Incidental Sheep Husbandry

One of the strongestof the elements that have brought disaster to efforts at sheep husbandry has been the desire to do a big business. Men reared to other callings, seeing the proflts others were reaping froin well-direeted efforts at sheep husbandi y have hastened to become the owners of Hoeks; while still others, who have become imbued with tbr idea, "the more sheep, the more money," and have soon placed themselves beyond the bounds of prudence, by Incurrlng indebtedness on the one hand. and more care and labor than they are able to bestow on the other hand - both have been overtaken by the disaster their temerity invited. ïo a majority of farmers small flocks - that is, numbers remaining iu the hundreds - will be the most piofitable. The exceptions totliis rule will occur to every caref ui student of sheep husbandry. Xot only can the highest profit upon invested capital bi thus rendered more certain, but the pointments that ocrasionally follow the best of plans, and the most caref ui manipulation, are by no means so disastrous. "YVhere sheep are handled as an incident to general farming operations - the plan now contemplated - care should be had that they do not trespass upon the other interests. When the farmer feels that his sheep are a burden that is, that they are drawing upon the other departments for the time and feed not before assigned to them- he should fatten, and sell down to such number as will conveniently work along his crops and other live stock. Local butchers willalwhys pay a fair price for a few good wethers, and some neighbor can usually be found ready to make room for a few desirable store sheep. As the facihties for enhancing the numbers of the fiock improve, the animal draf ting may be conined to f ull-grown wethers, and such wes as, by reason of age or other disualifyingpeculiaritiesareundesirable. 'he flexibility of a small llock is one f its strongest recommendations - enbling it to be accommodated to the ircumstances or ambitions of the wner more readily than any other