The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-09-24
MAKE AN EXHIBIT.
Breeders of Sheep Exhorted to Rouse
Up and Attend the State Fair,
October I4th to roth.

Up and Attend the State Fair,
October I4th to 10Th.
There is nothing that can do so
much toward impartlng an education
as object teaching, says the Western
Rwrol. We may teach principles for
five years and not effect so much as
we can by making practice of prin-
ciples for few months; SO many of
us teach, or try to teach, the impor-
tance of sheep husbandry, and yet
never accomplish so much through
the usual modes of teaching as we
can by bringing our sheep where the
public may look at them. This is a
subject, that in one shape or another,
We have gone over many times, and
yet we do not secure the adoption of
our method as fully as we would like
it. In times of depression the pro
moters of any farm enterprise that is
particularly affected, are pretty apt to
fold their arms and let the enterprise
sink out of sight. If times are very
dull the live stock breeder thinks it
will not pay to advertise in any direc-
tioD. He withdraws his advertise
ment from the columns of the paper,
and perhaps does not show an animal
at the fair. The city merchant does
not do things that way.
He is bound to tempt people to part
with what money they have; the
temptation consists of steady and ex-
tensive advertising. Stores advertise
just as much in dull times as they do
in good times, and it must pay them
to do so or they would not do it. 1t
will pay our live stock breeders to do
likewise, pay them every time and pay
them handsomely.
North Carolina farmers want to
know where they can buy improved
breeds of sheep, and if those per-
sons who raise them will only exhibit
at the coming State Fair, October
l4th to 10th, they will find many per-
sons to buy and give them good
prices. Stock is transported free of
charge over the railroads to and from
the Fair, so that if they are sold the
farmer cannot lose any money IN
making trial to sell improved sheep.
More of our farmers must be breeders
of fine sheep and sell to those wishing
to purchase and not let our people
have to send money of the State and
pay high prices for what we can raise
with profit.
Every flock master should feel that
it wonld be 10 his benefit to make as
large and fine an exhibit at the fairs
as it was possible for him to make Of
all our domestic animals the sheep is
least understood by the public at
large. The animal is neglected by
the government and little thought of
by the general public; and sheep
breeders cannot expect that the great
mass of consumers will ever know
much about ther industry unless they
push the sheep directly under their
noses. They do not read the class of
journals that discuss the sheep inter
ests and the only way to make them
think of the animal from whose back
so large a portion of their raiment
comes, is to show the back with the
wool on it. \At some of our fairs the
sheep exhibit is so insignificant that
it does no good in the direction of
which we are speaking A few pens
of sheep make no impression, but
when there are many pens, the be-
holder feels precisely as he does when
he goes to the Union Stock Yards
and exclaims upon looking over the
yards: Why, here are scores of
stock; [ never before knew how ex-
tensive an interest the stock interest
of this country is"