The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-03-21

prejudice farmers against sheep, M.
merous diseases appeared among their
docks, partly tho result Of want of
care and partly tho result Of importing
diseased sheep from other States. From
1866 until 1871, this important inter-
est Was marked by CONSTANT decline,
until to. day tho whole number of sheep
in this great State hardly exceeds the
number owned by ono of the large
flock masters of California, or Southern
Colorado.
Having stated briefly the causes that
led to tie rise and decline Of sheep
husbandry in Minnesota, I return
the question, Can wool be grown profit
ably hers7 To this question I unhesi.
tatingly say-yes. l make an af6rma.
tive reply, not because I am a manu-
facturer and want wool, but .s I trust
from tho position of . citizen of Min:
nesota who would like to sec the re-
sources Of this great State properly de-
veloped.
Wool growing has for ages been an
important occupation Of tho civilized Is
we'll % tho semi-oivilixed world. It is
not oonfoed to any particular climate
OF countries, but wherever sheep have
been introduced, they have soon become
aeclinated, and their value has readily
been appreciated. Their adaptability
10 wide range Of climate is shown in
tho fact that to-day you 6od the long
oonbing-wooled sheep have attained
great perfection in Canada as we'll as in
Kentucky and Louisiana. 1t is also it,
lustrsted 10 the Merinos that produce
the same 6uo, beautiful wool, whether
grown in Australia, the Cape Of Good
Hope, La Plata, Vermont or Minueso-
to. So far a. our Climate is concerned
We may safely assert that no State in
tho Union is better adapted to sheep
husbandry. When our sheep arc pro-
perry cared for the souudest and strong.
est wool is produced, and the yield Of
wool per capita is far 10 advance Of
many other wool growing States.
The great objection to sheep hus-
baudry here, is the length and severity
of our winters which are decided objec-
lions, admit. 1t Is DOT strange that
those who have studied the capabilities
of that vast country west and southwest
Of the Missouri river, comprising, for
iastance, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah,
Now Mexico, Mexico, and California,
should perceive that very great advan.
tages exist there for cattle and sheep
raising over all other sections of the
North American Continent But the
points l wish to raise just here are, 1st,
that Minnesota possesses resources and
advantages for sheep husbandry far su.
perior to many countries where it Is
carried on with profit. Our soil is ca
pabIe Of producing in abundance grain
and vegetables Of all kinds, which can
not bear transportation, while nature
has provided against our long winters
the most ample facilities for securing
hay.
Secondly, maintain that sheep Lus-
baudry is necessary auxiliary to agri.
culture everywhere !; that the principles
that produce successful farming 10 Eu-
rope and Great Britain must be applied
in Ameriea. That eminent French
man, NJ. Theirs, when he tod his coun-
trymen that sheep husbandry was es-
sential to successful agriculture 10
France, simply repeated we'll estab-
lished fact 10 the farming Of Great Brit
din. Sheep s'e raised in England, not
vithstanding the high price of land,
for mutton, for wool, and for the pur.
pose Of maintaining and increasing the
fertility of the soil, and for these 1ea.
sons large majority Of tho farmers o:
Minnesota should keep sheep.
Does it look like healthy farm,og
and good economy when oue butchers
annually send away thousands Of dollars
to nsi9hboriug States for the purchase
Of fat sheep? This is all wrong, and
there never can DO real thrift and pros.
perity until we produce cattle, horses,
sheep and hogs for our Own markets, at
least.
Tho profits from wool-groviog or
sheep. raising should not be estimated
by tho results of two or three years.
The low price Of wool during the years
1866, 81 and '68, is now to be equal.
lied by high.priccd wool for term Of
years. To the farmer of Minnesota,
who has grown wool during tho past
: ten years, the average price ought not
to be unsatisfactory, and l will venture
the assertion hat farmers 10 this State
who Incorporate sheep husbandry into
their farming, tor ten years to come,
will reap satisfactory results from the
sale Of wool and mutton, aud at the
same time viii do much toward diversi.
flying tho agriculture Of Minnesota.
..19 had almost forgotten to mention a
very serious obstacle to sheep. raising in
Minnesota to-day, namely, the preva-
lsnee Of dogs. This is an evil that can
Be almost wholly abated if tho farmers
will act in concert aud demand suitable
legislation. The wool-srovers Of Eog-
land, France and Germany are protect.
ed by their respective governments
r &