Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-06-26
Sheep Husbandry-

It has often been asserted by those in
the best position for obtaining inforna-
ton that pound of mutton can be
produced as cheaply as pound Of beef.
If this is true the sheep raiser starts on
very nearly On equality with the cattle
raiser, so far as meat production is con-
cerned. The difference lies in. the.
prices obtained for their product. ANY
advantage the beef-raiser has in this re-
spect is certainly counterbalanced by
what the sheep seller gets for his
1eeces, even at the ruling low price of
woods. This must be admitted, as true
of all the So called mutton sheep.
AS to those flocks kept primarily
for wool-growing, the case differs
somewhat. With these the. carcass
is of less relative Importance as it sup
plies small amount of mutton, and
this Of comparatively little value. Own
the Importance of meat production, and
have 50 long refused to hearken to the
counsel of Reason, that dame is
now vigorously rapping them over the
knuckles for their negligence. They
have persisted in putting their eggs in
to the one basket of wool-growing until
the existing low prices for that product
finds them on short rations, though
with necessities by no means diminished.
These facts are enumerated, not for
the porpose Of casting imputations Oh
any locality or class of breeders They
are recited only because they are be-
lieved to indicate the avenue OF relief
for the owners Of many admirable hocks
from present embarrassments, and as
providing Safeguard against the recur-
renee of such endorsements in
the future. If good mutton can
be made from fine wool. sheep,
and the owners of fne~wool
aocks omit to avail themselves of the.
advantage it's production brings within
their reach, they have only themselves
to blame for the resulting shortness in
their bank account. That a good sell
ing carcass is not inconsistent, with a
fleece com bining the more desirable es-
sentials, of fine wool, may be made ap-
parent to any man who will look through
the more prominent Eastern and Mid
die State markets.. Pittsburg; is one Of
the best mutton markets i'll the country.
No better mutton gets. into that mar
ket than some which comes from flocks
in Washington Co.,. Pa. ,+whose owners
have learned to look for money under
the fleece as we'll as in it,.
There seems no good reason for
doub ting that just such knowledge as
this, must come to. all the man
ayers Of hne-wool focks before
the maximum Of profit is secured from
them. Possibly fewer sheep-certain
~ better ones-and these handled "for
all they are worth, >" is the key to the
problem just now engrossing the atten
ton of many fock.owners.
Wool prices, now low, will probably
remain so for some time to- come, GER
tainly so long as other products of the
farm and factory are cheap, and slow Of
sale. From the present outlook how.
ever, farmers are likely to get quite as
we'll paid for wool growing as for corn
and wheat-growing. if selling on the
ruling Market IF all determine to
hold for better prices, in the economy
of storage and the facility in securing
necessary money advances the adyan-
tage is certainly with the wool-grower,
who, in the final roundup from hard
times, will probably not be so much
worse off than his neighbors as many Of
his self-appointed advisers have taught
him to believe.-The. Breeders Gazette.