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Show TsHALL WE RAISE LARGE OR SMALL SHEEP? A Flno Oxford Down Ram, Prize Winner. (Ily KLMint IinNDnrtBON, llllnoln) Of recent years thcro has been n great deal of agitation over whether tho largo typo or medium typo animal Is Uio most prolltublo. Tho owners of tho largo typo animals have taken It for granted that their animals aro as profltablo ns the medium typo per unit of grain consumed, and argued therefrom that or their animals wero larger nnd carried moro grain to market mar-ket thoy must bo tho moro profltablo. Such Is not necessarily tho case. Lot us look ot tho cobo from tho beginning, ns It were. Supposo wo tako tho 8hroishlro ns typical of tho medium typo of sheep, nnd tho Ox-ford-Hompshlro as exemplifying the largo type. Wo find by exporlenco on our own farm that whllo seven or eight ShropshlreB can bo kopt on nn ocro of land, flvo Is all wo could possibly pos-sibly flguro on keeping If Oxfords or Hampshlroo wero kopt. Upon this basis, ba-sis, whero n man bad pasture enough to keep 140 Shropshlres, ho could keep only 100 Oxfords, Hnmpshlres or Cots-wolds. Tho dlffcrcnco In grain eaten Is also something Immense Whllo wo nra feeding our Shropshire owes only two-thirds two-thirds of oats dally our OxfordB get an much as ono and one-quarter dally. Almost twice tho amount. Tho advocates of tho larger typo of iheop admit this to be truo, but they ay, "our sheep will weigh 90 pounds at tho ago yours will weigh 75 pounds." Let us grant this for tho timo being. Thcro Is yet another consideration. Whllo your 100 owos of tho largo typo ro doing well If they ralso 100 lambs one nnd one-half is common nnd ono and threo-qunrtorn lambs per cwo is not unusunl In Ml handled Shxop-iltlro Shxop-iltlro flocks. Ono and one-half lambs per ewo may bo token as a fair nver-tgc. nver-tgc. Our 140 Shropshire owes would havo produced for us 210 lambs I against tho 100 lambs of tho larger typo sheep. Then, too, our Shropshire owes aro tucli superior milkers and tho lambs tuch perfect mutton nnlmols, that when they go to market thcro Is no comparison between tho condition of 'ho two lots of lambs. Whllo tho ono lot is big nnd rough nnd not fnt enough, tho Shropshlres by vlrtuo of their easy fleshing quality will bo smooth nnd sleek nnd will sell for about $1.00 per hundredweight more than will tho sheep of tho larger typo. Let us look at tho financial statement: state-ment: Lbs. Lbs. 100 Ijuko typo lambs, weigh. ...SO 9,000 210 Shropshire, weight 75 15.7C0 In support ot my contention as to the relative prlco of tho lambs, I quote from tho llrccder's Gazette: Clocnl lo cholco llRht lnmbs W.SHI6.C0 Good to cholco heavy lambs C.2i05.7G Upon this basis wo havo: J5.7M lbs. flliropnhlrcs ft JOS IS94.4T 9,000 Ibt. largo type lambs it .25.. 472.G0 A dirrcrcnco of.,,. S11.97 In favor of tho medium typo of sheep purchased at exactly tho sorao cost as ,tho largo sheep. j Supposo tho Shropshlres produco only ono lamb per owe, as with tho largo typo, wo would still havo a bol- nnco In favor of tho Shropshlres duo to tho lower cost of maintenance, aa follows: 110 fihropnhlrcs fl 7S lbs. each, 10.C0O lbs. Q 15.3 JCM.S 100 Lnnro type Q 90 lbs. each, 9,000 lbs. tf.25 472.50 A balance of $173.75 It Is only when facts aro looked upon up-on In their actual light that wo aro nblo to Judgo of tho real comparative msrlts of tho breeds of sheep. Moro opinions count for nothing. Facts nro what count, baBcd upon tho nctunl weights of animals and tho nmount of feed UBed. It Is when wo look upon theso facts In their real light Hint wo como to understand why It Is that thcro aro moro sheep carrying carry-ing Shropshlro blood In the country than of all other breeds combined. Tho following charming nnd lilting compliment was paid tho breed by Mr, l'lerco of Shrewsbury, Hngland; "It's n fnrmer's bIiccp, n rent pnylng sheep, n tenant's sheep. It's n money making mak-ing sheep, n wool producing, rau'ton cnrryhiR sheep; I fa a bank, a Bare-nil, Bare-nil, n frugal living and quick fattening hardy sheep." |