From page 111

During the year I addressed to prominent and practical sheep-breeders in the State the following circular, and received the replies subjoined, which are well worthy of publication:

Circular No. 20.

Commonwealth of Virginia

Department of Agriculture,

Richmond, 1881

My Dear Sir:

Will you be so kind as to give me your views in regard to the different breeds of sheep, and the best mode of breeding and general management stating---

1st. What breeds and crosses you prefer; what breeds are you keeping now, and have kept, with their merits and demerits:

2d. At what age should the ewe take the buck, at what age should the buck be permitted to serve ewes, and at what time of the year should they go together?

3d. What breeds do you prefer for mutton, for wool, and for lambs:

4th. What is the size of your flock, what crosses have you made, and what has been the improvement in the weight and quality of wool and carcass?

5th. What are you annual sales of wool, mutton, and lambs, prices obtained, and profits of investment on each?

6th. What is the character of your pasture lands, and what grasses do you prefer for sheep? How do you feed in the winter?

7th. What are you arrangement for shelter and protection in winter, and your system of winter feeding and treatment?

8th. Do you separate the combing from the short wool? What is the proportion of each, and what prices do you get for each kind? Also, prices for washed and unwashed wool?

9th Are there any woolen factories in your county? If yes, how many, and where located?

10th. When and where do you sell your wool, lambs, and mutton: How are they sent to market, and at what cost?

11th. Please state all you know about the diseases of sheep, and the remedies.

12th. Do you raise turnips or other roots for your sheep?

13th. Have you suffered from dogs among your flocks. Do you keep “Shepherd dogs” or use any means to protect your sheep? What do you estimate the loss for your county from dogs in number and value of sheep to be?

Please reply as early as possible, and oblige,

Yours, very respectfully,

Thos. Pollard

Commissioner of Agriculture

I wish to use the information thus obtained for a work, “Sheep-Husbandry for Virginia,” I am now preparing.

Responses from Amherst County include the following:

From page 122

Pedlar Mills, Amherst CO., 21 July, 1881

Dr. Thomas Pollard:

Sir—I feel particular interest in the subject of sheep breeding now, being about to engage in the business quite extensively for so small a farmer; and though having been engaged in it for these 50 years, I feel that I am still a tyro. So, all that I say in regard to the matter, you, of course, will take “cum grano salis.”

1st. I should prefer Cotswold with ¼ Merino—because of the wool—the former being deficient in this regard.

2d. At 12 months. The buck should be at least 12 months old.

3d. As we keep them in this section for both wool and mutton, and can have reference to neither exclusively in the profit, therefore the combination as above indicated.

4th and 5th. Not answered, because too trifling to be noted.

6th. We are using clover and orchard grass at present, hoping, however, to get blue grass to take after a while. We feed on oats entirely.

7th. No protection for them. The sheep graze almost entirely, except in bitter weather, when they are fed, as I said, on sheaf oats.

8th. We make no separation of the wool. Get from 33 to 44 cents for it washed; 25 to 30 unwashed.

9th. There are no woolen factories in the county. I hope to see one established at “Pedlar Mills.” I have been urging it, but I think funds are needed.

10th. We sell our lambs and wool at Lynchburg, where we get $2.50 and $3.00 for the former, and, as I said above, from 33 to 44 cents for the latter.

111th. No experience in the diseases of sheep. That is to be avoided only by suffering but small flocks to run together, say 30 to 40, and changing the range frequently.

12th. Answered above.

13th. We have not recently; but in 20 years have had them killed out and scattered entirely twice. Can form no estimate of the loss from dogs in the county, because there are very few flocks in it.

Remarks.—Having my farm divided into five 30 acre-fields, I would have 150 sheep divided into 3 flocks. I would have this small number, because I would consider one well kept would yield more profit than three badly kept, for according to the keep is the size of the fleece. I would have the buck put with the ewes 1st of November, so that the lambs would come in March, thereby getting the benefit of the grass. I would have the male lambs trimmed as soon as they fall, before they can get out of your way, because of the very superior growth. With the mother kept in good plight till yeaning time, they will be as large under this process in the month of May or first of June as if the lamb had come at Christmas. I would have at least 20 or 30 of these wethers, out of a flock of 150, to sell each year, which would bring at least $8 or $10. Old Dr. Morris of the “Green Springs” used to sell his, and the butchers would go for them at the latter price, $10. I have known him to shear 12 and 14 pounds of wool from these wethers. Such sheep under such a process, I am convinced, must yield more profit, especially under the present system of labor, than the best tobacco at the highest prices. I would attempt to make no grain more than would suffice to keep the stock up. I am well persuaded that the vast importation of wool into the United States will be avoided, and that we shall soon becomes exporters of the article, if the attention of our people could be turned to its production—i.e., if they would be judicious in their selections and crosses, getting such a combination of breeds as would produce most mutton, and at the same time most wool.

If these crude observations should be of the least service in the preparation of the work you have in hand, I shall be much satified, and consider myself as fully compensated for the time spent in the writing..

With very sincere regards, I am your obedient servant,

L. Minor

And from page 131

Edge Hill, VA., June 22, 1881

Dr. T. Pollard,

Commissioner Agriculture:

Dear Sir,--Your Circular No. 20, in regard to sheep, is to hand. Owing to the poor protection given by our Legislature I have been afraid to venture any outlay in sheep further than to raise a few for table and to afford wool for family use. I believe them to be the most profitable stock we have if protected against the rogues and half-starved curs.

1st. I only keep from 15 to 50 head, a cross of Southdown and Cotswold. I would prefer South down to all others, but they are too hairy on the back part of leg and sometimes get lowsy there. If crossed up the Leicester with a view to get the clean leg, with the easy keep and thrift of Southdown, both breeds would be improved.

2d. Have never experienced—usually allowing their own way.

3d. Southdown for mutton; Cotswold for wool and lambs.

4th. As low as 15 and high as 50; Southdown and Cotswold; but little improvement.

5th. Twenty-five to 30 cents for wool; $2.50 to $3 for lambs; but we sell very few; eat the lambs, and trade wool for labor, &c.

6th. High and rolling; native grasses, with clover.

7th. I usually shelter at night, and give a little shelled corn night and morning during winter. My shelter is an open shed, but I believe they do better with access to a pine thicket and no other shelter, if fed a little corn along the ground.

8th. Never separate the wool; washed wool about 5 to 10 cents higher than unwashed.

9th. No.

10th. Lynchburg, in April and May; cost of transportation, 20 cents for lambs, and 10 cents per hundred for wool.

11th. Comparatively nothing.

12th. To a very limited extent.

13th. Have not suffered from Dogs so far, which I attribute to bells and frequent housing or penning with cows, but am in continual dread. Do not keep shepherd dogs. Any estimate of loss for county would be guess work, as I go about but little and have no data. In the census report, which I took for this district, I found but very few sheep kept—not 5 when there should be 1,000. The few who have ventured have lost so heavily by dogs that the many are deterred. Money must be abundant before one would venture $50 for an improved ram, and $10 to $25 each for ewes, probably to have all in one night killed.

Very respectfully yours,

S.B. Walker