FARMERS' SHEEP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 8

FARMERS' SHEEP.

A VALUABLE ASSET ON TILE SMALL IIOLDIXG. There Ls not a farm of any considerable area in tho whole Dominion tint would not derive benefit by the grazing of some sheep, and it is unnecessary to add that the farmers' pocket would likewise, gain, for the sheep the mo-l economical and quick-returning animal of the farm. Even a strictly dairying farm lias got room for some cheep to help keep the pasture clean and evenly grazed, and provide good meat for the liou.se at cost price. Where the farm area is of considerable dimensions and used for crop growing, dairying on a large scaje, or for cattle, the grazing o' sheep is aa ossectial if the farmer wants to derive the best results from hLs land. Sheep will consume what would otherwise be waste- As the Yankee farmer put it when asked what he did to get rid of his weeds, "Sell 'em as mutton at 10 cenU a lb.l"

It may ytake some time to Impress it upen the wide numbers of our farmers that the day of crude farming has vanished into the The complete colonisation of the world's pastoral and agricultural areas, the increasing population and increasing prices of farm products give ample evidence of the needful trend of modern fa-rming. Intensive and scientific methods must be pureued, not alone to secure a better income from the prevailing better prices, but to prove the income-bearing capacity of the farm to a would-be buyer. Intensive culture hae got to be applied now to all kinds of farming, that of stock included.

The farmer who hae a fair-elzed place te not making th? best of his opportunities unless he mingles ehecp with his other sources of income. If an agriculturist, with paddocks of grain crops, then there are countlcee pickings to be had for a flock of sheep throughout the greater part of the year, and, whether the farm and flocl: are of moderate or considerable dimensions, it will pay him handsomely to gro?.- rotational paddoelce of roots -and foddere to give feed at the period of Ik tie pasture growth. Many purposes arc served in doing co. The paddocks are rested from the strain of a singular crop, are manured well by cheep-folding, and they provide change of feed for sheep, which gives condition, resists dieeacr. and avoids a cheek in wool and mutton growth. -And here we sha.ll emphasise the curse of overstocking. If you want to lose money and icso interest in your farm, then overstock. It should never be forgotten that 50 sTieep well treated wi!) return as much i'.s J OO subjected to hard UEace.

It h?.s often occurred in the experience of agriculturists that they had to part with their crops at prices admitting of no profit. But, if they conjoin sliocpfarming with cropping there )s not mush likelihood of this happening with the present good prices for fat sheep. Hay, chaffed straw, and grsin can he most profitably fed to sheep, and it should take a farmer very little arithmetical effort to prove when it will p,\y better ■to feed Rucii products io sheep t-han to aesifit in etill further depressing ihe value of hie standard products by e.\cr:flc:ng them on a dull market-

Many mixed farmers have over and over cgain discovered thai the feeding of such products to sheep, on full ration to fatten, or half ration to tide over season:;! severity, pave handsomely. It nr.iy be mentioned, for instance, that lOlb*. of crushed o.ita will feed a sheep :or six weeks with come grazing, and ciic.h die!, will lay on flesh, and that lib. of chaffed hay per day will keep a sheep in good condition and tide it over any severity or shortage of pastu.-e, and I hat :21b. per day is ample food supply. There ia euc'.i a plethora of feed in the growing season, a largo part of which is trampled to waste, (hat tiding over the s'hnrt had time of the year means virtually (living t!ie full year's profit of ten sheep, which -.ye ehali presently see is pretty considerable. We have suid that sheep-folding providrs vahiaWc manurial ai:l to the agriculturists' crop paddocks. Indeed, ■.vo may add. that with a. judicious use of the fence, plough, and sheep, an owner of second-class land can in a few years make of it :\ richer pasture than a lot of the fire'-cl-.iefi soils we observe holding indifferent grasses, weeds, twitches, and rubbish.

To those contemplating mixed farming it should be interesting for them to know that sheep kept :n small ilocke always give better returns than large herde. The exintnnee of this well-known fact leads one to believe that the closer Rttention they pet not only accounts rortlns reeult, but is a deductive indication that the fanner in bestowing such attention derives a lot of pleasure out of fending his flock. It -bred upon the farm they are con touted and adapt themselves to surrounding conditions. With insecure fences, however, and mongTel ehee.p he m.-iv us well keep out of the business. The nrerweary yards can easily and cheaply be erected,,' and if the flock is not large, a handy sheet-iron dip bath can be nought for Rome few pounds. The cost of labour involved in attention to a flock of sheep is an infinitesimal part of the derivable income.

The day is quite gone when an indifferently ibred siippp jfi to be grazed at .in annual prnftt of R/ or 10/ by any kind of sheep farir.fr. hjr Hie rough-country paetornliet. With the exercise of a littlp .Tttentin;i and care that figure should on a mixed farm be more than doubled. With gootl cheep of the suitable breed, -the ewes should Teturn 100 per of lambs, and sivp a valuable flerre 0/ or 'I. In fact, a flock of 100 4JkTG should be made to return one <wa.v and nnothor, by lambs wool, and soil enrichment, from £100 to £V2H a vo.ir.

The breed of sheep to go in for depends to a great extent upon the claBS of land .in:] proximity to mstrhet. So lnn£ S.F, the farmer et;;rte with good owes, let them be Romney. Lincoln, Leicester, or ?.fcr/nn. as conntrv snite and opportunity to purchase occurs, and rsefi rool rmrp. to breed erossbreds if hie fancy B-houhl prefer, and saves }>« hret "owe Hmre to breed from, he will work up a flnek that will give him great picture and profit.