The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-07-05
FARM AND GARDEN.
TO SHEEP-RAISERS,
they Should Get Their Eyes Open-Some
Interesting Facts.

they Should Get Their Eyes Open-Some
Interesting Facts.
1t is quite evident, says the Breeders
Gazette, that flock owners are yet far
from understanding all that is valuable
and interesting in the line of mutton
production. This fact has recently
found especial emphasis in experiments
at the South St. Paul stock yards,
which, though one of the newest, should
not be classsed among the least efficient
organizations. About three years ago
the st. Paul Chamber of Commerce sent
committee to Montana to investigate
and determine what might be done
toward establishing a market nearer to
the great Northwest ranges than was
then found at Chicago or Kansas City.
The outcome of this effort was the open
ing of union stock yards at South St
Paul in January, 1883.
Report of the two years business has
recently been made by A. B. Stickney,
president of the Chicago, St. Paul &
Kansas City railroad, showing an in
crease in the second year over the first
of cattle, 104 per cent; calves, SIS per
sent; sheep, 90 per cent; horses, 251
per cent, and falling off in hogs of
about "a per cent Among other schemes
lnaugurated was a barn for sheltering
and fattening cattle and sheep, which,
though for some time left vacant, was
later on occupied, and in connection
with an adjoining distillery utilized
with great success and most satisfactory
ancy,l+c - Snvan thnnSau1 fot pattla
were turned out in 1889. Mr.. Stickney
adds:
1.-The next experiment was in feeding
sheep, and the result has been most
gratifying as we'll as astonishing. The
winter before last the first experiment
was made with few sheep. The result
was so encouraging that the same par
ties last winter fed at the yards some
thing over 10, 00G sheep, and this winter
additional buildings will have to be
erected to supply the demand. Fully
10000 are already contracted for, and it
seems probable that 10000 sheep will
be fed this winter at the South st. Paul
Stock Yards; the great point being that
they maintain perfect healthfulness
Probably the most astonishing state
ment which | shall be able to make to
you in this communication is the fact
that sheep are being bought as legiti-
mate private business venture at Chi
cago Stock Yards, shipped to st. Paul
and fattened and then returned to Chi
cago for sale. Within the last sixty
days over 5000 of this class of sheep
have been received here, and l am in
formed that parties are negotiating for
50, 600 sheep in Texas to be brought to
Minnesota to be fattened during the
winter and made ready for the spring
market"
Now, when it is remembered that most
of the corn used in feeding these sheep
was shipped from Iowa and other corn
growing sections more or less remote,
that sheep had paid transportation from
the ranges to Chicago, thence to St.
Paul, and back again to Chicago, and
were then sold at profit, it seems to
the Gazette that the point has been
reached at which flock-owners can see
that something is at fault in a system
permitting so much of the ultimate
price of mutton to go to men other than
Ihoso WIZ rdIse Iue sheep' 1ne uH-
wisdom of combining attention to wool
growing when the demand for mutton is
more encouraging has dawned upon a
fair percentage of those who have
shared in recent discouragements of
f1ock-owners, and happily the number of
these is yearly growing less; but it is
equally evident that the shrewd man
agement of the st. Paul Stock ards
has an eye on goodly number who can
yet be depended on to repeat the folly
of turning over to middlemen the profit
between lean and fat mutton carcasses
that is SO greatly needed on the farm to
restore sheep husbandry to its deserved
position of profit and consequent popu-
iarity.