Show MORE ORE SHEEP SHOULD BE RAISED ON FARMS panel acl and braces for making a portable sheep fence wire fencing Is 1 atao also frequently used in tho ahe construction of panels prepared by br thi united states department ment 0 Agil culture sheep husbandry should receive more attention from the farmer of this country than it does at tile tho present time unquestionably sheep raising could profitably be ba fitted into tho general al management of thousands thousand 3 of of farms anus where there la Is none nt at tho the present nt time on oil many other farms tho the size of the noci couta could bo be increased and more tit attention liven given to this branch of farming with resulting profit to tile tho owner ric according cording to tho department of agriculture it has bas been estimated that sheep will eat cat 90 per cent of all sonic weeds they aro are in fact commonly used in cleaning up weeds from fields fence rows rowa roadsides roads ldoa stubble fields and corn fields the common belief among farmers la Is that weeds eaten by sheep aro are so BO broken up in tho the digestive processes that tho the beadi will not germinate after passing through tho the body as in tile tho case of other live stock Ilo however wever woods weeds aro are rarely permitted to go to seed it if enough sheep tire aro turned in the field while tho the weeds are youlif young and tender in some investigations carried on by tile the canadian government among a considerable number of sheep to determine the kinds of weeds oaten by them it was generally agreed that sheep would consume cons urne all but a very few extremely unpalatable ones such BUCU as mullein scotch thistle etc upon inquiry as to the specific kinds eaten one farmer replied that lie could not give tiny any definite information on tho tha sub subject JoSt as tho the sheep kept ills his farm so free from weoda weeds that lie he could not see B what kinds they actually ato ate where sheep havo have been kept but where for somo some reason they have been disposed of a striking difference has usually occurred in the appearance ance of tho the farm weeds have sprung up and grown where they had formerly been kept in check there Is no better solution to the weed problem than a nock flock of sheep the farmers sheep should be ba a wool and mutton sheep with ampha vis la upon mutton This dual purpose sheep tf if the name be permissible 16 6 it proved success and it Is already represented in somo of the breeds the best typo type Is the most profitable combination om of wool and mutton tho investigations of the tariff board inda ate that sheep farming for wool alone Is B unprofitable in investigating looks books of the fine wool section of ohio they found that when there ther ewas was a net credit to wool the percentage of receipts from wool was waa 38 and from abber so urceil 62 if the raising of sheep for wool alone does not pay in this region it probably would not in my iny other part of the farming section in establishing a nock flock it Is better tor ter the farmer to start on a small email male unless he has previously had experience when one Is dealing with emall numbers a mistake in management or an error in judgment to Is not so 10 great importance as where larger numbers are involved starting with i small flock requires less capital also if f it Is desired to augment the size of the flock this can be done by the natural In increase creace the best ewe lambs being selected each year tor for the purpose this should prove more economical than buying hit all the breeding stock outright where tho tha stock to la produced on the farm only the cost of production can rightly be charged against it but where it is purchased the cost of production plus a profit and very often the price of the reputation of the breeder must be paid by producing the breeding stock himself the farmer should secure a more uniform lot and one better adapted to his own particular conditions another advantage of small numbers especially where capital Is limited Is that better animals can be purchased the ram rain has as much influence upon apon tho the flock as the entire ewo ewe sock flock bred to him which fact gives rise to tho the old saying baying tho ram Is halt tho flok flock P tile tho selection or of the ram Is thus seen to bo be a matter of prime jim por tanco improvement in brooding breeding can bo be brought about in a hock flock at loss less expense by tho the uso use of a good ram than in any other way A good ram Is a valuable investment and tho the few extra dollars in cost over tho the price palco 0 of a mediocre cro one multiply themselves in returns on tho the lamb crop tho the visa selection of a single ram has in many cases made a node flock famous probably sheep are subject to more ills ilia than any other class 0 of domestic dorac atla animals at any rate thoy they seem to bo be moro more helpless in repelling tho the attacks mado made upon thorn them this need not discourage tho prospective shepherd since good care and management will obviate most of these troubles upon this caro care and management depends the luck of tho the shepherd flocks tire known to exist upon weeds and waste hages with little or no attention but the returns aro are proportionately monger meager A well trained sheep dog Is ono one of 0 tho the greatest friends of tho the industry while the cur dog Is ono one ot of its worst enemies the scotti collie to la tho the sheep dog of america and a well trained one can not be appreciated unless seen at work their tireless watching oven even at night makes them invaluable to tho sheep harder border dy by their barking they warn him of any prowler that may bo be lurking about tho the flock much of the sheepy flavor of mutton comos comes from tho generation of gases in the stomach after the sheep theop la Is killed for this reason sheep should be dressed as aa rapidly as A platform six or eight inches high la Is a convenient thing to work on and aids in keeping the blood away from the body insuring a cleaner carcass after dressing the care carcass afis should bo be cooled to 40 degrees or as near that as possible in the summer it will be necessary to bavo bave lea fee for this purpose where there Is a farm refrigerator friger ator tho the carcass can be placed edin in it provided there Is a circulation of 0 dry air and no objectionable odors aro are present mutton can be kept tor for a week or ten days under these cou con combination rack for feeding hay either elthe I 1 N P 1 0 and grain sheep can feed from side d di tlona in the tha majority of cases however ice fee la Is not available on the farm under these conditions condl tlona tho the sheep or lamb as aa the case may bo be should be slaughtered in the evening the carcass allowed to hang bang out overnight where nothing will disturb it 10 and taken to a cool dry room or cellar la in the morning before the flies files are about if the carcass Is split it will cool out more rapidly under those these conditions it Is a good plan for two or more farmers to club to together zether each taking a part of the carcass so BO that there will be no danger of the meat spoiling before it can be used in the winter there Is little biffl culty about keeping the meat abood A good way to keep mutton at this time la jea to allow it to freeze up and to cut off enough for use from time to time with a saw A single freezing does riot not injure the quality but alternate freez ing and thawing is harmful and should be avoided lamb and mutton should bo h used for food until it la Is thoroughly cooled out lamb is as aa good as aa it ever will be as soon as it Is thoroughly cooled but mutton improves with ripening for a week at 40 to 46 45 degrees P F mutton can be earned corned but it Is not as palatable nor Is it as nutritious as the fresh meat meal the hams hama are sometimes weed 3 and a are ro i 0 asid ered by many to be a delicacy when prepared in this way |