BUILDING UP THE SHEEP  INDUSTRY.
Oood Breeding and   Good   Feeding.
lst Premium.—The sheep industry has
been and is at present like a sheep itself,
seemingly weak, innocent and easily discouraged. It needs a thorough awakening. Farmers should be brought to a
kuowledge of the value of a well kept flock
ofl sheep. They should be taught through
the columns of good farm papers, such
as the Indiana Farmer, the many ways in
which sheep are valuable, and what they
are missing by not raising them. And
those that are raising sheep should know
whether or not they are doing their best
in it, and if they are doing their part in
the protection and fostering of the sheep
industry.
The selection of breeds for different localities is a very important step for beginners in the sheep business. Heretofore
the guiding principle of the young shepherd iu his selection of a breed has been
his fancy for thb? breed or that, not
thinking of its adaptability to his surroundings. One should study ou these
liues and then ask himself! the question,
•"VV7"ill this breed thrive on my farm with
the kinds'of fc*d I have and the climate
that prevails?" before he invests much
money in any oue breed. Many failures
in the sheep business are due to the fact
that the breed chosen is one not suited to
the condition of climate, pasture, soil and
elevation of the section in which the breeder lives. We will never raise perfect
specimens of any breed until we study and
apply more carefully tlie needs of the different breeds. A shepherd may be ever
so good a feeder, and look after all his
flock's needs, but with a breed not adopted to his locality, or with a poor lot of
scrubs, he is laboring at a great disadvantage and is not doing much to foster the
sheep industry.
Having selected a good breed, we should
strive to improve our flocks each year,
by culling them, selling the poorer ones
and keeping the best, aud by keeping
rams that are as near perfect as possible.
It is the keeping of inferior rams that
makes improvement so slow in the average flocks, and is very detrimental to the
fostering of the sheep industry. It is
penny wise and dollar foolish to purchase
a poor i*am just because he can be bought
at a low price. The careful breeder will
strive to have better lambs and to feed
tliem better each year. This is what we
all should do, for if we want to raise a
good sheep we must raise a good lamb.
"As the twig is bent the tree's inclined."
Another thing that is very injurious to
the sheep industry is the marketing of
unfitted stock. Sheep should always be
well prepared for market. It not only
looks better and pushes the industry
along, but it pays well in money. The
flock should be in good flesh at all times.
The wool will be enough better in quality
to pay Cor extra care and feed. Breeding
and feeding are the two prime essentials
to success in the raising of sheep. The
two factors must be united and never
separated. A real good sheep without
proper food will soon be a "hard looker;"
bnt the better the sheep the easier" he is
fed.
Another beauty of good feeding is, stomach worms and other diseases of sheep
rarely attack a well fed and well kept
Hock. *'An ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure," is an old adage which
is true, in the sheep business.
We must iu some way protect our sheep
rom"tne"iTOgs who have learned to know a
good thing when they see it. Why not
do away with most of our dogs? Most
of them are of no particular value to their
owners. If one must have a dog, he
should keep him well chained. Farmers
may combine aud secure legislation; for
their own protection agaiust interests hostile to their welfare, and why can they
not legislate the dog out of business? The
law of most states that the sheep killed
by dogs are to be paid for out of the
dog tax is [Unsatisfactory as a general rule,
as there is long delay and much red tape
to unwind before the claim is paid. Besides a mair who has some well bred sheep
doesn't care to market them that way.
It is said that every dog has his day, but
it seems that the sheep also ought to have
his once in a while.
There is little danger of over stocking
the market with sheep. Unless the American people suddenly acquire a distaste for
mutton, the man who is raising it has no
cause for alarm. Consumers of mutton
arc demanding the highest quality aud will
pay Hancy prices for the best. Let us
then get down to business, cull out the old
flock, feed better, raise more sheep and
fewer dogs, and the sheep industry will
surely prosper.
Steuben Co. P. H.
Breed   for Both Wool and   Mutton.
2d Premium.—There is no other farm
stock so profitable as sheep for the amount
of money and care involved, excepting,
perhaps poultry, and none so acceptable
for domestic consumption. If it were
not for the multitude of dogs which roam
abroad iu all places, I believe sheep would
be kept everywhere in small flocks as they
used to be. There is more decided improvement in quality than there used to
be, and the smaller number will enhance
the chances for profit. With the average farmer who is keeping only a small
number of sheep at the present prices, the
increase is largely his source of profit.
The sheep industry used to be based
almost wholly on wool production. For
that reason the industry has never been
a very stable oue. With the great mass
of! farmers, on the decline in the price
there came a falling off in the quality of
stock. When wool declined to low figures there was no profit in keeping sheep,
and as a consequence there was a diminution of the flocks throughout the
country. But for the past years flocks
have been appreciating in numbers and
quality, and the industry is placed upon
an entirely different basis. The question
of sheep industry in the line of producing
mutton and choice lambs for eastern markets bids for careful consideration by
those farmers so situated as to successfully feed large numbers of sheep.
In the sheep I have found one of the
very best friends the farmer cau possess,
speaking from a business standpoint. Experience has taught me that for the time,
money and labor in-vested sheep bring in
as good returns as anything to which* the
farmer can turn his attention.
I believe the sheep industry can best be
fostered and protected by keeping up the
price of wool and mutton ami protecting
our home industries. When wool declines to such low figures as it has in times
past, there is surely no profit in keeping
sheep. *"•* K. G.
Noble Co.
when we can safely do so, for there is
no farm animal that brings more profit
and pleasure thau the sheep. Aside
from the profit in wool and mutton, the
top dressiug they give the land and the
weeds they eradicate form uo inconsiderable item. But the one discouraging
feature is dogs. Ask almost any flarin-
er why he don't keep sheep and he will
reply, "dogs." I think every flock in
this neighborhood has been ravaged by
dogs within the last two years, some of
them two or three times. One farmer
near vis feeds 1,000 sheep each winter. He
buys feeders each fall and sells the next
spring, and his losses are fully paid from
the dog fund. But the sheep breeder
who keeps pedigreed stock does not get
full value for his killed or injured animals.
If we had the right kind of a dog law,
we could compete with all the couutries
of the earth in sheep husbandry, and realize a profit. We have had all kinds of
dog laws but one, and the dogs are still
multiplying and are killing chickens, turkeys and sheep, going mad occasionally,
frightening women and children, and causing no end of trouble. The same principles that eradicated the evils of slavery
must be applied to the saloon, the dog
nnd the automobile,—absolute prohibition.
With the dog this means extermination,
like his predecessor the wolf. Until we
get such a law, we caunot hope for any
permanent increase in the sheep industry.
We believe no dog will refrain from killing
Sheep when in the country of bad dogs,
and consequently all must go together.
If we had such protection, flocks and
herds would spring up all over our beautiful state. C.  S. B.
Wayne Co.
t&ctzximxxxs geirarltttjeut
Would Kill   all Dogs.
3d   Premium.—We   have  no    sheep   at
present,   but expect to keep a small flock
Topics  for  future  numbers:
No. 532, May 19.—Give experience in
running the farm dairy.
No. 533, May 26—Tell how and when to
till tjhe silo. What is the value of ensilage?
Premiums of $1, 75 cents and 50 cents
are given for the best, seasond and third
best articles for the Experience Department each week. Manuscript should be
sent direct to the Indiana Farmer Company, and should reach us one week before date of publication.
HOUSEHOLD ECONOMICS.
"Women, in no less degree than men,
need scientific training in the principles
underlying the practice of their life occupation, viz.:—the management of the
household.
Ia recognition of the truth of the above
statement, Purdue University has established a course of study and practice ia-
tended to furuish young women opportunities to prepare for life's activities, equal
in every respect to those enjoyed by men
students. It has been kept in mind that
the woman who presides over a home is
called upon to meet the most varied demands which can only be satisfied toy a
combination of training and experience of
the broadest character. To provide such
training, which shall be scientific and technical in all of those matters which have to
do with the administrative and operative
side of the household without neglecting
such branches as contribute to the intellectual and aesthetic equipment of the
home-maker, is the purpose of this department of study, which has been designated
as Household Economics. For full particulars regarding the course in household
ecouomics address President W. B. Stone,
Lafayette.
Edited  by L.   A.   Grlener,   M.   F.   V.   S.,   14-16  8.
Alabama St.,  Iudtanapolls.    Advice by  mail  fl.
Please tell me through the columns ot
.onr valuable paper what is good to give
a horse that is hide bound.      A Reader.
Answer:—The best treatment this time
of the year is to carefully examine the
teeth and if they need any attention have
them attended to, then turn him out on
grass for a month. This is the best treatment you can give.
Will you please give through the Farmer a remedy, if there is one, for a horse
that has been heated? When only working moderately on a warm day she will
pant, but does uot sweat freely. I do
not know how long she has been that way.
Reader.
Answer:—Give half ounc*- of bi-carbon-
nte of potash night and morning either in
drinking water or in a little brau and oats;
in addition give all the grass you can or
a run at pasture for a month would be
better.
Please tell me what to do for a valuable Shorthorn cow eight years old that has
done little good since October. She has
a good appetite, her coat when she is
normal is rich dark red, but uow is
much lighter and looks lifeless. She is
shedding nicely, seems stupid, gives very
little milk, switches tail considerably and
slobbers some, of a slimy nature. Her
ration has been- and is clover hay, corn
tind oats, some fodder and a little timothy,
hay. She dropped a heifer calf July 23,
1005, and is is due to freshen June 5, 1905.
She is in ordinary flesh. Any information
will he gratefully received through the columns of your paper. H. S.
Answer:—Give one quart of raw linseed
oil, two tablespoonsful of powdered ginger and one ounce of spirits of turpentine
at one dose; repeat the dose in about 3
days. Give all the grass she can get to
and keep all dry food from her.
Please tell me what to do for my Jersey cow. She gives lumpy milk, she
eats all right, looks all right; her feed is
corn, ground corn and oats and clover hay.
A cure for her will be very thankfully received. Her bag is caked but isn't sore,
doesn't seem to hurt her.
A Subscriber..
Answer:—The treatment must be consistent by giving good mild massage over
the parts that are caked by using sweet
oil for the purpose of prevention of irritation to the akin. • This rubbing should
be done night and morning, for the purpose of breaking down the accumulated
tamps of ftilse tissue and curdled milk, in
addition. The   following  can   be  used
once every other day: Equal parts of
spirits of camphor, tincture of iodine aud
glycerine. By carefully using this preparation aud massaging the udder with tlie
oil, a cure may be expected.
Tell us what to do for a cow that has
a caked udder? She was fresh in February but this is the first time it has caked
since we owned her: but it has caked before only the left hind teat. She has
been fed on corn and fodder all winter;
now trite is on grass ami gets bran and
raw potatoes and some corn.
Answer:—The above treatment will answer in this case as. well as in the above.
Reports from the Anti-Saloon League
show that 100 remonstrances agaiust saloons were favorably passed on byCounty
commissioners, during April, thus closing
449 saloons, since May 1, 1905.