The Mississippi Union Advocate and Southern Farm and Home
Jackson, Mississippi
06 Jul 1910, Wed  •  Page 7

Wednesday, July. 6, 1910 – Sheep raising.

If you will allow me space in the columns of the Advocate, I would like to say something for the benefit of your ‘readers on sheep raising. – One of the most astonishing things to me in the whole calendar of livestock problems in this country is why so few sheep are maintained on farms in Mississippi, where the soil s so wonderfully well adapted to the growth of nutritious forage of various kinds and crops of, the best storing quality for winter feeding to sustain the flock during the months that they cannot be supplied with pasture.

Money invested in sheep will double itself in one year. The fleece will more than pay for the feed and care of the sheep. The lambs often two per Ewe, are the .profit. It is a fact that ten sheep can be kept where one cow can, and the risk is so much less. It may be said that the sheep always carries her pocketbook with her tor if she dies her felt or fleece pays her funeral expenses. If she lives her wool in the spring and her lambs in the fall pay double income. No other stock pays so large percent of the clear profit on the money invested. Nothing will build up a run-down farm so quickly as a flock of sheep. While pasturing them manure is distributed about so evenly that no manure spreader could equal the sheep in its work.

The American people are consuming more mutton and wool every year and a very bright future is in store for the sheep industry. As to the most profitable or best breed for the southern farmer to raise I would strongly re-cause the Rambouillet, is the great- cause the Rambouillet, is the greatest combination of wool and mutton known to the world today and they are hardier than the other breeds because their fleece is denser and more oily and will shed a rain that would wet any of the mutton breeds to the skin and getting wet much is ruinous to the health” of sheep. As to their practical ability either on the farm or on the range the Rambouillet, is far superior as a hustler and thrives far better than any other breed of sheep. It is the one breed on the range that raises both wool and mutton and best combines the essential quality a good ranee sheep. They raise a good fleece of fine wool, are long-lived, good herders and their great hardiness permits them to stand all kinds of weather without housing, and being strong, vigorous and healthy their impressive power is very great.

A cross of Rambouillet rams upon the native Ewes of the south would produce twice the wool at the first cross and nearly twice the weight of carcass and these gains would increase as the blood by successive crosses neared purity. I am a member of Forksville Union No. 1320 and the Advocate corner to my house every week and I think ft is the best paper in the south for the farmer to read and you are doing great work and God will reward you for it.

J. P. Harvey. Forkville, Miss.
The Mississippi Union Advocate and Southern Farm and Home
Jackson, Mississippi
06 Jul 1910, Wed  •  Page 7