The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-12-12
sheep for the DaIotas.

Sheep for the DaISotas.
A Wisconsin sheep breeder writes al .fol-
lows to the American Sheep Breeder
The absolute necessity Of sheep husbandry
to the prosperity of the nation was never
more clearly shown than in the history
Of Dakota.
The rainfall has steadily diminished
for the past five years, till in large dis
tricts grain has been a total failure and
in other districts the farmers are fortu-
nate If they secure en- average of 10 bush
els OF wheat per acre. There are tens of
thousands Of farmers who must emigrate
or starye, unless some better business than
grain raising is found. Fortunately sheep
husbandry furnishes a perfect remedy for
all their troubles. There is no better eli
mate on the globe for sheep than that Of
Dakota. Our best sheep when taken there
increase in size and in weight Of fleece.
Millions of tons OF the best grasses 90
to waste every year, which if utilized in
grazing sheep would place the Dakotas
among the richest states Of the Union.
While the farmers who need sheen the
most have no money with which to buy,
fortunately sheep can be sold to farmers
on long time with more safety than any
other stock. This is no experiment, for
the wisdom and safety Of this plan have
been formed by the experience OF many
years.
Burlington, Wisconsin, has long been
the shipping center for one of the finest
sheep regions in the west. For years
thousands Of our surplus ewes have been
shipped to the ranches of eastern Kansas
and Nebraska, when those states were
new. Within the past three years two of
our wealthy farmers have sent 10000
sheep to South Dakota. Nearly all these
sheep have been sold in small locks, sci
dom over 200 to n man, and in most
cases nc money has been paid at the time
of purchase. The buyer gives notes, pay
able after three successive sllearings, and
gives a mortgage on the sheep, the wool
and the increase. Some OF these farmers
have written back, stating they had lost
their grain crops and asking extension
on their notes. as the wool was all they
had to keep their families from starving,
but these men have never lost a dollar in
all this extensive business, which certain
ly speaks well, both for the safety of the
business and the honesty of the farmers
I know Of one splendid flock in South Oak.
ota that was started in this manner and
now numbers 700 head Of sheep, tina,
sheared this season an average of 10 lbs
Of wool that sold sold for II cents PEI ID
The farmers usually combine theil
small flocks into one large one in tn,
summer and hire them herded. The cos
of keeping a sheep a year is estimated n
S1.00. Some shelter is required in TIL
winter.
Most of the sheep sent from here hav
been good grade Merinos, which are bes
adapted to large focks. But muttol
sheep will also pay well, especially any Q
the black faced or Down families, as tn,
price of mutton and lambs has increase
in this country in the last few year
The demand for sheep in the Dakotas j
practically unlimited, for the dislear
eded grain raiscrs fully realized that tn
straight and narrow" sheep path is the
only road to salvation.
They have only 10000 head and the
need at least 100000. I sent brief n
ticies on this business to papers in S
Paul and Minneapolis, and have receive
a deluge OF letters from Minnesota an
: the Dakotas. One man who owns sever,
: lumber yards writesE lie has $4,000 trustt
out to farmers, of which no cannot COLLIE
dollar, and he is taking active mcasur
, to introduce sheep SO the farmers can fir
$ something they can turn into cash. Th
!, reminds Inc of a remark one OF our agI
culture implement dealers once made
me: 81 know every sheep man, for til
are the only men who pay their debt'
o When l came to Wisconsin in 1857, IfouI
the farmers raising wheat for the mark,
OF the world. Ten bushels to the acre W
an average crop, for these virgin Ian
were already worn out for wheat. Dc
was universal. Nov, after a generate
of sheep husbandry. we harvest 40 bush
Of wheat to the acre on the same Ian
which then scarcely gave US ton bushel