The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-03-19
The aeep Interest in America.

The sheep business is beginning to set
tie duNn upon regular basis with vast
proportions. The time has long passed
when farmers in the Eastern States
could grow wool at profit in competi-
tion iirst with Ohio and then with Mich
igan and Illinois. 1t was wise in them.
therefore, to breed good animals to be
sold for propagating purposes, and thus
Vermont did good service to the sheep
interest by raising the grade of Ameri-
can merinos to what is indispensable-a
fixed type. Presently woolgrowers fur
ther west competed with the Ohio
men by producing large quantities of
wool, and so they of Ohio began breeding
fine sheep; thus gradually one section af-
ter another has been superseded as a
specially wool-producing one, and found
the greatest profit in breeding for fine
points, and now good rams are produced
in western Iowa and Missouri to be sent
to the plains and the Rocky Mountain
countries.
Some five years ago the Texas flock
masters introduced good male animals
from Vermont and Ohio with speedily
favorable results, and last year the large
fiockmasters of New Mexico followed
their example.
The Texas wool of this year is every
way acceptable to manufacturers, as the
total shrinkage was only about 40 per
cent and as they paid from So to 40 cents
only per pound, and, as most of it is cap
able of making fine delaine=, the profits
have been handsome. The best Texas
wool comes from the northern part of
that State, region of plateaus, where
the grass is fine and rich. More care
has been taken with the hocks than for
merly, as good blood has come in, and
the average gain has been over a pou d.
In few year more 1t is likely to be
increased to three and even four pounds.
The wool comes into market freer from
dust and dirt, because il is now largely
transported by rail, while formerly it
" d. lldiAlFu SCN GAsil ONC
dusty roads for weeks to reach point Of
shipment. The business is now rapidly
spreading over vast extent of country,
reaching from Southern Texas to the
Missouri river, while the advancing
large focks have found their way
through the passes of the Grand and
Gunnison rivers.
The increase of the wool product of
California has been almost miraculous,
and it is estimated that the clip of this
year will reach 60, 900, 900 pounds, against
100000 in 1874. The wool capacity
of that country is certainly great, and so
also is that of the country east, including
Nevada and Utah; but it is doubtful
whether the grass will ever produce
wool as profitable as that grown in the
Rocky Mountain country and the plains
of Texas. The present aspect in this
direction is unfavorable, for the shrink
age of California wool is over so per cent.
though this may be due to the compar-
atively low grade and the extremely large
focks,as such do not generally receive the
care given to the smaller ones The pro-
fits to sheep growers in this region is
greater than in any other part of our
country, for it is stated on what seems
good authority, that the increase of fiocks
is from so to 80 per cent. per annum,
leaving out wool, which will far more
than balance the outlays for herding.
AS a general thing no winter feed is
required except for ewes.
But, with such advantages, the bnsi-
ness ia far from being popular, for the
reason that constant attention is Fequir-
ed The sheep must be in sight of a
shepherd all day long, and their condi-
tion must be watched by an experienced
aye, with view of providing remedies
in detail whenever needed. This sig
nlfies that one is to be as faithful as q
frst-class mechanic or salesman; and for
want of these qualities the losses in
sheep-growing have been so heavy that
large focks have gone to ruin, both in
the settled States and out on the plains.
Il n. Y. Tribune.