats, such as mutton (at least to the extent
of supplying home demands) than to export the
corn and other grains as such. For example. It is
claimed that to raise SI,OOO worth of com takes
from the soil producing the crop about S3OO worth
Stirred Up the Street
Pandemonimm re'gned in a Dundee,
(Scotland) street the ccber day.
Bach a crying of babies aas seldom
been beard at once In any street of
the town. The Incident resulted from
an adventure which befell two-year
?ld Mary Depellettr who crawled
out on a window sill two stories
above the street and overbalancing,
tell to the ground. Her fall, however,
broken by her alighting on an-
■ft '-. 9 ■ ■ •■**■• * i
' *s s*A~ 'A.'**,**'* •*✓ < ’ /
- ■' .-> •■ -r • ■'' •'■ ■• - V
the United States. As our readers knew the
crowding of the cattle out of many section of the
range by the sheep has been attended by much
bitterness and controversy. There are three prin
cipal species of range sheep. The old Mexico
sheep are the direct descendants of the original
Spanish Merinos, brought over two hundred years
ago by the Spaniards in Old Mexico. They have
long legs; a long, thin body, and the wool is fine
and thin. They are hardy, excellent travelers and
will keep In good condition on the poorest and
driest of ranges. Often they outsell all other
sheep, for the meat has an excellent flavor and
the hide is thin, firm and soft. These original
Mexican sheep have been largely graded with Me
rino rams in New Mexico and southern Colorado.
The New Mexico sheep, as they are denominated,
are small-bodied sheep, and although they never
grow very large they get very fat. They bring
good prices, for the same reasons that obtain in
the case of the Mexican sheep above mentioned.
Merinos are also to be found on the range in great
numbers, many of them having been bred from
Merinos brought from the east. The lambs are
short-legged and not as good travelers as the
southern sheep, but they need not be, for Wyom
ing. Idaho, etc., have, on the average, better
ranges than are to be found in New Mexico, and it
is in these northern states that the Merinos hold
sway.
Almost all range sheep are affected with scab,
though It Is frequently so held in check as to be
scarcely noticeable. Asa remedy it is the general
practice to '‘dip” all range sheep, and this opera
tion, as carried on extensively on a large sheep
ranch is decidedly picturesque. Oftentimes it Is
deemed necessary to give the same sheep several
dippings at intervals of ten days, and occasional
ly this dipping Is done In zero weather. On the
large ranches there are specially constructed dip
ping vats with runways for the sheep as they ap
proach and leave the vats, etc. Various ingredi
ents are used In the preparation of the dips,
among the most popular being lime, sulphur and
tobacco.
As is well knowm, the American market has be
come the most discriminating in the world on
beef products and is rapidly coming to demand
a corresponding superiority In mutton. Conse
quently farmers and ranchers realize the neces
sity of selecting the best sheep. The value of Im
proved blood in sheep has come to be realized.
other youngster. This lucky circum
stance seems to have saved her life,
for when taken to the infirmary she
was found to be suffering from fright
only. The child on whom Mary tum
bled was as badly scared as the baby,
and she rolled over, screaming lustily.
The other little ones who had been
playing in the street under the win
dow were much startled, and they,
too, began to cry heartily. However.
of fertility, but the
same amount of corn
converted into mut
ton is claimed not
to take from the
land more than SSO
worth of fertility,
whereas if sold in
the form of wool it
will not take from
the land more than
$2 or $3 worth of
fertility. With mut
ton as the primary
consideration, how
ever, sheep raising
will return a satis
factory profit year
after year without
very much regard to
the price of wool.
In later years the
western territory
known as the range
became the great
breeding ground for
sheep, smd 'as far
back as a dozen
years ago this local
ity produced about
one-half of the total
number of sheep in
all suffered from shock only, save the
girl on whom the baby fell, and she
was found to have sustained slight
bruises.
One Pie for 70 Guests.
Seventy guests banqueted on a sin
gle pie at Gorleston, and there was
plenty to spare when they had finish
ed. The pie had a three inch crust
and weighed a hundredweight and a
half. It was made in three sections
or water tight compartments and each
hold had a substantial bulkhead of
A difficulty In mutton production has always been
the scarcity of stock sheep, particularly sires,
having sufficient merit to fill the standard of ex
cellence. The ideal sire, it may be added, should
be impressive, resolute and of noble bearing—
distinctly the head of the flock in every sense of
the word. This requires, of course, good consti
tutional and vital powers.
It has likewise come to be regarded as essen
tial, as above pointed out, that a mutton sheep
should have a good fleece as well as a good
carcase. This combination has been proven both
practical and profitable, and it Is no longer re
garded necessary to grow one sheep for a fleece,
another for a carcass and another for a lamb. An
intelligent, up-to-date flockmaster combines them
all in one mass. Some of the best mutton sheep
are producing as profitable fleeces as those kept
exclusively for wool and their lambs are decidedly
superior. As is well known, one of the first es
sentials in a good fleece is compactness or den
sity, this quality not only insuring a better yield
of wool, but also affording better protection
against storm. This indicates a hardier animaJ
and one better able to withstand exposure. It is
desirable to have a close, even, dense fleece with
no breaks, cover all parts of the body, including
the head, limbs and under parts, and the tendency
in latter day breeding i s toward carrying the
fleece more completely over the head, face limbs
and under parts.
The far-sighted sheep raiser is also coming to
guard against neglect or undue exposure of bis
flock, periods of sickness, or indeed anything that
will impair the vitality of the animals, for it has
come to be pretty well understood that such in
fluences diminish both the length and strength of
and finene ss, whereas, length and strength
f be " essen tial qualities in a good fleece.
\\ ell-fed sheep always produce the best wool and
the greatest quantity of It, and expert opinion‘is
to the effect that a fleece almost invariably begins
to decline In value after a sheep has passed the
age of four years. The best grade of woo! ‘is
invar-ably found on the rear part of the shoulder
anc wrinkles or folds of the skin about the neok
or other parts of the body are detrimental, inas
much as the wool that grows within these foils
s unlike other parts of the fleece and there Is a
consequent lack of uniformity.
The proper feeding of sheep is one of the cb*ef
responsibilities connected with the industry. In
some localities the “self-feeder” is extensively
employed, but in other localities it is not In mui’h
fa'or Properly cured alfalfa has come up wen
derfully In popularity as a food for sheep and
many sheep feeders have purchased extensive
areas of alfalfa for use in this connection.
of the large feeders in such states as Nebraska,
Colorado and Minnesota have no shelter for their
flocks, but It is generally conceded now that prop
erly constructed sheds are an advantage, al
though, of course, involving considerable outlay In
the case of large feeding yards. Some of the
most progressive sheep men now recommend
reeding three times a day, although others still
cling to the old Idea that it Is not necessary to
feed more than twice a day. Along with all these
other requisites for success in sheep raising there
Is the necessity for the good shepherd of judg
ment and experience. Even on the range where
sheep are supposed to be able to shift for them
selves there is a tendency to employ a better
class of rasn ae sheep herders.
The Genuine Article,.
I don’t know about this picture, Bobby,” said
the visitor, as he ran over specimens of the
youngster’s camera work. “I am afraid a dog
with a propeller instead of a tail Is something of
a fake.”
That ain’t a propeller,” said Bobby. "That’s
hla tail. He kept waggin’ It while his picture was
being tookened.”—Harper’s Weekly.
crust. Its Interior was packed with
six rabbits, six kidneys, twenty-eight
pounds of beefsteak and potatoes, tur
nips, carrots and sprouts. The sea pie,
as It is called, is boiled, not baked,
and its builder, Skipper Harman, made
the cooking process an eight hours
watch.
This three decker provided a savory
meal which more than satisfied the
guests, and Its wrecked and disman
tled hull provided ten gallons of ef:
cellent soup that was gladly welcomed
by the poor of Ooriostoc.- ~ Vkci ph
Margaret’s Wedding Veil
By MARTHA McCULLOCH-WIIUAMS
“Such a mess!*' Margaret sighed.
“But I'll have to wear it all summer!
Oh, dear! Why must one be so
poor? If 1 only had any way to do it.
I’d work my fingers off to get some
thing better.”
She was looking at her new frock
In the mirror she had set on the floor.
The skirt sagged outrageously, most
where it should have hung level. Be
ing of sleazy stuff, and ill cut. there
was no help for the sagging. Margaret
hated sleazy stuff—the simplest firm
cotton would have pleased her much
better than this bargain counter aeo
iian. Mrs. Lane, her stepmother, was
of a different mind. Her idea of ele
gance was bounded north, south, east
anr'/ west by frippery and trimmings.
“Now, 1 call that real tasty!” she
/lid, thrusting her head inside the
nhamber door. “Blue , with white
stripes—and you can’t deny it be
comes you. What If it does hang
pretty long behind —you’ve got as
much right to wear trail-frocks as
anybody.”
“Quite as much,” Margaret assent
ed.
The worst of it was —she could not
speak truth. Mrs. Lane was so hon
estly pleased with their joint handi
work. had put so much heart and
kindness into the choice and making
dress. It, would be brutal to tell
her how she hated it. Still —there are
limits to endurance. Margaret reach
ed them when Mrs. Lane suggested
putting a tucker of blue-sprigged mus
lin inside the square-cut neck.
“I’ll wait till I can get plain bob
binet,” she said.
Mrs. Lane flung up her hands. "You
know how the hens are slackin’ up in
their layin’,” she said. “We won’t
have three dozen eggs for Joe Davis
this week. And the sugar’s low, and
tea. next to nothin’ —and if you don’t
fix the neck of your new frock, you
can’t wear it to the picnlck.”
“I don’t care about going—not
much,” Margaret said, still dully—but
there was a wfistful undernote.
Mrs. Lane caught it, though Marga
ret meant she should not. But she
f so**.
|L
(j-
Looked at the Veil Hungrily.
said nothing, only turned and walked
out on the back porch, her mind run
ning thus:
"I’ll go without tea —surely I can
do it one week —and let the child
have what she wants. Joe Davis’ll
maybe advance me half a dollar —he
knows I never forget to pay. Marg
shall have the net —since she’s so set
on It. Patience knows the lawn’s a
heap prettier—but girls are all alike
—just plumb crazy to be in the fash
ion—and all the others have net
necks.”
Still revolving her plan, she scut
tled away bareheaded and came pres
ently to Joe Davis’ general store.
“Sure! You can have what you want
-—half dollar? Don’t you name no such
thing! Help yourself. I know a good
customer when I see her,” Joe said
genially, when with some falterings
she had made known her wishes.
Disappointment waited on them.
There was not a bit of net, or any
thing approaching it, In stock. Joe
was genuinely sympathetic; if only
he had known sooner! —-
Silent herself, she turned home
ward. Half way there a gusty, whif
fety wind blew something soft and
light directly in her face. It was
creamy white, and wonderfully flow
ered and sprigged all over —a lace
veil, real rose point, though she did
not know it. The tricky wind had
snatched It out of a window up at the
Gore house. It was the great house
of the village, and that day held a
visitor to whom rose point was a com
monplace.
Mrs. Lane looked a* the veil hun
grily, snuffed the delicate scent It ex-
Nellie Saw the Light
“You keep perfectly quiet, Nellie,”
spake her little mother, somewhat ir
ritably. “and let me comb your hair.
It’s a shame and disgrace. I just
wonder where you little girls get your
hair all snarled up like this. What in
the world do you do?”
Nellie winced as the comb caught
a rebellious hair and straightened out
a kink. From time to time she whim
pered during the ordeal.
"Unles you keep your hair combed
out nicely,” said the little mother,
“you’ll lose it all, and then you’ll be
bald when the other little girls have
long braids. How would you like
that?”
Nellie thought a bit. Then she saw
the point.
“That must be the reason,” she
mused. “Dr. Rybak hasn’t any hair,
I guess he didn’t have his hair combed
when he was a little boy.”
Dr J. F. Rybak is the family den
tist, and he hasn’t much hair, but
ho says that is in consequence of har
haled, her mouth grew firm —she had
found the thing—finding meant keep
ing, Rut Margaret would not think
so—she would be all for hunting up
the owner, never thinking of her own
need. She should not do It. Mrs.
Lane had her own dull ambitions. She
loved her husband’s daughter all the
better now that he was dead. Marga
ret should go to the picnic—Jimmy
Traynor would be there. Jimmy was
a sort of cousin, and highly desirable
in Mrs. Lane’s eyes. If only he could
see Margaret at her best, it might
mean a great deal. If he did not see
her. it was unlikely he would come
looking for her at home —and that
baggage Dora Carter would be sure
to make much of him.
“Joe hadn’t no bobblnet, but he
sold me this veil dirt cheap—only 50
cents—and waits fer the money.” Mrs.
Lane said as she flung the veil in
Margaret’s U p.
Margaret gave a little cry. She was
no more lace-wise than her elder, but
she knew beauty anywhere—the cob
web traceries, the delicate floriation.
as fine as frost-lace, filled her with
joy.
“You’re real good to roe. mother.”
she said, looking up, dewy-eyed "But
It don’t seem right to go in debt tor
—anything we can do without. It
don’t seem right, either, to cut and
slash this.” touching the lace tender
ly. “I wonder how Joe ever came to
buy it. I never saw It In the show
case.”
“You are the beat of all.” Mrs. Lane
said fretfully. “Here I been trompin’
.bareheaded in the sun to get what you
want, and you ain’t satisfied.”
“I’m too satisfied: the veil is too
pretty,” Margaret cried, getting up
and enveloping her throat in the fine
fabric
When she started to the picnic
next morning she was almost happy.
Blue was certainly her color; this
blue matched her eyes. She would
not look down at the taggy ruffled
skirt —rather she held up her head
so the lace at her throat might show
its full beauty. She had put in lace
sleeves, too —the veil was long and
ample. And still there remained a
lot of It, enough for covering her
frowsy pink hat as soon as she nad
time to do It. And lust at the gate
she ran upon Jimmy Traynor, coming
to escort her to the picnic grounds.
He gave a satisfied whistle at sight
of her and said;
“Peggy, I shall have the swagger
est girl of anybody. You look good
enough to eat, but don’t you be
afraid.”
“I sha’n’t be.” Margaret laughed.
Her holiday mcod ran unchecked
until dinner time. Jimmy stuck by
her. and, such is the force of exam
ple, three other youug fellows who
otherwise would hrve no mo;e than
nodded to her, had made a great pre
tense of hanging around the pair.
Miss Allda Venn came to the picnic
in anything but holiday mood. She
had been angry over coming to the
Gores —they were rich and childless,
therefore to be concilated. But they
need not have dragged her out among
their villagers!
If she had not been in such a tem
per she might not have'gone to ex
tremities. At sight of Margaret—in
nocently fine and vain, in her rose
point—she gave a little gasp and
clutched Mrs. Gore’s arm, crying;
“I knew it was stolen —my veil!
But you insisted there wasn’t thief in
all your precious village.”
“Allda, hush!” Mrs. Gore said In an
Imperative whisper. But Miss Venn
had darted from her. caught Margaret
by both shoulders and was shaking
her hard as she cried;
“How' dared you ruin It? My veil!
You know you stole it —”
“Excuse me. ma’am —but you know
that’s- no such thing.” Jimmy Raynor
Interrupted, breaking her clutch on
Margaret as he spoke.
Margaret was white as death. She
put her hand to her throat, as though
asking something of the iace. Intu
itively she sensed her stepmother’s
piteous subterfuge. “I did not steal
your lace —and I am sorry to have
cut it,’ she said tremulously. “We —
I —found it. You can have it all
back.”
“Found it! A I'kely story,” Miss
Venn began.
Raynor stepped before MargereL
“If you’ve got any men-folks, I’fl
like :o talk with them,” he said.
Miss Venn shook her head.
“Listen, I’ll pay for your veil! What
did it cost?"
“Only S3O0 —just a cheap thing,
you know-,” Miss Venn flung at him,
malevolently.
Margaret shuddered, but Jimmy
smiled.
“I’ll send you a check In the morn
ing—Judge Gore will tell you it’s
good,” he said. He turned to Marga
ret. “And you, Peggy, can maybe fix
the thing so it’ll do for a wedding
veil.”
ing it pulled out by too enthusiastic a
teacher.
The Queer Argan Tree.
Among 'he most remarkable trees
of the world is the argan, which
abounds In southern Morocco, but is
seldom seen elsewhere. A “forest” of
argans has a curious scattered appear
ance, because tne trees grow singly
and far apart. They are very leafy,
but seldom exceed twenty feet in
height. The branches put out hori
zontally, and begin a yard above the
ground. Sheep, cattle and camels feed
on the leaves, and goats will stand on
their hind lege to reach them, but
horses and mules refuse to touch them.
The wood is very hsird and extremely
useful to the natives, who make char
coal from it. The fruit, resembling a
large olive, is used to feed cattle and
to manufacture a valuable oil. It also
furnishes the principal sustenance of
many of the poorer natives. —Scientific
American
SHE GOT
WHAT SHE
WANTED
This Woman Had to Insist
Strongly, but it sJaid5 J aid
Chicago, lll. —*‘l sneered from a fe
male weakness and stomach trouble.
-f < and I went to the
' ®^ oro to get a bottlo
Manx's Vegetable
Compound, but the
- mo
' 0 something
I e^c * t)ut knowing
/.'// I1 all about it 1 in-
Wrmv Ill'll' J s^s t ec t and finally
: ’ - 11 got it, and I am ao
glad I did. for it has cured mo.
“I know of so many cases where wo
men hare been cured by Lydia E. I’ink
ham's Vegetable Compound that 1 can
say to every suffering woman ii that
medicine does not heVp her, there is
nothing that will.”—Mrs. Janeteki,
2063 Arch St., Chicago, 111.
This is the ago of substitution, and
women who want a cure should insist
upon Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable
Compound just as this woman did, and
not accept something else on which the
druggist can make a little more profit.
"Women who are passing through this
critical period or who are suffering
from any of those distressing ills pe
culiar to their sex should not lose sight
Of the fact that for thirty years Lydia
E. Pinkluim’s Vegetable Compound,
which is made from roots and herbs,
has been the standard remedy for fe
male ills. In almost every community
you will find women who havo been
restored to health by Lydia E. rink
ham’s Vegetable Compound.
NO MORE ASTHMA
Stop it. Leam bow. Send at onco for lu-:t.h ctuirt,
booklet and FREW THIATj. Scientific const Motional
treatment. Wonderful cures. IIKNIiJ All 1.1, AIC
BKMFUr CO., 721 So. IS. St.,Trtouui,\Vawh.
H ■ 'SPiFMTO Watson C.Oolermin.Wash.
(i ft R fi* I* 3 A Ington, Lt.O. Booksfreo.
■ is IBeIV H W eat references. Beat ratafia.
nrn&urr QTIRPU easiest to work with nd
Wtr IRWUt dlUfUin Btarcheu clotbes nicest.
Thompson’s Eye Water
His Christmas Check.
A1 Ryan, the hospitable Clin* glass
Worker of Lockport, N. Y. t and former
ly organiser of the socialist local at
that place, was being congratulated
by the boys at the glass factory.
“Yes,” said Al, “my uncle out in
Tiffin is mighty good to me. The day
before Christmas he sent me a check
for SIOO just as a little Christmas
gift.”
After the usual congratulatory com
ments had been duly made all around.
A1 added:
“Yes, he certainly is a fine 4d fel
low. In the postscript of his letter
containing the check, ho said:
“ ‘Dear AI. if you manage to get this
check cashed, please send me $4. I
need a pair of shoes.’ "-—The Coming
Nation.
A Great Grace.
It is no great matter to associate
with the good and gentle, for this is
naturally pleasing to all and everyone
willingly enjoyeth peace and lovoth
those best that agree with him. But
to be able to live peaceably with hard
and perverse persons, or with the dis
orderly, or with such as go contrary to
us, is a great grace, and a most com
mendable and manly thing.—Thomas
a Kempis.
The Old Love Possible.
Mrs. Clarence H. Mackay, at a gar
den party at Hampstead, praised the
working girl.
“How much nobler," she said, "to
work than to marry for money. 1
know a pretty girl who gave up a good
position to marry a man of sixty-eight.
“ T am marrying for love,' she told
her chum.
“ ‘And the old fellow,' said the
chum, disgustedly, ‘is worth $7,000,-
000!’
“ ‘Yes,’ was the reply. ‘lt’s the
$7,000,000 I’m in love with.' "
Of 6oyre He Cried.
“Jimmy! What on earth are you
crying about now?”
“Tommy Jones dreamed last night
that he had a whole pie to eat an’ I
didn’t.”
When a women calls for her hus
band to “come here a minute,” he
knows she has a two hours’ job for
him.
FOOD AGAIN
A Mighty Important Subject to Every
one.
A Boston lady talks entertainingly
of food and the changes that can be
made ia health by some knowledge on
that line. She says:
“An Injury to my spine in early wom
anhood left me subject to severe sick
headaches which would last three or
four days at a time, and a violent
course of drugging brought on consti
pation with ail the Ills that follow.
“My appetite was always light and
uncertain and many kinds of food dis
tressed me.
“I began to eat Grape-Nuts food two
or three years ago, because [ liked the
taste of It, and I kept on because 1
soon found It was doing me good.
“I eat it regularly at breakfast, fre
quently at luncheon, and again before
going to bed —and have no trouble in
‘sleeping on It.’ It has relieved my con
stipation, my headaches have practi
cally ceased, and I am In better physi
cal candltlon at the age of 63 than I
was at 40.
“I give Grape-Nuts credit for restor
ing my health. If not saving my life,
and you can make no claim for It too
strong for me to endorse." Name
given hy Postum Cos., Battle Creek
Mich.
Read the little book, "The Road to
Wellville," In pkgs. “There’s a reason.”
Ever wd (he above letter? Anew
one appears from time to time. They
are grenutete, true, and full of human
atWMi