San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-12-07
The Demand for Merino Sheep.
x.,ion,lIixs Stock Journal.

National Live Stock Journal
Tie unprecedented demand for
sheep to, supply the2s southern ana
western MISUNDERSTANDING the season
of 1882 has not been productive OF
unmixed good, either to BREEDER dealer
or purchaser. While the breeding OF
sheep has in many sections been slim
ulated to excess, there has arisen a
disposition to crowd the market with
almost anything in the shape OF a
sheep that could find a purchaser
If this was confined to few indiyid'
uals, or only embraced cross,bred an
finals professedIy, and actual grades,
the bad results would be limited, and
could easily be remedied. Butwhen
stock rams by the hundreds and thous,
ands are bought indiscriminately OF
breeders who do not even pretend to
raise pure sheep, and are shipped
south or. west and palmed off as pure.
bred, it is proper that the breeders OF
really pure sheep should :bestlr them
selves, or they will be the sufferers 1. IN
every direction. 1t is perhaps more
important that the man who proposes
to improve his flock by the purchase
of bred rams should know with
whom he is dealing, and what he is
paying for. A mistake here often
indeed, inevitably-results in loss,
disgust and disappointment, in pro-
portion to the amount invested In
money and time, love for the business
and sanguine hope of success. e
1t is not the purpose of the writer
to reach the men who are INDUCING
in the sharp, practice alluded, to, but
to call the attention of breeders and
buyers to this unhealthy condition OF
things, and to suggest himself or
draw out, from, some one else a rem
edy. It appears to, me that breeders
of poor sheep can, to great extent,
apply a corrective. They should keep
their own focks pure, and use none
but the best siresand dams. Letthe
treatment, care and keep correspond
with the blood and breeding. See
that the flock is registered in a trust
worthy, reliable register: After doing
the Sc things they should advertise IN
papers that circulate among sheep
breeders, and then exhibit and sell
what they advertise. The necessity
for using pure-bred sires only is ad-
mitted by all. The production of
grades May be stimulated beyond the
limit of demand, but the prospect is
good for a market for thoroughbred
sheep of established reputation, for an
indefinite period in the future. The
breeders on the large ranches in Texas
and the west cannot, and will not, at
tempt to raise pure bred sires to any
considerable extent. They can buy
better sheep than they can raise, and
prefer to do it. They are learning
year by year that they mustknow their
men as well as their sheep, to avoid
imposition, and it is well for the men
who propose to supply them to re-
mem Der this. ,ls s AZ We
The business of sheep breeding has
assumed magnificent proportions, and
appears to promise increased enlarge
ment and Importance. AS in1the early
history of the west it's citizens were
compelled to depend upon the east for
almost all manufactured articles, bu-
in the progress of events, manufact
turing enterprises followed population
until many western communities be-
came to large extent self sustaining,
so in the matter of sheep breeding,
while Vermont still claims pre-emi-
nence in Merino sheep, New York,
Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin are
waging warm and not unsuccessful
rivalry in the business, and certainly
can and do compel their Yankee kins-
men to use their best efforts to main
tain their ancient supremacy. In
creased competition induces greater
Improvement; and never in the history
If the country has so much capital,
Intelligence and enterprise been en-
ragged in the business. 1t behooves,
hen breeders everywhere to make
heir best efforts; nothing short of it
AN secure fair returns. 1t is race
n which laggards must suffer defeat.
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