The progressive farmer and the cotton plant. [volume], December 06, 1904, Page 3, Image 3

About The progressive farmer and the cotton plant. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1904-1905

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
Tuesday, December 6," 1904.
PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND COTTON PLANT.
Mutton Growing a Profitable Industry for Farmers.
i- . ' -'.V:
After the. exhaustive and
conclusive, series of articles
on "Profitable Sheep Raisin?
in the South," contributed to
The Progressive Farmer by
Mr. Samuel Archer, it ought
not to be necessary to refer
often to the . subject in our
columns. We do find, how
ever, m the current number
jf Wallace's Farmer so strong
an argument in, behalf 'of en
larged sheep flocks that we
' cannot afford to pass it by.
Says Dr. Wallace: -
"Blessed is the man that
has a flock of, mutton sheep
1 i
ana jsnows now to take care
of them. They are sure
money-maker3; just as sure
as Government bonds or first-
class railroad bonds, and pay
ing three or four times thp interest. The farmer
who through evil report and good report has held
, on to the sheep, not becoming scared at any tem
porary depression or threat Of tariff removal, or
anything else, has made good'money right 'along,
and will make more money than ever in the future.
His farm is comparatively free from weeds where-
OOn f1TI rrfO T(l nnrl hin Innrl ,n
stantly growing richer.
"Why do we prophesy better returns in the fu-
turei xsecause, nrst, tnere nas been a wonderful
decrease in the Australian flocks, from whence
has come our main supply of fine wool in years
past".
- "Second, because there has been, and will con
tinue to be,a decrease in the available area for
oiiccrp ,Luz.iiig uai me raugesj pariiy oecause oi xne
appropriation of large tracts of territory for
Government- reservations" andf olflrrlgatloiTlJuT
. ITOScs, parxty uecause we suuep ai. out ine nauve
grasses which cannot be readily restored, and part
ly because of the innovation of tne nester, or
homesteader, and the out and out purchase of rail
. road lands for cattle growing purposes. This
condition of things is permanent.
"Third, because there has-been a decided in
crease in the demand for mutton, which in turn
has been the result of. the introduction of the
mutton sheep. It is popular to eat mutton now.
It was not a few years ago." This condition,-too.
is permanent.
"In addition to all this there has been a de-
and also of the Continent, so that in time to come
America must be depended upon to furnish a
still larger amount of J;he prime mutton to the
mutton eaters of the Old World. The feeding of
sheep has been very profitable, in the years past
so that there has been a demand for immense num
bers of lambs from New Mexico and other mutton
fr-rnTiTiTKT rliQfriP.ts -
"The decrease in the .acreage that can be de
voted to sheep husbandry will shorten very great
ly the supply of feeders and the time will come,
and that soon, when the Iowa and Nebraska feed
er will have to either grow his own lambs or' pur
chase them from neighbors who do grow them, for
this reason, that the great advance in the price
of wool and the eager inquiry and offers to con
tract for next year's clip 'and the rapid advance
of fine wool the world over will cause, and if
causing, many ranchmen" to resort to fine wool
bucks in order to improve th'e quality of their
wool. This will at the same time decrease the
mutton quality so that it will not be possible when I
this movement is fully under way and its effects
are .clearly visible to buy sheep of the mutton
type for feeders in the corn and gras3 States.
We, therefore, urge our readers who have mut
ton flocks" to hold on to them and to increase them
I . " y fjt f- '
Si
? w
FLOCK OP SOUTHDOWN SHEEP IN VIRGINIA.ION SOUTHERN RAILWAY.
up to one hundred head on each quarter section
of land. Do not get the fine wool craze. The
Rambouillet, however, are not objectionable; in
fact, there is one strong point in their favor, that
they are not so affected with the stomach worms.
Use in your flocks either Southdown, Cotswold,
Hampshire or Oxford rams. Keep your flock in
good shape, and you will make money by it. '
"We have for nearly twenty years been urging
farmers to fence their farms sheep-tight and be
gin with a flock of twenty-five head of ewes, thus
cleaning up what would otherwise go to waste,
making mutton out of weeds" and enriching their
farms. It would seem to us that all these years
we have been talking to deaf ears. We have re
garded this as the s'oundest kind of agricultural
.teaching, and have wondered why it has produced
so little effect. 'The time will come, an4 is com-
this advice, profit by it, a'iid wonder why they did
not profit by it a long time ago. , ;
"The -causes that have led to the present strong
demand for mutton and wool are for the most
part permanent. We earnestly urge every farmer
who can afford to put up the right kind of fences,
and shows any indication of sheep sense, to invest
as soon as possible in a flock of twenty-five good
mutton ewes, mate them with a buck of the breeds
above-mentioned, and make some good money. If
the farmer will not do it, let the boy take it up.
The boy can make money on sheep even if the old
man cannot."
A Few "Don'ta" for the Poultry Raiser.
Messrs Editors : Although this is a" queer head
ing for an article, I believe that a little advice
along this line will be beneficial to many. In the
first place, we will -consider the yearling, or we
might say, the molting hens. It is very essential
that you
Don't forget to furnish them with plenty of
feather-growing food, if you wish your fowls to
pass through the molting season in the shortest
possible time. Green cut,bone, sunflower seed, lin
seed, meal and clover are excellent for this pur
pose. m ' '
Don't keep hens which commence to molt after
October 15th or November 7th, no way, unless
they are valuable specimens. If you do you . will
be out the cost of theii food until they commence
to lay in March. '
Don't think because' your fowls are not laying
very well "just now that is an economy to cut down
their feed supply and lessen the care you have
given themv If you do this you will be sorry next
winter.
Don't keep cocks or cockerels with hens during
the molting season. Both sexes are better off by
themselves.
"" Don't forget to spray the roostsand nests every
other, week with some good lice killer. Kerosene
oil is all right, but it should be used every other ,
day, at least, as it is not very lasting. ;
If you forget all the above, don't forget to give
your poultry houses a thorough cleaning. Disin
feet by burning sulphur for two -or three hours
arid give the interior a thorough jtfhite-washing.
Hens like a house that is white inside far better
than one lined with black paper. If you use black
paper on the outside, use it under the clap
boards. Some fine day this month is a good time
to gather some leaves to use on the-floor of your
house next winter for litter. You will find that
it will pay to do this. x ' .
If your hen-house roof leaks, or if the windows
are broken out, don't forget to repair them before,
the winter gets too cold, or you may have a few
cases1 of roup on your hands.
"--j i g "-t i
stock. will not be out of place. In the . first place,
don't let cockerels and pullets runtogether unless
you wish to lose money and time. Both will ma
ture earlier if kept separated. "
Don't feed the cockerels the same ; as you feed
the cockerels which you are preparing for market.
The pullets need less corn and more wheat and
OatS. '':'-
Don't keep pullets confined in a small yard all
the time. Let them out for two hours at night
and note the. improvement they make.
Don't force one hundred pullets to roost ''where,
there is room for only fifty, unless you wish them
to Jiave roup. . v "
Don't let these terrible mites get a foot-hold in
your coops or you will lose your summer's profit.
Last, but not least, don't neglect to give all
the fowls an abundance of grit, shells, charcoal
and fresh water every day, and don't fail to lay in
a supply of cabbage, beets, turnips and small po
tatoes to cook for the fowls during the winter.
a farmer;
Cleveland Co., N, C. - - :
:.i Dairy Experiments. ;
The Kansas State Agricultural College Expcri-
ment Station, loea ted at Manhattan, has just is-.
sued Bulletin, No. 125, "Experiments with 'Dairy
Cows." This is an extensive publication, giving
experiments, some of which have extended over
three or four years' time and touch upon nearly
every phase of the dairy industry. Among the
experiments recorded are some with ordinary,
grade cows, some with grade cows selected for
their dairy points; and others with pure-bred ani
mals. Experiments are also described in feeding
cows, both in the stable and on pasture. Much
information is given concerning testing milk and
the conditions which cause variation in the re
sults. This ibulletin, like all the. others of the 4.
Station, will be sent free of charge to any farmer
applying for it: 1