Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1869 — Food for Fattening Sheep. [ARTICLE]

Food for Fattening Sheep.

TriE question is frequently asked: “ What kind of grain is best for fattening sheep?” I answer, for me, corn is the best for the main feed, although I like a few oats mixed to start with, and have no objections to beans, pens and oil-meal, if they don't cost too much. Whenever they cost as much or more than corn, I dispense with them, as a sheep feeder must count Ills cost as well as his reputation if lie intends'to succeed. Another question arises : “Do you find whole or gound feed best ?” For horses, cattle and pigs, I prefer ground feed, but for sheep, especially fattening sliecp, I choose whole or unground feed. I find that the sheep will grind it just as Well as the mill to which we must give every tenth bushel, besides having the trouble of hauling The grain to and from it. I also And that fat sheep will hold up to their full feed much better, especially in soft weather, on whole than on ground feed; consequently drawing grain to and from the mill, ana paying toll, is, in my estimation, labor and money lost. It is asked, “ What kind of hay is best for sheep?” Emphatically I say clover, but it should lie cut early, and cured nice and green. Timothy is' probably best for horses, but for cattle nnd sheep I prefer clover, and would rather have a ton of nice green fine clover than a ton of timothy', although in market one ton of timothy will bring as much as two of clover. I Lave sometimes std some timothy hay to my sheep, but always found that it was not the kind for them; they would grow lank and thin upon it—not a very good sign that, a fattening animal is thriving welL As soon as they got the clover again tlie£ would plump up and look full and nice, and I can assure you unless your sheep look full and plump, they arc not fattening very fast. Is straw good for feeding sheep? One feed at noon of nice bright oat, barley or pea straw, I prefer to hay, as they not ouly relish it, butit is a change for them. Sheep are very fond of a variety, and will eat daisies, weeds, thistleor#- almost anything of the kind that is cut and cured green. Nice green .corn-stalks arc not 'very bad for sheep, and when I have plenty of them I always feed the sheep with them at least once a day, anil consider them as good as hay. I prefer, however, feeding them the fore part of the winter, as towards spring they will sometimes contract dampness, and then the sheep do not eat them as well. With regard to the value* of roots for feeding, my experience is that whenever they are worth more than seventy-five cents per barrel, and corn not over from one dollar to one dollar and twenty-five cents per bushel, the com is the cheapest, and I would use only a few roots as a substitute for green food. I consider carrots and rata bagas better than common turnips; still by feeding a little more of the latter than the former, I think the Sheep do just as well on them.— N. Y. Agricultural Report.

Apropos of the apocryphal difficulty between Commodore Vanderbilt and CorQjelius Garretson, Mr. Twain relates a similar story of an unpleasantness between the former gentJlsmim aira Hon. John 'Morrissey, which Isto the effect thftftheCommodore owed Morrisey forty cents. Morrissey went down to his office with a keg of powder and a match. He locked the door. He swallowed the key. He lit his match. His brow darkened. He said that both never should leave that room alive again unless one was a corpse. Ho lit another match. He placed it close to Vanderbilt’s head.. He said one or the other must sit down On the keg—-take your choice, Mr. V. Vanderbilt is not easily frightened, but he saw he was in a dose place. He paid the forty cents., Morrissey departed with his lceg. Since that time both have been better friends to each other than both of them put together ever were before. —New and costly Jewish synagogues were dedicated at Cincinnati and St. Sonia a few days ago. In the latter, family pews are introduced, and the mo* sit with uncovered beads.